The New York herald., 1876-03-07
Is It . Personal Government

| and good, or are they conferred upon him as
a reward for previous services and to be
used by him for his own pleasure and the
advantage of his favorites? Is the Presi-
dency trust, or is it prize which he who
wins it may rightly regard and use as piece
OF personal property
These questions, asked at any time IN our
history before the accession Of General Grant,
would have been absurd but they are SO no
longer, for it is demonstrable that not even
the third Napoleon was more possessed than
| he of the idea that the government is for
| his personal use and pleasure. Let us see =
l. One OF his very first acts as President showed
singular contempt for law aud regard for his will
or desire alone He nominated Mr A. T. Stewart to be
Secretary OF the Treasury Mr Stewart, undoubtedly
capable man, could not discngage himself from his
vast commercial interests and law which had stood
for almost threequarters of century statute
! books and whose wisdom unquesroned, forbade
his taking the ONCE under the circumstances. What
happened? General Grant cooy asked Congress to re-
peal the 1t refused its duty and the Presi
! dent sulked.
l. Next Grant drove General Cox out of the Cabinet
because he refused appoint corrupt and inefficient
friends OF the President 10 Office in the Indian Bureau
and elsewhere, in violation Of civil service rules
honest government
3 He drove Joseph wilson, the honest Land Com
missioner, into retirement because he decided Mis-
souri, land claim the Dent family adversely their
interest
T. de appointed poker-playing Congressman as
Minister TO England, and kept him there until he
threatened with arrest public disgrace and scandal.
| in spite of his notorious connection with the Emma
mne fraud
He attempted against the will Of Congress and the
country, annex St Domingo and out his own
private agent General Babcock to negotiate treaty
in violation OF the constitution; and ho
temptuous toward the laws that he actually the
Senate agreement made and signed with Baez
by this zed private agent under prcencc that
it treaty; and only withdrew It when the Senate
privately informed him that the constitution required
treaties TO be made and signed by agents publicly nomi
mated and confirmed by tho Senate.
4. To consummate the annexation, In which he had
involved himself with number OF men notoriousy
engaged in land speculation, he kept vessels of
OF the island at great expense support
the usurper Baez, and levied war on the Haytian
Republic, in violation of the constitution which
serves the power of declaring and making Con-
gress.
I. He caused the expulsion OF Charles Sumner from
tho chsirmanship OF the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee, post which he had held for many years
cullar Importance, because he would support the
ST. Domingo scheme.
s. He attcrward tried to bribe Sumner to acqui-
escence in the ST. Domingo plot by the offer OF the
mission to England. This when he that
against Summers opposition the ST. Domingo treaty
must fail
He appointed his brother in law Cramcr to a hign
diplomatic position, although this person had already
shown himself notoriously unfit while holding Oh
scure consuship
To- He appointed another brother n-law, Casey to
be Collector of New Orleans, and there maintains
him. in spite OF his proved ncapaclty and corruption
and his open violations of law.
H. When public opinion, outraged beyond endurance
at Casey misconduct demanded his removal, he APP
parenty submitted by requiring and ostensby accept
ing Caseys resignation, 10 take effect on the appoint
| ment of his SUCCESSOR but he has appointed
SUCCESSOR aud thus Casey remains Collector in spite OF
! tho public demand for his removal
H. lie removed a collector OF internal revenue at
Chicago because this officer refused to Join Orvie
Grant tho Presidents brother, in whiskcy fraud.
12 Later, in violation OF law, he gave this Same
brother orvillc the monopoly OF trading with
tribes of Indians, and caused the exclusion OF other
traders certified to be respectable This is the
first time history when Presidents brother has
become Indian trader, or has received monopoly,
contrary a express law, from his brother.
| IA Ho gave the federal appointments in the city OF
New York to a ward politician said to be connected
with the Tammany Ring but who his own init
| mate
! 10 He appointed and long kept In the important
| Office Of Attorney General of the United States a
openly charged with frauds, known to be ignorant OF
law by character and requirements for the place.
| but VIGOROUSLY a subservient tool of his
10 lie tried to promote tins incapable Attorney Gen.
eral to the Chief Justiceshp OF the Supreme Court
public scandal which prevented only with the ut
most difficulty.
IL. He took away the custody OF government funds
from the solid house of the Barings, who had held IL
since the foundation OF the government and intrusted
the public moneys Clews Habichs, reward for
notorious partisan and in spite OF warnings
that house not trustworthy Of good stand
| ing. The firm has become bankrupt, but the
public docs yet know how much the Treasury lost
| by Its failure
IS He gave to one of his former military aids, Lcct,
a monopoly OF certain Custom House warehousing and
maintained him 1t untn the outraged merchants be-
| came too camorous at the injustice they were COM
| PEELED 10 suffer.
10 He has accepted costly gifts and repeatedly re-
wardcd the gvors with public places for themselves or
| for their friends.
20 He permitted and defended tho mocty frauds,
by which the OF the country farmed out
to low politicians, with the known design Of securing
the political fortunes of of his favortes and ad-
| herents
81 lie was and is the intimate of Alexander shep.
! herd. openly aud generally accused of corrup-
| tion in Washington, and
% When Congress- compelled by rigid invesEa
CATION destroyed the District government which Shop
herd controlled in order to put him out Of place
power the President had tho ndecency to rcnomiuate
him at once as the head OF the now governments
nomination scandalous that the Senate Immediately
and unanimously rejected 1t.
23 In spite Of this he sti retains Shepherd in
favor as one OF his most intimate associates
"a He shocked the public OF proprety by in
viting 70 the White House. public occasion, Har-