Year: 1872

listened when admonishing them 10 submit to the


ssss ssns n
to develop for the common good the cpporsnhities
such admonitions being accompanied by words words
ANA an nsc acts .oOs q IUncsqon and good VIM:
their best ana most patriotic impulses to quiet quiet
their apprehensions and assure their minds as to
the safety OF their rights as citizens; to make them
feel that they were not to be the stepchdren OF the
epuness sspHGs h sd IN ts
ings and animosties, giving the peace Of measured
louglost cordality Of feeling between the different
parts Of the Union President Grants position was
been Identified with party strife. Its entangle-
ments, anlmosities and reaentments were foreign
to him. lie owed his elevation to no particular set
by debt OF gratitude. He was not borne aloft on
the shoulder Of action while the very opposition he


had
No President would have had less difficulty to
overcome in relieving the country OF the
distributing the offices OF the government with o
single eye to the true interests OF the public service,
and in thus inaugurating his administration with
reform elevating the whole tone and temper Of
our political life When he ascended the Presi-
DENTAL chair 1t may be said that the whole people
surrounded him with q cordial ofrcr OF their con-
tdencc and willing aid In all he might do to give
the tse country good @ government. There was not
statesman IN tnls republic VINO would not nave
been ready nay, proud, to serve him at his call He
might but have wllcd it TO gather the very Gower
OF political wisdom and virtue q, ound the council
the disposition Of the popular mind In his favor was
such that from the very ranks Of the opposition
ne might nave N his supporters The
the right direction. To support On administration
conducted on such principles and faithfully serving
the delight Of every patriotic citizen. Accidental
mistakes would have been readily forgiven. The





the organization OF the government no man had
more power Tor good.


.ha GRANTS FAILURE.


No President, save perhaps Washington himself,
was elected under more natterng augurics, and
there is probably not one whose performances
stand IN more garing contrast to his Opp0rtuni-
ties There is nothing so apt to dazzle the eyes OF
the multitude as military glory. Even the most
charms. We are fond Of believing that "a a
man VINO has successfully commanded an army
muss nnrss,t 9e ape M 70 govern nation but that uni
venture to say that it Is not In this instance
This Is not harsh Judgment Tor General Grant
est captains In history. His career az President
warrants the conclusion that he has never been
able fully to appreciate the difference between
sronsibiitics OF civil administration. doubt
whether 1t has ever become quite clear to his mind
ernment. When that high Office was presented to
MIN nc TOOK 1t as sort OF national reward, an ac-
commodatlcn place in which, after his military
mind seems to have been but little disturbed by
the great duties and nerplaxinS problems he was
'isa rSt s,nnt may tSot appear somewhat icy h
friends, Colonel F0rney, once informed the public
he should then have stipulated ior a second term,
em0lunent THIS financial view OF the case was
indeed quite unusual, but II he did not look on the


that Il Should not be- losing &c bnsness snd Ge
some OF his friends who have readily entered into
his spirit actually use this mercantile argument in
favor Of his reelection. His first duty was to form
his Cabinet The eXigencies OF the times urgenly
demanded & that he % should pick his constt%i Sna!
ron the Se aesa anG
advice. but made his selection himself. When
the Cabinet was was announced 1t was the wonder
to personal friend by way Of compliment, soon
to be exchanged for less RESPONSIBLE and
hs ~ %


serstay 81 the Navy xsSty bSFshef r Of ri fha
what he was appointed for, and had good sense
enough to Insist upon being speedily relieved OF
this troublesome business, for which he had neither
changes were made: Men who, by their indepen-
dent spirit and their enlightened sense Of duty
room for others whose accession to the Cabinet
made that great Council Of state still more wonder
full. 1t is Impossible to draw from the traditions
OF the times q principle or theory OF a
political character upon which 30 curious
But how ever little in its composition the great in
terests OF the country might have been consulted,
the President true to the accommodation idea,
consulted bis own convenience and selected men
for the most important positions Of the government
whom he desired to please and who pleased him
with their company. He looked upon 10 as his per-
sonaI affair, which concerned nobody else


PAINFUL But STILL RELUCTANT APPREHENSION
was then dawning upon the minds OF some that the
conduct or this great government had fallen into
the hands OF u trincr. The distribution o; Offices
was now in order, and the President began at once
to shower the sweets Of his oflcal patronage upon
his relatives and personal friends He had prob
ably never heard OF nep0tlsm, and was undoubtedly
the last man to feel the indeccncy Of his conduct
Regarding the Presidency Us an accOmmOda-
tlon to him, and its appendages sort Of per-
sonal property, he did not see why lie should not
republic. Likewise did 1t not strike him as scan
dalous to reward men who had given him valuable
presents with high and responsible dignites He
simply liked TO please those who had pleased him
that was all. lie found 1t unreasonable therefore,
that in the qualification Of that desire the opinions
OF others should stand In his way. He surely be.
lievej that the ult-fnders were meddling with
things which belonged to him and were no business
OF theirs. Neither did he find 1t reasonable that
the man to whom the Presidency had been given as
a reward should be hampered by legal Instructions,
and when lie found an old and wise statute stand
Of the treasury, and the tenure Of ONCE act
troubled him IN distributing the patronage ne
simply said to Congress, Just repeal me these
very mischlcvous consequences troubled him little.
They stood In his way, and that was enough Tor
him. Soon alter his accession 10 power he gave
his mind, not to the great problems the solution Of
which the people so anXiously looked for, but 10
project Of his own-the acquisition OF st. Domingo.
subject OF such Importance as the incorporation
with our political system OF q tropical country,
with an utterly heter0ge neOus people, called for
the most careful and earnest consideration. It is
believed that the Secretary OF State did not favor
the scheme, and the state Department, whose
ONCE 1t is to conduct all the diplomatic arai.s OF
the government, was unceremoniousy set aside
The President commenced q personal negotia-
tiOn with BaeZ, the ruler OF st. Domingo
which he entrusted to one of his young
aides de-camp, whose zeal he had reason to
believe equal to his own. The extraordinary
OF this proceeding did not trouble
him. He wanted to have the thing done, and to do
1t an atde-de-camp was better than q Secretary OF
State. The aide-de-camp made n sort OF personal
treaty between the two potentates, In which the
President was pledged to propitiate the favor OF
Congress for the scheme OF the lobby influence: