The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-04-27

views OF SoarAos 1Eenoss A~sus'
The interesting conversation of our Bos-
ton correspondent with Mr. Adams, printed
in the HERALD yesterday, deserves and will
command universal attention. To be sure,
the general tenor of what Mr.. Adams had to
say does not differ from the general tenor
of the multitudinous interviews with men,
bers of the Senate and Of the House which
we published on Wednesday. But these coin
cident and mutually supporting opinions
on the same subject have each q separate
value. We do not refer to the adage about
opinions being weighed rather than counted,
because for some purposesit is better to count
opinions than to weigh them. Although
Mr.. Adams is higher type Of statesman
than average members Of Congress. the opin-
ions of the Congressman, when we can get
enough Of them on the same side, are
more trustworthy indication of what Con-
man like Mr. Adams, even if he stood alone
in holding it, is, perhaps. safer guide as
to what the people ought to think. The
declarations by Senators and Representa-
tives prove that Congress will make no
attempt to depose President Hayes or to
pass law for bringing the question before
the Supreme Court and the declaration Of
Mr.. Adams will confirm the people in their
judgment that acceptance of the status quo
is the only wise course.
The claim of Charles Francis Adams to
the confidence of the democratic party as q
judge of this particular question rests on
various grounds. In the first place, MIR.
Adams is the ablest and ripest of living
American statesmen. In the next place. he
was warm supporter of Mr.. Tilden in the
Presidential election. In the third place,
he would have been Mr.. Tilden's Secretary
of State and foremost adviser had Mr.. Til
den reached the Presidency. In the fourth
place, Mr.. Adams is one Of those
proud, self-sustained, independent men
who would not fatter Neptune for
his trident, nor Jove for his power
to thunder" In the fifth and last
place. Mr.. Adams is more strongly on
record than any other eminent public man
as vigorous denouncer of the fraud by
which Mr.. Hayes was counted in. On the
5th of March, 1877, the next day after the
Inauguration, he wrote letter to Mr.
Tilden. in which he spoke Of Mr.. Hayes as
"a person, however respectable in private
life, who must forever carry upon his brow
the stamp of fraud first triumphant in
American history" The whole personal
bias of Mr.. Adams is against Hayes and
in favor of Tilden, and yet he earnestly
deprecates any attempt to reopen the Pres
idential question. In the interview with
Mr.. Adams which we published yesterday
he said: "Ihs establishment Of Sound, per-
,nanent form Of government Is a perry difficult
thing to accomplish and no matter hoU stable a
government might be, the slightest confusion or
crash is al,odys sure to cause trouble and upset
matters therefore am in favor Of dlooing
matters to remain in statu quo. Ihdve arrived
at this conclusion after giving it considerable
thought and study"
This hits the nail exactly on the head.
While the republican party may be held
Justly answerable in future elections for the
frauds perpetrated in Florida and Louisiana
it is the result of Mr.. Adams maturest re-
fections that it would be impolitic and I'M
wise to disturb Mr.. Hayes in the possession
of his Office. This conclusion is in no de-
gree founded on favorable opinion of Mr.
Hayes administration, for Mr.. Adams says
that "Hayes has proven a great failure"
and that he thinks him "a very weak man
o failure as q politician and statesman
SO that he has not even the merit of turn
ing great wrong into national blessing"
Strong as are Mr.. Adams opinions on the
fraud question, and contemptuous as is his
estimate of Mr.. Hayes character and abili-
ties, he is unwilling to see our institutions
Mexicanized and precedent set for dis
placing chief magistrate by any other
method than q regular election or impeach-
ment for high crimes and misdemeanors.
Even if such an attempt should not lead to
civil war it would subvert confidence and
derange business and be source Of infinite
confusion and mischief. If we are to avoid
the pronuncinmentoes and chronic anarchy
which have made the Mexican Republic o
byword among the nations--the shame and
scandal of republican institutions--we must
keep ut safe distance from the Mexican
methods of busting rulers and destroying
the stability of government.
The tenure of our Presidents is made
short in order that we may easily displace
them without recourse 10 revolutionary
methods The trainers of the constitution
thought it more important to avoid con-
fusion and distraction and to insure pence
fuI transition from ono admin istrntion IN
another than to establish what are called
the rights of the majority. When q Presi-
dent dies the Vice President succeeds,
although he is generally man whom even
his own party would not have chosen for
the highest Office. When in q Presidential
election there is not a majority for any cam
didate the lowest on the list may be elected