Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-07-19

can never assume a nObleF one than the pro
lection Of the humblest man who owes il 1oy.
albLy1spT,otssctlon y, at home, and protection
iand ne may go upon lawful errand
THE SOUTHERN STATES.
/ recognize. not without regret. the neces.
sity for speaking OF two sections Of our CON.
mon country But the regret diminishes
when see that the elements which separated
them are fast disappearing. Prejudiees have
yielded and are Welding while Growing cor.
diality warns the Southern and Norfheru
heart alike. Can any0ue doubt that between
the sections eonfidenee and esteem are TODAY
more marked than at any period in the sixty
| years preceding the election OF President Lin
coin! This is the result in part Of time and
IN part of Republican principles, applied
under the favorable conditions OF uniformity,
| 1t would be great calamity to change these
! influences under which Southern common
| Wealtns are learning I'd vindicate civil rights.
| and adapting themselves to the conditions Of
political tranquility and industrial progress.
| II there be occasional and violent outbreaks
| IN the South against this peaceful progress,
/ the public opinion OF the country regards
/ them as exceptional and hopefully trusts that
| each viii prove the last
The South needs capital and occupation,
not controversy. As much as any part of the
| North, the South needs the full protection Of
| the revenue laws which the ReDublican partv
offers. Some of the Southern states have al
| ready entered upon career OF industrial de-
| velopment and prosperity. These at least
/
| strOy their own future.
Any effort to unite the Southern states upon
issues that grow out Of the memories Of the
/ war, VIII summon the Northern States to COM
| bine IN the assertion of that nationality which
| was their inspiration in the civil struggle.
| Anu thus great energies which should be uni
| ted IN common industrial development will
1 be wasted in hurtful strife. The Democratic
/ party shows itself a foe to Southern prosperity
by always invoking and urging Southern po-
tical ntlcal consultation: such policy quenches
/ instinct in ba
| OF the Southern YOUTH it revives and stimu-
lates prejudice; il substitutes the spirit of bar
barlc vengeance for the love of peace, pro-
| gress and harmony.
THE CIVIL SERVICE.
! The general character of the civil service
| OF the United States under all admlnistra-
| tions has been honorable. In the one supreme
! test-the collection and disbursement of rev
| enue-the record of fidelity has never been
| surpassed in any nation. With the almost
| fabulous sums which were received and paid
| during the late war, scrupulOus integrity was
| the prevailing rule. Indeed, throughout that
trying period il can be said to the honor of the
American name, that unfalthfuluess and dis
| honesty among civil officers were as rare as
misconduct and cowardice on the field of bat
tie.
The growth of the country has continually
and necessarily enlarged the civil service.
until now II includes vast body of officers.
Rules and methods Of appointment which pre-
vailed when the number was smaller have
been found insufficient and impracticable
and earnest efforts have been made to sepa-
rate the great mass of ministerial officers
from partisan influence and personal control
Impartlality in the mode of appointment to
be based on qualification, and security of
tenure to be based on faithful discharge of
| duty, are the two ends to be accomplished.
The public business will be aided by separat-
ing the legislative branch of the government
from all control of appointments and the
Executive Department will be relieved by
suDJecting appointments to fixed rules and
thus removing them from the caprice of
favoritism. But there should be rigid obser-
vance OF the law which gives in all cases of
equal competency the preference to the
soldiers who risked their lives in defense of
the Union.
| entered Congress in 1868, and in some
Whab prolonged service / never found it expe-
dent TO request or recommend the removal of
civil officer except in four instances, and then
for non political reasons which were instantly
conclusive with the appointing power. The
oflcers "a the district, appointed by Mr.. Lin
coin in 1861 upon the recommendation Of my
predecessor, served, as rule, until death or
resignation. l adopted at the beginning of
my service the test of competitive examina-
tion for appointments to West Point and
maintained 1t so long as / had the right by
law to nominate cadet. In the case Of many
oAcers l found that the present law which
arbitrarily limits the term of the commission
offered a constant temptation to changes for
mere political reasons. L have publicly ex-
pressed the belief that the essential modifica-
tion OF that law would be in many respects
advantageous.
