The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-07-13

crowds seeking for office. intriguing for
office" This was precisely what might
have been expected. ITO the victors be-
long the spoils, and the president had be-
come a dispenser of the spoils. Behind
Jackson was the infamous hut able Amos
Kendall, the father of political rings. With
him were others of the same sort jackson,
no doubt, on his election, had some notion
| OF civil service reform, but it lasted till his
first burst of passion. Then followed
wholesale discharge of all public office hold
ers. Every place was filled with retainers
and partisans. The country was expand
ing commercially with immense rapidity.
All sorts of new questions involving finance
and internal policy as well as notification,
came up during Jackson's executive terms.
He was harried, no doubt, but it was most
ly his own fault. The attempt on his life
was the first effort to destroy the life Of
president. In his last days he was tricked
shamefully by those who sought to trade
on his popularity. He died idolized but he
we'll knew what it all meant He had lived
as a commander; he had given offices as
bribes He had fought good earthly fight.
There was nothing to do but TO forgive his
enemies in lump, join the church and look
out for his soul. This he did in due order;
and yet the office-seekers bounded him into
his grave.
do not think Martin Van Buren, ever
desire TO escape; however, we know that
he 9tested the very arts Of which he was
master. He hated to pull wires with his
nicely gloved hands, but he did it marvel
ously and won the title of Little Magi-
cian." He was politician Of perfect make
up-that is, he was thoroughly polite.
Nothing ruffied him. He was thick
| skinned, elastic and tough" He was never
a statesman. He could cutely work up to
the presidency, but he could not control his
| party or administer the government. He
was heir to all Jackson's blunders and bru-
! tai ways of governing. The great crash
! followed in commercial matters, and then
came the first outbreak of socialism. There
were strikes and riots, and storm that
| beat heavy on the administration. Anyone
but Van Buren, would have been miserable.
There was no way of disturbing his serenity.
jackson turned on him by way of poetic
| Justice for his roguery in not turning on
jackson. Still he smiled and smiled and
was not a villain, nor unhappy.
Poor Harrison did not live long enough to
weary of the white house. But it is posi-
BILE the terribly exciting campaign killed
him for he lived just one month after inau&
guration; and we had nothing left but Ty-
Ter. The ''log cabin candidate was clever
honest old gentleman from what was then
far west. 1t was beyond all precedent a
noisy campaign and fought on a decidedly
low political level.
Mr., Tyler was the first instance of vice
president becoming president by the death
| of his chief. The pro-slavery fight was
now well begun, and Texas was admitted
to enlarge slave territory and secure the
permanency of the institution. So far as
| known Mr.. Tyler, having broken with his
party, and having no friends or faction to
speak of, dropped out of office contentedly.
He was in the white house just long
l.. a.. L.
to his successor, James K. Polk. Mr.. Polk
very nearly raised this medieval era of the
American government above the medic
Gritty into which it dropped with Van Buren,
but not quite. Our presidents from 1910 to
1860 represented mediocre talents; no great
principles, and abundance of compromise.
They were altogether men of availability
rather than ability; of harmlessness rather
than intellectual power. Men of inherent
power were never more numerous but they
| were never nominated to the pre- 'idency.
Polk begot the free soil party, and retired
into quiet obscurity. He is not known to
have ever desired the presidency or to es-
cape its duties and difficulties. He was
lifted out Of obscurity, and quietly returned
to it when his party was through with him.
! TAYLOR died at the close of his first year,
and we know from his own words that he
far preferred the saddle to the executive
chair. Fillmore, so far as we can Judge,
enjoyed himself in spite of the rough bat
thing about him. He had temperament
that shed trouble as ducks back sheds wa
ter l should liken him to vessel riding
peacefully in a storm by means of the oil
thrown out from its deck. President Pierce
was glad to get free from the white house.
Buchanan had more than just measure of
trouble, and consequent obloquy. 1t would
be difficult to find a politician of the pres
est day who, able to look at it in the light
of history, would be willing to take the
presidency during that era of political hur-
ricanes and hatred. l have taken no pains
to look up any expressed opinions of the
executives Of this era. So far as they had
ability they were to be pitied; it was only
their mediocrity that made their fate toler-
able.
In 1860 all was changed. Only giants
were of any use, and only giants were at
the front Lincoln and Douglas were intel
lectual equals but in moral conviction and
tenacious adherence to principles Lincoln
was eminently superior. From first to last
his life at the white house was sad and bur
densome He carried a weight that millions
would have been glad to share with him,
but they could not. | do not know any
thing in history so charged with pain as the
state papers of Lincoln. with malice to-
ward none, with charity for all, with firm
ness in the right as God gives us to see the
|
are in, to bind up the nations wound, TO
care for him who shall have borne the bat
tie, and for his widows and his orphans-to
do all which may achieve and cherish a
Just and lasting peace among ourselves,
and with all nations" Endeared to the ma
ton next to Washington he left the white
house victim.
Poor Johnsonl Truly an accidental
presidents He would have suffered no more
had he fallen into the hands of the inquisi-
tors of Torquemadt. He was harassed al
most out of his reason. His impeachment
barely failed.
| have come far enough down towards
the present; it would be ungracious to go
over more recent history. We know that
such is our system of administration that no
man in the United States is so thoroughly a
servant as our president. He is met at the
threshold of his administration by an army
of Office seekers. He is held by his own
party responsible in the way of reward1ng
the services of those who have aided in his
election. He is held responsible by reform
ers for every error in appointment. If
among tens of thousands he shall not ascer-
tain the truth concerning few appointees,
he will be denounced as base in purpose and
yenal in his official position. The majority
of citizens look on the office with laudable
ambition, but only a man of immense
phlegm and sound digestion will endure the
burden which it entails. The probability is
that hereafter physical endurance will be an