New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-03-15

The bitter aud wholesale denunclatlone
of President Grant for the Sins and short
comings of his subordinstes are 80 mani.
festly unfair that they will hardly be sus-
country. They oversho0t the mark. They
show q temper which partly neutralIzes
their present effect. Unfortunately, under
our present system Of government, the
President is held personally responsible for
almost everything that happens amiss'
while the credit for wise measures is dis
tributed among his subOrdinates, who are
as eager to claim every honor az to escape
every complaint. 1t is assumed that the
executive is or ought to be omniscient, and
hence deserves unmerited abuse tor what
ever blunder or crime may happen any
where under his administration. At any
rate, somebody must be abused, and as
he is the most conspicuous figure and
can be easiest hit all the rhetorical brick
bats and bad eggs are thrown at his head.
1t has always Oeen so. Washington was
assailed with greater bitterness and ferOcity
than the opponents of the present execu-
tive have dared to employ. He was ae-
cused of crimes, and charged with designs
on the republic itself; and alternately lash
ed and lampO0ned in q style that makes the
student of history ashamed for his ances
tors, John Adams was attacked with al
most equal acerbity. Nothing can surDs 80
the violence with which the Federalists
rained accusations on the head Of Jefferson,
who seemed to serve as q sort Of living light
ningrod to draw the thunderbOlts OF their
wrath. To read their envenOmed diatribes
it almost seems that they regarded him as
tiend incarnate; and even his successor did
not escape q similar soathing. John
Quincy Adams was charged with all
sorts of crimes, and among Others Of
playipg on the passions of the Emperor OF
Russia through the arts of beautiful girl;
and even Mr.. Adams could stoOp to accuse
President jackson of pretending to be sick
in order to enlist the sympathles OF the
peop.e-deliberately trading for popularity
on the stomach ache. To read the oppos!-
Jackson and Van Buren, Cne can hardly hep
thinking that the former was second Cali
gula if not Nero, and the latter was Tai
leyrand without his intellect, or George III.
without his insanity. For did not jackson
snatch the sword with one hand, the purse
with the other, and make himself dictator
in fact if not in name! And Van Buren,
robbed the people to enrich himself, and
turned the White House into a sort of
plates with forks and spoons of gold.
This kind of personal abuse and villifi
cation creates intense feeling for . time,
but soon spends it's force and is forgotten,
while the subjects of it are remembered for
what they did and are fairly estimated by
the sober Judgment OF history. Nobody
thinks less of Washington now because OF
Frenau's diatribea; and even Jackson's
fame needs no vindication to-day. 1t would
be Q good thing if our people we're to trans
port themselves in thought to 1925 and look
back on the administration OF the present
executive in the cool retrospect of that his
toric vantage ground. How will President
Grant be estimated by our people on the
eve of the recoud CEN 'nnials Let us an
ticipats postority by the impartiality of our
judgments. There is no need of overlook
ing the faults or den-iDg the failings of the
present administration. They are patent
TO all observers. But it must be remem
bered that American history did not begin
He took thoroughly demoralized govern
ment. He Inherited all. the vices and
abuses of his unfortunate pre- decessor, who
was impeached at the bar of the Senate for
high crimes and misdemeanOrs. He found
the present bad civil service system in oper-
alton. and SO imbedded in the organization Of
parties and 80 linked in with the ambitions
of politicians that 1t was impossible for him
to change it. Though he tried to reform the
system the members Of Congress of both
parties combined to throttle his scheme
system which has produced such baleful
results was inaugurated by jackson and
the Democracy in 1899, and ever since III At
time has wrought increasing demOraliza-
ton. Most of the appointments are actu-
ally determined By members of Congress,
who cling to their traditional prerogatives
as the only means Of keeping in Office. The
war created an era of speculation and ex-
travagance before unknown in our history,
IF infa rod
rency excited the avarice and cupidity of
people beyond all precedent, and developed
q passion for display and an amount of un-
principledness that are appalling. Dis
honesty is not confined to official circles.
There il more di. honesty in private corpora
tiope, banks, railways, and business transac-
tions ten times over than among government
employees. Corruption is rampant. Every
BODY eeems to be On the make, and heed
less of conscience or consequences. The
administration shares the characteristics of
the time. 1t can not escape the circum-
stances and influences Of the period and
the present condition of the country with
out importing its officers from abroad and
completely insulating them from American
life. An administration under glass case
would be an anomOly in the history of the
world.
The faults and limitations of the present
executive are patent. They need no ex-
tenuatiou and he would probably ask none.
without political experience, and has natu-
rally enough made mistakes in dealing with
men who have spent their whole lives in
manipulating affairs. He evidently under
took to carry on the government without
the politicians, but found that he could not
dispense with their services and that they
retaliated on his distrust. But in the main
all the great features of his public policy
and all the measures by which his admin
be approved by the etatesmanship of the fu-
ture. He has steadily opposed initiation and
advocated sound financial system. Him
self warrior, he has resisted all tempta-
tions to involve the country in difficulties
with SPAN and Mexico, and has settled q
complicated difficulty which might have
been made the pretext for war with Eng
land. His plea for acquiring foothold in
the West Indies. his Recommendation of q
treaty with the Sandwich Islands. and his
constant support of works of public i'm
provement viii bear the closest scrutiny.
His views respecting the maintenance of the
public schools and his efforts to secure com
plete reform of tho civil service will signalize
his administration. 1t is true that some OF
his appointments have proved unfortunate.
But they have come very largely out of the
atrenpth of his personal attachments. lie
is q faithful and trusting friend, and in some
instances unworthy men have taken advan'
tage Of bis unsuspecting honesty and 60
cured positions be would have been the last
to give had he known their real character
But love of family and fidelity to friends
are human qualities which everybody
can understand and appreciate, ano
which most people respect. No one sus
poets the present executive of dis
honesty. 1t is hardly crime to be TOT
lenient to those who have worn the gart
of friendship, and always seemed to b'
worthy of confidence. These points will b,
remembered hereafter, and should not be