My observation in the Department of State
confirmed the conclusions of NV legislative
experience, and impressed me with the con-
victlon that the rule of impartial appointment
might with advantage be earFied hsynnh any
existing provision OF the civil service law. 1t
should be applied to appointments in the Con-
sular service. COnsuls should be commercial
Notwithstanding the globe with watch
fuInesS Tor their country'S interests. Their
intelligence and competency become, there
fore, matters of great public concern. No
man should be appointed to an American Con-
sulate who is not well instructed IN the his
tory and resources of his own country, and
in the requirements and language Of COM
merce in the country to which he is sent. The
same rule should be applied even more rigidly
to Secretaries of Legation IN our diplomatic
service. The people have the right to the most
efficient agents IN the discharge of public
business and the appointing power should re-
gard this as the prior and ulterior considera-
ton.
THE MORMON QUESTION.
Religious liberty is the right of every citi-
zen Of the republic. Congress Is forbidden
by the constitution to make any law ''respect-
ing the establishment of religion, prohibit
ing the free exercise thereof" For a century
under this guarantee, Protestant and Catholic
Jew and Gentle, have worshiped God ac-
cording to the dictates of conscience. But
religious liberty must not be perverted to the
justification of onenses against the law.
religious sect, strongly intrenehed in one of
the Territories of the Union, and spreading
rapidly into four other Territories claims
imminent of social order, and to practice as a
religious privilege that which Is a crime pun
ished with severe penalty in every State Of the
Union. The sacredness and unity of the
family must be preserved as the foundation
of all civil government as the source of
orderly administration, as the surest guaran-
The claim of the Mormons that they are
divineIy authorized TO practice pOlygamy
should no more be admitted than the claim of
certain heather tribes, if they should come
III tO ha fa rf hmm
rlhce. The law does not interfere with what
a man believes; it takes cognizance only of
what he does. As citizens, the Mormons are
entitled to the same civil rights as others,
and TO these they must be confined. POlyga-
my can never receive national sanction or
liberation by admitting the community that
upho,ds il as State in the Union. Like
others, the MOrmons must learn that the lib
erty OF the individual ceases where the rights
of society begin.
OUR CURRENCY.
The people of the United States, though
often urged and tempted, have never seFi-
ously contemplated the recognition of any
other money than gold and silver-and cur
rency directly convertible into them. They
have not done so, they will not do so, under
any necessity less pressing than that of des-
perate war. The one special requisite for the
completion of our monetary system is the
fixing of the relative values OF silver and gold
The large use of silver as the money of account
among Aslatic nations, taken in connection
with the increasing commerce of the world,
gives lnB WelBnlleSb reasons Tor an lnteTna-
tional agreement in the premises. Our gov
ernment should not cease to urge this measure
until a common standard of value shall be
reached and established-a standard that shall
enable the United States to use the silver from
its mines as an auxiliary to gold in settling
the balance of commercial exchange.
THE PUBLIC LANDS.
The strength of the Republic is increased bv
the multiplication of land -holders. Our laws
skMld ook TO the judcous encouragement of
q hl settlers on the public domain, which
sbU6ld henceforth be held as a sacred trust for
the benefit of those seeking homes. The tend
ency to consolidate large tracts of land in the
ownership OF individuals or corporations
should, with proper regard to vested rights be
discouraged. One hundred thousand acres of
land in the hands of one man is far less profit
able to the nation in every way than when its
ownership is divided among LOCO men. The
evil of permitting large tracts of the national
domain to be consolidated and controlled by
the few against the many is enhanced when
the persons controlling it are aliens. 1t is but
fair that the public land should be disposed of
only to actual settlers and to those who are
citizens of the republic, or willing to become
so.
OUR SHIPPING INTERESTS.
Among our national interests one Ianguishes
the foreign carrying trade. 1T was very
seriously crippled in our civil war; and another
blow was given to it in the general substitu
tiOn of steam for sail in ocean traffic. With
frontage on the two great oceans, with a
freightage larger than that of any other
nation, we have every inducement to restore
our navigation. Yet the government has hith.
erto refused its help. A small share of the