Year: 1876

Under the above title, the New
York Herald, of Saturday, publishes
the most pungent editorial that the
columns ofthat paper have contain
ed in a long time; an editorial
which we reproduce in full as con
tanning a volume of the wholesome
truth:


OF the evils which bad govern
ment has brought upon the Repub-
lie, and which are a danger to the
pelmanence of the Union, corruption
is one of the chief. If it could be
destroyed by the removal OF unfit
men, by the i'm parchment of Bel
KNAPP or by sending a thousand
thieving officials to Jail, it would be
trifing danger. But the task is
not so easily performed. Corrup-
tion is not the incident Of an admin
istration, which dies with it; it is
disease which is inherited, and our
next President cannot hope to es-
cape the consequences of Grants
weakness any more than an limo
cent child can escape constitution al
predispositions imposed by con
sumptive parents. This complica-
ted evil Of bargaining, plotting, rob
bing and degrading national trusts
TO personal ends, can only be ex-
PEELED from the government by a
long continued effort. We are firm
in the belief that if the corup-
tion of the Government as it has
been ruled by Grant should be per
mitted to multiply upon itself few
years longer the downfall of the Re
public would be as certain as the
fall of the Roman Empire or the
ruin Of the NapoleOnic dynasty.
But this is not the only great dan
ger which the Government has
brought upon the Union. Central
izatiOn Of power is perhaps a more
immediate cause of that jealousy,
suspicion and fear which have
lessened the love of the people
than corruption. The Union was
not established for the purpose of
ruling the whole country from the
capital. It's objects and powers were
fully set forth and defined in
the constitution. But there has
been a policy of encroachment and
usurpation We would say to the
next President, whoever he may be,
''take the hand of the administra
tiOn off the States" There is no
longer the pretext of the war for
this interference with the sOver-
eign parties to the national compact.
1t has prevented the pacificatiOn Of
the South, aroused the Indignation
of the North and threatens to be as
pernicious in its influence in the
West. Never until the unjust in
terference with States and the ten
deucy to Capitalization is checked
will the old, fond enthusiastic pas
sion for the Union be restored;
and those who would depress that
noble sentiment are the enemies of
Liberty itself.


The leaders Of both parties in this
critical contest would do wisely to
reflect upon the great changes in the
condition of the country. They
will see the South with no other
reason to dislike the Union, now
that slavery is destroyed, than the
mere memories of the war, which
are fading, as the Stuart rebellions
in England vanished from English
politics and appeared in poetry and
romance. They will see the West
giant in power, which has no mo-
tive for distrust of the Onion, if
the Government does not interfere
with the Development of its pros
perity. They will see the Pacific
slope, a younger giant rising up at
the side Of its mighty brethren, re-
ioiced to maintain the Union for
the glory of all, but uneasy under
the fear of centralized interference.
They will see the East wherein the
Union had birth, conscious of the
fact that it is no longer compact
of the Atlantic seabOard, but con-
federation of the continent. If they
comprehend these changes they will
know that the Union Is not to be
ruled with imperial sway from the
capital, and that its dangers are,
not what they were in Washington IS
time, from without, but from with
in. The Cincinnati Convention gave
these subjects no consideration, but


Mr.. Hayes has ample time to eX-


press his views in the canvass. But


whatever may be discussed in the


canvass the vital question is to be


decided by the next administration.


The fate of the American Union,


for a hundred years, perhaps, de


pends upon what is done in the
next four, and in all the work be-
fore US nothing is more important
than the removal of corruption by


the slow, steady process Of reform


and the destructi on of centraliza


ton by an immediate change o
), policy.