American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1881-09-17


1t is impossible to disguise the posi-
tive reluctance OF the people to Mr..
Arthur possible accession to the Pres
idcncy. Mr.. Arthur himself cannot but
see it, and if, unfortunately, he should
be called to the high station, he will
enter it with this popular feeling i'm
pressed on him in 4 way which cannot
be misinterpr3ted. And yet, it may be
founded on n ruiscalculation of what he
would do. 1t is no ones fault but his
own that the people would give him no
hearty welcome to the high office. He
may thank himself for it. In the event
of Mr.. Garfield death, no one could
succeed him but Mr.. Arthur. The Con-
stitution, detective as it is on some
other points of succession, is plain
enough on this. he is the undispu ed
Vice-i'resident, and the Vice President
is the undisputed successor to the Pres
idenJial vacancy. The country recog-
Mics this fact and acquiesces in il; if
Mr.. Gar, ED should die, Mr.. Arthur
would, OF his own volition, go before
some proper official and take the
oath, and, without further cere-
mony, assume the attitude and
functions of President-and the coun-
try would recognize him without oppo-
sitiOn. But the country would the next
moment place itself in an attitude of
anxious, stern expectancy to see what
the new President would do. There
are apprehensions felt in some quar-
tiers that he would undo MIR. Garfield s
work, and traverse Mr. Garfield poll
cy, or to give shape to vague, popular
fear, that he would attempt to bring
Grantism again TO the front, make his
friend, ex-senator Conkling, his chief
aIy and sham his fr.nnraI ,,oJiou
and appointments in the interest of
General Grant. But it may be doubted
that Mr.. Arthur would, even if he had
the opportunity, start out on an enter
prise so full OF hazards as this. Even
admitting that he might desire to do it,
he has sagacity enough to see that
the mere attempt would end in over
whelming and disastrous discontinue.
Even the nominally irresponsible pow
ers that a President is invested with
must be welded in strict account
ability to public opinion, and in this
case if MIR. Arthur were to attempt
to reverse the present policy and
bring forward Grantism, he would
encounter q storm of popular
condemnation at every turn. The
people would watch him with vigil
liant and, perhaps, intolerant suspicion.
ut Val leu |OlfCf III W
cordially approved for its manifest adj
vantagcs would have become in man
ner sanctil;ed by the sutlerings of its
author. and Mr.. Arthur would be given
plainly to understand that an attempt
to reverse it would make the country
his enemy.
Surely Mr.. Arthur perceives and APP
preciates these facts-and in this we
would have a guaranty for his good
conduct. The success of his own Adj
ministration should prompt him to make
frank declaration of his purpose to
adhere to policy vindicated by its
fruits and approved by the people, and
avoid all experiments in untried direc-
tions. Such declaration would do
much to conciliate an unfriendly and
suspicious public feeling, and open a
career of plain sailing for his Admins
tration and it is hardly conceivable
that he would refuse to make it in some
shape OF other.-st. Lomts Republican.