The Portland daily press., 1878-02-01

war; nor would their political arguments suffer
from comparison with the "practical arts OF
statecratt and government of old DR.. Man
ning. Mr.. Lodge himself charges President
Jefferson with proving his Republicanism by
discarding and sneerng at the few simple, dig
nitled forms with which Washington had
striven to hedge in the dignity of his position.
by laying aside all decency and courtesy, dress
ing Ike pawn brokers' clerk, aud go far low
eriDg himself and his office as to receive the
Minister of England in a manner which a cow
boy would have bushed to adopt. Why is this
craftsmanship in the high-bred, aristocratic
virginian President Of 1904 and politics in the
illiterate Hoosier Governor of 1877? Was it
politics or craftsmanship that made President
Jefferson-I use Mr.. Lodges own words-recog-
nizs no master but popularity; that made
great party bend before him In q blind sub
serviency, while he strained the Constitution
to the utmost, and, IL need were, even over
stepped its limits? Was it statssmauship, ris-
ing ab've our modern political degradation,
which made John Quincy Adams seizs this
momer for leaving his party, supporting |.
degradi lg national measure, and rendering
blind, nnquestioning 'obedience to his new
leader, whose measures he was compelled to
urge without even inquiring for their reasons
a compulsioD, by the way, on which Mr.. Lodge
lays too great stress OF abhorreRce, consider
ing we have high Boston authority for saying
that Senator'S have no more to do with the rea-
sons of the President than the Shah of Persial
Was 1t practice of the noble arts Of state
craft and government that made Mr.. Jefferson
meet Mr. Hamilton's lofty and patriotic finan-
eal policy, 'by the cry of corruption, mon
arcby and repndiation;" that induced him to
make and violate pledges whose existence he
formally denied; that impelled him to deny
having assisted in the preparation and publica-
ton of the scandalous pamphlet for which Cal-
ender was imprisoned, and then promise to-
pub ish all the letters between himself and CAL
lender, and then say be could not ind the let
ters; which letters, printed by Calender,
proved that Jefferson had furnished money and
information, and revised the proofs for the Sc
ditious libels? - .ss..
neither adopt nor refute Mr.. Lodges his-
torcal statements. only use them upon his
philosophy.
Nor were these doublings and turnings the
mere mistakes of dreamers, the noble though
impracticable efforts of idealists Distraction
in those days, as in our own, was deliberately
used as powerful-perhaps the most f0rmid.
able-political weapon. Secretary Wolcott de-
clared that the whole vengeance OF the party
would be exerted against the Treasury DeDart-
ment to destroy his character If possible. THE
energies for etfecting these purposes are pre-
pared, aud the operations have commenced.
Some of the clerks in the offices, either of the
auditor, controller or register, will continue to
furnish extracts from the files and records,
which will be published and misrepresented in
Duane's paper. Unjust as the accusations will
be, both in respect to myself and the other
officers of the Department, they will make
COuslu6fdDt0 lmpr6sSlOD, a00 l. snail Dc QelQ
accountable for frauds which could not pre-
vent, aud for errors which others have COM
mitted."
Mr.. Dayton of New jersey, Speaker Of the
House, called for $4,000 at the close of the
session, July, 1898. The mouey was advanced
on his written application, for the compsnsa-
ton of the House of Representatives. Mr..
Dayton, on various pretexts, neglected to settle
his accounts till the wioter of 1799-1S00, when
it was discovered that balsnce of $4,000 had
haa, Cd ha hir,o oif Tn17
Iquestion if any member of our Civil Service
has ventured on such high-hauded experiments
for turning an honest penny, but Secretary
Waleott complains that the Aurora newspaper
had in some undiscovered way got possession
of the accounts and published them with most
insolent accusations against him, who was in
no wise responsible for the defalcation.
Colonel Pickering also had been attacked in
the most indecent manner, though not cent
of money had been Improperly applied. Mr..
Dexter sis satisfied that the present Admins
tration is diligently employed in ransacking the
bupllc offices in search for faults and docu-
ments to prove them. He thinks, too, there
mast unavoidably be found among the infini-
tude of transactions many which to the public
eye may be made to appear improper, though
at the time they were right, and that they will
be able by the use of such means, and perhaps
some real misconduct of some former officers,
to infame the public mind to great degree
against honest and faithful men. L do not be-
lieve that the sensible and we'll disposed part OF
the community will be the dupes of these
abomnable arts; but / can easily conceive that
the bulk of the people should be deceived" 1t
would not be possible to describe more accu-
rately some of the political processes fresh in
the memory of men still living. Jefferson con-
jared up ingenious chimeras of "monarchcal
faction" and "a corrupt Treasury squadron"
and never shrank from "thrusting friend into
the thickest of a newspaper fight which he
himself hated, and from which he held himself
aloof." When the attack on Hamilton's finan-
cal policy failed, Jefferson and Madison thrust
Giles forward to make an attack on his per-
sonal integrity. We have only to change the
names and the dates and we are reading the
history of to-day. Secretary Pickering was so
bitterly assaulted in Bache's paper that Mr..
Cabot could only give him the cold, classic
comfort, "Improbs vituperari lsudari est
General Marshall declared that since he con-
septed to be a candidate for seat in Congress,
"such torrents of abuse had been poured upon
him, he feared his own testimony concerniDg
himself would fail of receiving due credit"
Colonel Pickering accuses Elbridge Gerry OF
duplicity and treachery, and calls him abject
and base. Mr.. Cabot and Mr.. Dexter agreed
in reprobating Mr.. Jefferson as more weak and
wicked than they had thought him.
Consul Mayer accused Secretaries Wolcott
and Pickering of illicit transactions, and even
insinuated that President Adams had been
dabbliug in the ship Kingston's cargo; for
Kiugston's cargo read "Seaecs sandstone" and
We know all about it. GAIL HAMILTON.