The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-04-18
TERMS $500 PER ANNUM, IN ADVANCE.

been for several years serviceable ally of thu
opposition. He is an octogerarian and a poet.
known ana honored in both hemispheres. But
IN MS editorial relation he is responsible for
succession OF Misrepresentation of all the
functionaries who have exercised the prerooa-
tives of government, for which no other excnse
but want of acquaintance with the actual con.
dition of things could possibly avail Mr..
Bryant was nominated for Minister to Austria
In 1863 Hi name was withdrawn on an inti-
nation that Mr.. Jay would accept the mission.
how far that may have affected his temper
towards the administration is matter of in
ference rather than of knowledge. But it is
curious coincidence that he has been unfriendly
to it ever since.
But there is a bit of unpublished history
which will tend to show that there have been
comparatively recent occasions on which Mr..
Bryant was, to say the least, extraordinarily tol.
Grant OF wide spread corruption" not the i'm
aginative corruption which is so largely the
creature of sensational types and morbid fan
cy, but the actual, living, fragrant corruption
which was carried on in his own city aud with.
in short walk of his editorial closet for the
ten years during which the Taumany gang
bore sway in the i'll fated metropolis Five
years ago when Tweed was in the zenith of his
power, number of his myrmidous conceived the
orazen idea of erecting statue of him In Gen.
tral Park. The Evening Post came out with
one OF the abest editorials that ever appeared
in its columns. covering the project with ridi.
cule, sitire and invective. 1t was generally
asc'ibed to the senior editor. It was actually
written by Mr.. Oh ares Nordhoff, then a sub
editor of the paper. 1t created good deal of
sensation and led to the Thorough fright of the
Ring and an instant abandonment Of the
scheme Mr.. Nordhoff nevertheless lost his
place on account of it. He was summoned in
to the presence of the venerable chief and
sternly re5uked for printing an article which
was calculated to irJure the business of The pa.
pen! The result was that he resigned in dis
gust. The Post contained no further structures
upon Tweed and his confederates and its bills
for printing and advertising were promptly
paid until the crash came some five months
later.
Now, if the corruption in our public service"
since this administration has existed, had oc.
casioned diversion of the national treasure.
equal to one tenth of what it cost Tweed to
subsidze the press Of New York during his in-
glorious reign under what is known as his
charter, from April 1870 to August 1871, I
should not only think no words Of denuneiation
of it too strong, but should insist upon inyok-
ing the penalties Of impeachment upon eyery-
body connected with it. But it is significant
fact that the very newspapers which are the read
lest to impute" corruption on the merest hearsay
to rulers in Washington, were omnously silent
when our own treasuary was being plundered
by wholesale, with an openuess which left no
room for doubt of the extent and enormity of
the peculations.
President Woolsey is undoubtedly sincere in
his conviction that things are going wrong, but
college cloister is not favorable place for the
study of the workings of government, and it
is fair to presume that he has been
imposed upon by the ex parte statements
of false witnesses.
Mr.. Bullock is gentleman of leisure. He
has been long outOf political life. He was
abroad during the last Presidential campaign,
and has necessarily derived his views of the
situation in large measure from the perusal of
the published accounts he has read. There
could be no surer method of falling into an in
NSaHoAoh dVOW6Q
opinion is that where there is So much smoke
there must be some fire." and inasmuch as
great many people impute blame to the admin
istration it must needs require publication. II
his sources ofinformation were more accurate,
he would be the last man to find fault with
the government
Mr.. White was formerly the editor of the
Chicago Tribune and one of the leading spir
its of the feeble Republican revolt of 1872.
which eliminated in the nomination of Gree
ley. He has been an absentee for some time.
and pretty much all he can know of actual
politics is what "they say" He is essentially
theorist, and his favorite theory is that it is
the special province of the newspaper craft to
direct public affairs. Because the administra-
tion utterly rejects and repudiates this whim-
sey, ne is prepared to receive and endorse any
invective that may be levelled at it.
Mr.. Schurz has a chronic grievance in
the person of a brother-in-law. 1t was
on account of his fidelity to the inter.
ests of that relative, whom Grant removed
from Office that he lifted his voice so
earnestly, though unsvsilingy, four years ago
against nepotism and the kin 1red vices which
were the themes of lusty excorIation by the
doughty orators who fought, bled aud died
under the proud banner that bore the patri.
otic words, Anything to beat Grant"
These are the Generals of the invading
army They have called Conferences" to be-
held in New York on the 18th prox. Judging
by the document of which have quoted the
initial sentence. they propose to make another
campaign like that of 1872. The chances of
repetition of what must be conceded to have
been one OF The greatest political failures of
the century, are full of encouragement to the
Republicans, who, when they gird on their
armor in earnest, will be very apt to make
short work Of combinations that have no in.
herent strength, or principle of cohesion,
except an inordinate thirst for power and
place. Piebald organizations are not popular
with Americans, aod such an one as this will
have no conceivable claim to confidence or
support. YARMOUTH.