Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1881-05-21
AND PLArT.
The RumIdIan A.ton and the An
daIusiaa Jackass.

0AALAAAM AtAGAA2H.
These two animals, the deadlock
OF the senatorial menagerie having
been broken, are now at large. The
lion disturbs the equanimity of the
forest with the thunder of his roa
and the little ass lettering behind
the king OF beasts vexes the ears of
quiet and unoffending citizens with
the noise Of his bray. Conkling has
resigned! lSelah). Strange us it
doubtless appears to him, the sun
has continued to rise and set as
heretofore, the birds still sing, the
grass still grows and water still
runs. We can, by a great effort,
conceive Of the possibility of Gar
fields administration surviving
such Il calamity as the resignation
of Roscoe COnkling. But Plat
aye, there's the rub. How can the
administration remain upon its pins
and the machinery of the Govern
ment run in its accustomed grooves
under the shock of Piatt's with
drawal from the senate. Plat is
miffed-aye more, he is angry-in
fact, it may be said that he is indig-
nant. We tremble to survey the
vast extent of this great calamity,
or to forecast the direful consequent
ces to the administration and the
country. Let Us hope for the best.
The last few months have wit
messed headlights turned upon the
republican party, and its rue in
wardness exposed i'm Il manner
never seen by the people before.
The President in his nominations,
and the republican side of the SEN
ate by their conduct, have pro-
claimed to the country Il fact which
many in that party have hitherto
been slow to believe, to-wit that
that great organization has outlived
its usefulness, and is now controlled
by leaders, from the President
down, whose sole business seems to
US to distribute the spOils of Office
as a reward for partisan service and
to lengthen their lease of power.
Garfield may be a statesman and a
patriot, but he has done nothing
since his Inauguration that entities
him to claim to be either. He
formed his cabinet and has made
his nominations seemingly with an
eye single to party rewards and
party advantages. His administra-
tion is struggling in the tolls of
party jealousies and ambitions, far
below the elevated plane of true
craftsmanship and patriotism. Ne
man ever mounted the presidential
chair with a more united determi-
nation ON the part of his political
opponents to give him "a fair trial
and to throw no annoying obstruc-
tiOns in his way. They hoped he
would be the President of the
whole country and not merely a
huekstering politician, distributing
his vast patronage with a view to a
second term. The country wants
TO trust him. The good people of
the country, North and South, of
both political parties, wish him
well. He had better devote more
of his time to the good of the whole
country and less to futile attempts
to heal breaches in his party.
The former course may conduct
him to a second term. The latter,
never will. He has not yet risen
to a proper conception of the duties
of his high Office. OF course he was
compelled to have a disagreement
with Conkling whatever he,might
do or refrain from doing. He may
have deceived Conkling in the mat
ter of nominating Robertson to be
collector of the port of New York.
We think it likely that he con-
cealed from COnkling his intention
to appoint Robertson. To break
the effect of this nomination on
Conkling, he preceded it by send
ing in a batch of New York nOmi-
nations, consisting of COnkling's
friends. When Conkling refused to
be placated by this concession on
the part of the President, he with
drew the nomination of Conkling's
friends and left Robertson standing,
as if to say to Conkling 81 nomi-
mated a batch of your fellows with a
view to keeping you in good humOr
about Robertson, but as you
are still pouting, 1 will with
draw the nomination of all your
friends, and you al go to thedevil."
All this was weak, short-sighted
and childish, and the country will
not fail to note how the good of the
service seems to have been totally
ignored i'm the whole transaction.
The constitution gave him the right
to nominate Robertson without ask
ing Conkling what he thoughtabOut
it, or informing him that he intend
ed to do it. Having done it, he did
right i'm refusing to withdraw it at
Conkling's dictatiOn, and in stand
ing by his constitutional pFerogative
in spite Of the courtesy of the Sen
ate," whatever that impertinent
assumption may be. We are glad
he stood firm, and thus, whether
that was the inspiration that guided
his course in the matter or not, vim
dictated the constitutional right of
the Executive against Senatorial
usurpatiOn. But it requires but lit
tie sagacity to discern that Blaine's
courage won the fight, and that it
was Blaine's dislike of Conkling
that nerved his arm. The Presi-
dent and Blaine were nevertheless
right in the principle for which they
commended, and the country reaps
the benefit of its maintenance all