National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-09-26

General Arthur Is very different man from
General Garfield, but in his way he Is quite as
positive In his character lie Is absolutely Ger.
tain TO impress his personal traits upon the Ad-
minstration Of which he Is the head. Those who
fondly dream that President Arthur may turn out
to be o rcsurrcctcd Garfield purged Of all human
weakness, will find themselves mistaken. No
single event, however impressive, can transform
the character Of mature man or change his
convictions, his sympathies, or his tnstos General
Arthur goes into the scat Of the Chief Magistrate
of this Nation with his nature unchanged, his
ideas unmodiAcd his associations derived from
his own past experience. lie will give us
an Arthur Administration, and II will differ
from Garfield Administration even as the man
Arthur differs from the man Garfield. There is
nothing to be gained by shutting our eyes to facts
or TO probabilities. There may be no sudden
changes, no hasty overturnings, but when the new
Administration has put on Its permanent char
acter II will not be continuation Of that begun
on the ith of March. To say that man is differ
ent from another is not TO say that he is necessarily
better or worse To say that Arthur's Adminlstra.
ton is not at all likely TO be that o. Garfield con-
tinued Is neither 10 condemn nor TO PREJUDICE IL.
II is the right Of the new President TO exhibit his
| own individuality TO exercise his own judgment,
to use his own counsel, and to give the impress
Of his mind and character TO the Government
| over which he prcsides.-Neto York Times
This is q fair specimen of the rational
tone to which the press of the country is
rapidly coming in discussing the present
situation. There is no reason to suppose
that any member of the present Cabinet
thinks for one moment that 1t would be
any unkindness on the part of the Presi-
dent to accept the designations rendered
in good faith after his Inauguration. Can
any one imagine Mr.. Blaine coming into
the Presidency under like circumstances
and not having his own Cabinet to sup
port and aid him? For President
Arthur's Administration no one but
himself can be responsible. If he
selects good counselors it will
be a great step toward success.
If he chooses unwisely he will have but
himself to blame. To suggest that he
shall take Cabinet made to hand by
another is to propose what no business
man in this country would listen to for a
moment in selecting agencies in his own
case. Cabinet Ministers are, after all,
merely the heads of the several Depart
ments, and their highest duty is to attend
to their own official business, instead ofthat
Of the President. They report to him when
invited, and they can come separately or
together as he may elect. How absurd
| it would be for President Arthur to
put himself in the stocks by request and
feebly call upon the present Cabinet to
act in his stead and to do whatever they
considered would have been the wish of
his predecessor What American would
not hang his head with shame at such
an exhibition? Whoever is worthy to
be obeyed is worthy to command. To
faithfully execute the laws is not an occult
science. The work OF selecting men
for Office was no better understood by
President Garfield than it is by President
Arthur. If an advertisement were to be
inserted in each of the daily papers call
ing upon every man to come forward
whose appointment TO Office was in his
view to have been part of "the policy"
of the late President, the response would
be like the uprising of great people
Is it that element which is SO clamorous
about no change of the policy?
| 1t is fortunate for the country, as it is
for the Republican party, that the Presi.
dent is man Of wide acquaintance
among public men, and that. his respect
and friendship for them are not meas
ured by the narrow test Of what they did
in any convention. He would not be
likely to aid in building up u faction hos
tile to those with whom he saw fit to
cooperate in the party struggles of the
past five years, but he would be ceytsin
not to encourgfe or aid in t,5fS'' nernetua.
tion OF the .l1.ne so sharply drawn within
lhe par%Sy at Chicago last year. 1t re-
,fihires small intelligence to perceive that
because it is his duty to be tolerant of
those to whom in fair and legitimate
strife within the party he has been op.
posed, it does not follow that he is to be
hostile to his cherished associates. He
can be oblivious of 1878 when he meets
those who were then unjust to him with
out acceding to any demand that Mr..
Conkling shall be treated as an outlaw
In the selection of Cabinet the test
would probably be opposition TO Bourbon
restoration and positive friendship to the
President-not hostility to any element
or any leader in the party. Under
such rule we shall have O
united party. and the strength
which might otherwise be frittered away
in fierce contests between Republicans
with the common enemy fworing the
side least dreaded by it either in or out
of power, would then be combined to en-
force the policy of q party, instead Of
that of faction. 1t will be no reproacf
to the present heads of Departments tC
be superseded. They We're selected il
different times, and their retention woulc
be an anachronism.
The term of the Postmaster-G Genera
expires by law on the 10Th of next month
and the place will then have to be filled
Other changes may not be made unit
later. The President may require NOR
time in which to consult those who's
services he desires, and they may wan
more time to detach themselves from
present business plans. 1t is gratifying
TO be able to believe that the change
when it comes, is to create no eXcitemen
or distrust in the country and no un
pleasant feeling in the party.
-s-
Grant on Arthur.
I n 1. :. A.