Year: 1872

Ill eiI CIdUOIdU6 dIl JuulCId1 SAdIlllll-


tion of his character, an Impartial critic
would be required to sketch certain de


fects, but even his failings leaned to


virtues side, and as the rugged figure


lifts its niche in the gallery Of good


men, the general perfections of it's char


acter command admiration and eulogy.


The nation has discovered that it pos


sessed in him a greater man than it


knew. Yet consultation of the news


paper files of 1868 and the first six


months of 1854 will show that very
large part of the Republican party was


profoundly dissatisfied with him. To


a large extent his critics were of the
radical and advancing men, the most


sincere, earnest, devoted, self sacrifc-
ing 1nen of the party. Precisely the fault


that was found then is found now; it


was said that the office holders were too
/ forward in seeking a denomination of
their official head. But the chief obiec-


tion was that he was too slow in accept


ing for practical action the ideas of the


future


Horatio Seymour got himself elect


ed Governor of New York in large


measures through the pretense, false as


the event proved, that he was in favor


OF more vigorous prosecution of the


war. Some insist, even now, that had
the Democrats omitted the idiotic de-
! claratlon that the war was failure and
mcclellan on war platform, they
would have elected him. In that case


the loss to the nation and the world


would have been incalculable. But


the great mass of the people, includ-
/ ing the body of thinking, conscientious
and patriotic citizens, had certain in


stinctive confidence in Lincoln. They
! never doubted his integrity and sagaci-
/ ty. He was ready to keep at the head
| of the royal people. He could not
afford to move SO tast as to open a gap
| between himself and any considerable
portion even of those whose support
was essential to success Many of us
thought that he underestimated the
progress of he people, and that they
stepped upon his heels too often. Per.
haps so; but he had q wonderful
knowledge of the human heart. At
| least this is true; we won, and his final
action was in all cases up to the high


est ideal. We have well grounded
confidence that the same will prove
true of General Grant. His mistakes
are not greater, if as great, as those of
Lincoln, if we may Judge by e1tempo-


AS in the case of Mr.. Lincoln so with
Gen. Grant more has been demended
of him than human nature could be
reasonably expected to yield on the
instant. The patronage (hateful word)
OF New York city and State has been
the subject of a great wrangle before
the eyes of the whole nation and the
primary duties of the officials having
been left in the back ground, abuses
have grown up, though it is fair to say
that some of the grosser evils have ex-
listed for generations, under all parties. |
Every intelligent student of politics
knows that in suffering the civil service
in the State and city of New York to
run as it has been running, General |
Grant has only been following the prac-
tice of previous administrations in the |
action at large in yielding to the re-


commendation of the senator's, repre-
sentatlyes and prominent politicians.
He ought to have assumed a higher
| ground, it is said, and to have disre-
garded all these influences, all that
advice at least where it was bad.


True enough, abstractly, but practi- |
| cally, let us honestly confess that even
the Republican party was not ready for |
reform so radical. It will be; indeed |
we hope it is, but see how the very in
! ltlal steps the promises only ofreorgan-
zatlon and reform, are received in Con-
gress, and by many who have led the |
President to believe that they were his |
special friends and defenders. There
IS much sincere criticism and debate
over details, but we believe that Gener- |
al Grant is to-day far ahead of the av-
! erage Congress in his desire and deter
truly represents the people, then he is,
as Mi. Lincoln often was, shead of the
people also.


1t is nearl y two years since the editor
OF the Courant, in conversation with
General Grant, discussing the civil
service, rehearsed in succession some
OF the objections to the more promin-
ent features of the new system, such as
rigid competitive examinations, the life
tenure, ETC., and found the President
answering the objections, readily and
earnestly advocating at, least some
change. For example, the. editor said


he o1d not like to think of body of
f'4O, 600 or $4,000 civil officers appointed
practically for life. They might grow
into a well-drilled, compact political


army, the obedlent partisan servants of
! the executive, and in some emergencies
i the dangerous enemies of liberty. The
! President replied that the very fact


that these officers were appointed to


serve during good behavior, with a


tolerable certainty of competent sal


ary and possibly pension in old age,


and would not be either appointed or


removed to help personal and merely


partlan purposes, would make them less


mlschlevous than at present; they


would be less likely to mingle desper-


ately in the fight a.s.(


He specially instanced the army and


navy. They embrac d large bodies of
aole and well educated men in the SER


vice for life, and assured of what Is
virtually a pension in old age. The re-
suit has been that army and navy Off
GERS make 1t a point of honor to recog-


nlze always with profound respect


Whomever they may find at the head of


the nation or of an State, OF whatever
party; they vote if they choose, and
are entirely free in their opinions, but


are not active in politics and they
cultivate a high sense of honor in all
their duties and labors. The country
has no body of servants of such uni
form fidelity and integrity. The grad.
yates of West Point and Annapolis
showed largar proportion of loyal
men than any other class of public SER
wants. The President argued that
, something of the same good results
might reasonably be hoped for under
we'll devised system of civil service.
, he is no new convert.


That he is in F' dead earnest" now in
, his purpose to reform the civil service,


there need be no doubt He


mas been no slower than


Mr. Lincoln in coming to the work 1t
is not even yet certain that Congress,
which is supposed to faithfully repre-
sent the g dear people" will heartily