The daily gazette., 1876-12-06
THE MESSAGE.

The Presidents message is q curioG3
state document, andthe first feeling upoL
reading it is one OF genuine surprise. l.
is unusually brief, and the matter it was
expected to contain does not appear, while
what does appear is Of most unexpected
nature. 1t makes no reference at all t.
the disputed states, so that we may eX-
pect special message devoted TO thai.
particular theme. The presidential coz
test is made use of solely to give point &c,
a suggestion in favor of the compulsosy
support OF the common school system AM
the distranchisement of illiterates.
|. What will be read with most interest y
the personal apology and autobiograph:
cal sketch with which he pretaces his ae
count of the public affairs. The cor
monly-received, and, we think, the
true explanation of General Grants enoe-
nous failure as civil administrator Is
that he regarded the presidential office 81
n personal perquisite allowed to him BY
the nation in consideration ofhis military
services. No other theory seems ode
qIate to account for the intensly low.
personal and sordid character OF his ad-
ministration. The sycophantic attitpds.
of the republican leaders, the alacrity
with which they degraded those of the!r
number who dared to make open oppoSj-
ton to the Presidents will, tended 10
confirm him in the indulgence of his pc
sonal Laprices and perverse inclinations.
and 50 he has been alternately King Leg
or King Stork according to his humot.
The election of 1872 tuInedhi head coz :
pletely, and made him entertain sucl
extIavagant notions of his personal popU-
Il l.. al. 1n fl,tpry IL, he.
world for the kitchen cabinet to arrangt.
q third-term programme, which was yastst
| to his liking.
| Subsequent events have, however, pc
duced in him more humble frame os
mind, so that he now desires to call pub
lie attention TO the TACT that it Wa,
his "foItune or misfortune to be called to
the office of chief executive without IL .
previous political training."'
He then gives a short autobiographica.
sketch, showing how little he could Know
how about politics when elected, and ar
guing that under such circumstances 1t
Is but reasonable to suppose that error.
of Judgment must have occurred" "Fali :
ures he SAWS, with rather cloudy rhe
toric, shave been errors of ofjudglnenf, ro'
of intent"
All this is sufficiently curious, ans;
Il WOllu Dt NNiC II pooSooN tp-
/ any patriotic citizens to find any amuse-
ment in such spectacle in such aplace
but the President goes on to make ;.
Istate,nent more remarkable than ar,H
other. He says: "Mistakes have been
Imade, as all can see and as | admit. but il
seeins to me oitener in the selections
made OF the assistants appointed TO carry
out the various duties of administering Z
the govermment-in nearly every case Sc
lected without a personal acquaintance
with the appointee, but upon recommeh
dations of the representatives chosen III
rectly by the people" This reference .
the corrupting influence of the Repubh.
can party is ingenious, but will not mea'
the case. In regard to Leet, Tom MuT.
ply, Casey, Cramer, Schenck, Orvii
Grant, Mcdonald, Belknap, Babcocl.
and Sheppard the President cannot say
his selections were made without "a PEI
sonal acquaintance with the appointee.
1t is matter of record that the st. LOUIS
whiskey thieves were appointed against
the written protest of the congressional
delegation headed by Carl Schurz. Bel
knap used to say in regard to his appoint
ment that the President "discoverc1
him. 1t is notorious fact that it was tGe
personal friends of the President tha
brought upon his administration the wurs'
scandals.-Bdh. Gazette.