Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1876-01-19
THE PRESIDENT AND HIS
FRIENDS.

iorhis ioihtiVes Dy marriage, since they
are, in some degree, Of his own choos-
ing; but it is scarcely just TO hold him
accountable for all their actions. As
for his blood relations, he never had
any choice concerning them, and the
most exemplary man might have a ras.
cal for brother, while even bis own
son may go astray, and he be scarcely
at fault. In general, therefore, q man
is not to be judged by his relatives, ex.
cept so far as he may make them also
his friends and associates. On the con-
trary, a man who is unfortunate in his
family srather to be sympathized with
and treated leniently, for each Of us is
liable to similar misfortune. II is
tho very general and well grounded
opinion of the public that President
Grant is particularly unfortunate in his
family and friends, and it seems to us
that his is especially case in which
We should distinguish carefully those
characteristics or actions OF theirs for
which he is IN no degree accountable
from whatever he may have assumed
responsibility for by encouraging or
protecting. The personal honor Of the
President Of the United States Is Of
very much more consequence to the
nation than that Of any other man in.
deed, there are not many things ofany
kind which we could not better afford
to part with. There Is so much Of cor
ruption and dishopor in high places
that we are often tempted TO assume
that everybody Is corrupt and yet
there 10 not one Of us who would not
feel mortified and Inundated beyond
expression if he really believed that
the President was willing and con
scious sharer in the official iniquity
which has so disgraced the country.
His official responsibility for much Of
il is not to be questioned but his per
sonal responsibility is another thing,
and this we cannot afford to assume.
His brother appears to be tricky
tradesman, his brothers-in-law are no.
torious seamps, and his whole long line
of relatives, by blood or by marriage,
have been trading on their relationship
and bleeding all kinds of people on the
strength OF their influence, real or sup
posed, with their illustrious kinsman
The Presidents military family, almost
or quite as close TO him as his natural
family was equally undesirable, and
not only his secretary, but his sccreta-
ry's brothers and brthers-in-law have
like his own, turned their connections
to good account. But for all this we
cannot see that Mr.. Grant is any more
accountable than he would have been
had no such ties existed, and the black,
mailing of Orvile Grant or Judge Dent
or any of the rest of them, reflects on
him no more than the matchmaking Of
Brown, Jones or Robinson would, il
Brown, Jones or Robinson were on
terms of intimacy with him
Where the Presidents responsibility
begins is in his admission of such peo.
pie to apparently confidential relations
with him, his appointment of many o.
them to important positions aud hi:
indisposition to regard the seanda
caused by their conduct. A prudent
man, OF n man with nice sense o.
propriety, would have been especially
careful to keep his kinsmen at arms
length; but, leaving that aside, Mr.
Grants responsibility for these people
is neither more nor less because they
are his kinsmcn. He is responsible fol
them precisely as he is responsible fol
Boss Shepherd, Tom Murphy, Delano
Macdonald, Schenck and the Who'll,
crowd of Office holders to whom h,
has rcsolutely clung, long after it wai
proved to the satisfaction of the coun
try that they ought to be dismissed
and to whom, when finally COMPELLED
to 60, he is in the habit of giving Ger
tificates of good character. In all o
these cases the President has allowed
his personal friendship or his persona
pride to outweigh all public considera
tions; he has been derelict in his Off
cial duty, and the official responsibility
rests upon him. He has let these mel
make money corruptly; he has re
ceived costly gifts, and even none,
from them, being without native deli
cacy to show him the improperly o
doing so; he has, in his passive way
fostered and protected their iniquitou
jobs, so that the Federal service unde
his administration has become scan
dial to the world. Surely there i
ground enough here for the sevcres
criticism or attack without going ou
Of our way to fling personal abuse o
personal insinuations against Mr.. Grant
IL has come in our way, especial,
since tho whiskcy exposures, to rcpor
many disagreeablc facts and charge
against Mr.. Grants friends and kins
men, but we have concerned ourselve
with them because OF their official
not their personal--relations and w
should be very sorry to make thes
things, as many of the Western paper
do, the ground of petty personal abuse
Mr., Grant himself may be Vulnerable
enough but the President is altogeth
cr too dignifed person to be pcltc'
with mud, which, even if it stick, cal
only hide from view The grave oflicia
errors which il is our duty strenuous
ly to attack. Philadelphia Times.
-
SETTLED FOR SOME TIME.-The Pitts
burgh Dispatch, of a recent date, says
"Sheriff Orlando Reed, of Crawfort
county, arrived at the pcnitcntiar,
with four important prisoners, il tn
length of their term is any indication
| One of them ia tn serve nineteen wear