Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1881-06-18
GARFIELD.

consent to espOuse any policy which
he does not feel assured he can look
the muse of history full in the eye
and defend. If his vision is so linn
tied that he cannot overlook sur
rounding objects, if his moral
nerves are so weak that he cannot
resist Immediate pressure-in a
word, il he lacks the sagacity to an
ticipate the calm verdict of posteri-
ty and the force of character to
invoke its judgment on his acts, he
will meet with extraordinary good
luck if his administration is not
stranded in disgrace. If he be-
comes the slave of expedients and
the puppet of shifting winds,
guided by no fixed principles, he
can no more expect to anchor his
administration in the land-locked
harbor of history than the mariner
can hope, without compass, or rud-
der, or star, to ride the tumultuOus
waves of an angry sea, apd land his
ship safely in the destined port.
The sea was calm when Garfield
launched the bark of his admins
tration upon its CLASSY bosom, but
the white caps of discOrd are now
visible all along the lire of his hori-
ION. He took the cath of Office
with the good wishes of all patriotic
men of all parties. Those who
knew the defects in his character
never entertained a very strong
faith in his giving to the country
wise and patriotic administration.
He would like to be a patriot-his
instincts all impel him in that di-
rectiOn, but he lacks the courage to
grasp the standard of patriotism
and march under its ample folds to
victory, when the voice of party
orders him to keep step to the
music of the hour. He has the
mental force to be a statesman, but
his supply of moral courage will
never enable him to rise above the
level of a mere party manipulation.
Those who expect Garfield to at
tempt anything beyond the role of
party expediency wiz he disap-
pointed. He lacks the manhood to
walk the mountain ranges of states
manship.
If the storm he has raised had
gathered around him on account of
honest adherence to fixed princi-
pies, he would have had in the hour
of trial the sympathy and cOunten-
ance of all good men; but his troub-
les arise from his own efforts to re-
ward and punish politicians of his
party with view to his own ad-
vancement. If any other inspira-
ton has moved him in all that he |
has done since his Inauguration, we
must confess our inability to discov-
err it. What reason can he give for
turning Merritt out of the Office of
collector of the port of New York
and appointing Robertson in his |
place? Merritt seems to have adj
ministered the office on business
principles, making but few changes,
and those only for cause. 1t is not |
charged or believed that he has run
the office in the interest of any ring |
or faction. The merchants seem to |
be satisfied with him, and the cause |
of removal must be ascribed to |
some other reason than to failure !
on his part to discharge the duties |
of the position faithfully. The |
Office is one in which the whole |
country is interested, and its inn
portance is conceded. Why, then,
was Merritt displaced and Robert
son appointed? 1t would be diff |
cult for President Garfield to an
swer this question truly otherwise |
than by admitting that RObertson's |
position at Chicago and in New |
York politics was such as to COM
mend him for an important and lu-
crative position at the hands of one |
who had profited, or expected to
profit, by Robertson's services.
This may be, and doubtless is, a
good reason to President Garfield !
for his action in the premises, but it
will not be so received or regarded
by the country. All the appoint
ments he has made since his Undue
ton into office seem to have been
inspired by no higher motive than
that which induced him to remove
Merritt and appoint Robertson.
No president has ever so uniform
ly, consistently and absolutely ig-
nOred all reference to the good of
the public service in making APP
pointments to office. OF course, he
has appointed some men who will
discharge the duties of their offices
faithfully, but such was not the
consideration which secured them
executive favor.
Garfield's floral tribute to Malone,
and the espousal of the Malone
cause in Virginia by the admins
tration, measures the presidents
moral altitude. During the last
presidential canvass one of the
main points made in the Northern
states by the friends of Garfield was
that the Southern states intended to
repudiate their debts, and that this
was but the first step in national re-
pudiation. Malone was singled |
out by republican orators and con-
spicuously denounced as the lead |
inc spirit in this Southern repudia- |
ton movement. But Garfield Is |
scarcely warm in his seat when he |
sends Malone a bOquette from the |
executive greenhouse, in token of
the presidents sympathy and adj
vibrations; and now it is said he has /
determined to so dispense his pat
ronage in Virginia as to aid the |
Malone party in the coming con- \
test in that state. John Sherman /