The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-05-09


lies all constitutional govemment-that the
administration is formally and officially
put into the hands of those leading, capable
and important men of every section into
whose hands the offices would naturally and
necessarily fall if the government were an
oigarchy. This was the recognized prin-
ciple of our system in its period of early
purity and vigor If it had been possible,
when the first President of the United States
was FAMED, for the nation to choose any
other man than George Washington the
choice would have laid between Adams, JEFF
ington put both jefferson and Hamilton into
his Cabinet, and if Adams had not been
Vice President he would have had him
in also. That was a principle so well
founded in the nature of governments like
ours that it scarcely needed the conservation
of this example to commend it to later
administrations. 1t was less literally APP
piled to all the great men of the country
when the people divided into parties for and
against the views of different interpreters of
the constitution, for neither party would
have accepted the presence Of q man in the
government opposed to its principles; but
this made the point all the clearer that the
government must have the support of all
the great men Of its party, and it would
have been properly regarded rs an impolitic
and dangerous course for any administration
to deprive itself of such elements as come
with the presence Of all those party leaders
who have the respect of the nation in such n
degree that they are regarded as rival can
didates. Indeed, we have already noted
and it is familiar to the country-how dis
tinctly this principle was put into practice
in the case of President Lincoln and his
great Secretary, William II. Seward. In
fact, this principle never was openly scorned
He introduced the usage of making his Cabi-
net coterie; of choosing men to perform
the functions of great political offices-not
for their fitness or acquaintance with the
duties, but because they were personally
agreeable to himself This is SO much the
eminent rests that great orator happily
compared the Presidents plan in this re-
spect to the plan of George III. This plan
was the source Of one-half the evils that
have troubled the government since, MS in
George III. S hands it produced still greater
evils in the English government
In the present crisis, however, it is not so
much that the President put in Office will be
eager to get the assistance of experience and
capacity in the administration. That he will
need, whoever he is. But it is that as the Sec
tional issue has reached an excessive promi-
hence in our politics, as it has made a great
and bloody war, it will continue in Presi-
Dental elections an element Of mistrust and
uncertainty, and will therefore stimulate
each section to q renewed endeavor to Sc
cure for itself the great post Of executive
authority, and these efforts will only be re-
mitted harmonious concentration on a
great man of one or another section will only
be possible when the other sections shall
receive the guarantee of one of the great
posts that are part and parcel of the collec-
tive executive Office. Unless one sections
support of the candidate of another section
is guarded by this condition it will withhold
that support. and no great leader can be
nominated; but an intrigue will be formed,
the party nomination will be given to some
pygmy, and the party will be beaten.