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Presidential Inteference

Presidential Inteference image
Parent Issue
Day
21
Month
October
Year
1870
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

ïr m the Missouri Democral f Oct. 10, the leadlos Keir.ibliciin Juïirnal iu Missouri. Gratz Drown'i speech at St Joseph lins in it a peculiar significsnee. It is a ffaraing, indiLnant protest ngiinst the inicrterence ei the fc'iïetal adiiiiiiistration wilh flie do ni'stic concerns of the Bta'es l"t 'n high ti 11 9 fnr such a protest. Dur ing the war, when the vcry life of the ■."infiou was iu danger, we tolerated a cono'culration of pswor in the federal gov.jrnment wliich, h e-.irMer times, would have be?n reseuted ftoa resinted. Alter die war, whcir the reconstruetbn and rostoration ol the sottthern s ren Iercd neJessary extraordinary remedies for an extrflordinary difficulty, we recogniz td ihe fact tliat tlinse s!ates weio in an s:íCií:alous condition, wliich justified lAesBurcs quite inexiusaliln if applied to tn'e affjirs of wull oriianized aud loyally gjvurued comnioüe!rfrs. But the habit, of resoi linjj to such extranie tneasures, in di-aüng with fiia'es fliïoriauized and deítituto of well cst'ablishod Bolf-govemment, bas grown npon the foderai authority until the just limit of natioaaV hiteíerelice has bueu alïaost obtiterrtted'. Pre:ident Grant, KtSldier by educition, wholly inexperiencedio poütical afFairs, and ncapablo, as a soldier, of ooinpreliending ths relations nf tho state8 to the nation :ii our complex Fyteiu oí govorument, has iftere than once betrayed an inclination to regard Ftate goveiniüent and slate aulhority with cooteaipt, and lus de;ilin;-9 with Virginia, Georgia and MissiMlppi have liceo of very (juistiouübla pr.'priety. Yet they were excu-oil becsuse of the unsettled coaditiou of the?e gtutes; and ,'ue habit of intefereucc, thus unresis'.cd, !ias gained such m.'bteiy wi:h hiui thut ho now boldly undertakes to use his ex ecufcivo power to control the election in a state 8i oiderlv, peaceful aud thoriiughly organized as nny ëtate ia the Union. If ibis tendonoy is not cbecked we bÍi&IIbooq have a centralizttion of power in absolute as that whi:h existcd undor Napoleon in Frauce. Elections will become a mere frce. When thu Jtenple vote tbey will merely register the cáiols oí tbeir insstefn at Washington The name of looal self-goïeiainent only will be left ; the r;alily will be tost, aiid state linea and state goveruments tnight B9 well, for all practical purposes, be wholly obliterated. President Grant attempta to dictnt" to tho puoole of Missouri, and tliey protest, and indignantly spurn the dictation. 'Dhat is the meaning of tn is speech, ond of the ovcrwfceluiing niajority wliich will endorse it. Thepeople will say to Gen. Grant, "You are our servant, not our inuster." They will teil hiin that the fetloral govoruuent huj uo business to control electious in a state. lío matter now wise the President may be, no matter how complete may have beon Lis gucces-t iu 'administeriig the uatiouai affairs orrra'ttcd to his charge, wu stiü dsmand iorourselves the privilege of eïooting our own state officers, and directing ut our own pleasure the local affairs of the state in which we live. When the aro polled it w 1 appcar that the i eople of Miaowi Lavu at least this much of attaclimeut lor "state tovereiguty" that thcy mean ti nianogq their local sfifaTS without iny dictation from Washington. When the President letttr was writteu, we thought il a bltindët wliicli lie ould j nou discover Now that he f_llows it up by removing officials, ho turne the in evitable del'oat aud ovei thruw of the proscriptive poliuy in Jlissouri into a rebuke of himselfi Tbc President Reeks to oontroi ihis tale by federa} q;Uroii:-ge. It ia vory appropriate that he should tako this niethod of oombatt.ÍDg-8'party whioh is the ñrst in the couairy to deuiara ".hat hesatety of repub'ioa.i insti'.utiüns dejnands a thorouh reform of ihe civil service of the fjoveruuunt, by which ability and nior.il woitii sh-iil be cstublighed as the esseutitil qualilica'ions for office and the corruption and deraoralizing influeuce of what is cujjhouiously called 'goverumeiit patronaiie' s-hall be removed from our politinl life " This ductrine dics not suit the Prefident. 13y the use of that amo uovcriinient patronage he has rewnrded rclative? and prrsoiial fiiends; and dot tie endcavors to crush r parly wliich labons honemly to fnlfil pledaes which be seem to hve forgnttcn. VV'e regret ihat he regards it u. direct blow at hin.self to iiopose the aboliiion of govtrnmeu patroniige, w'üh its corruptiou and demoraliziog iofinence. It was not ho in tended Uut he is doing his best to ttach the frei-men of Mii-souri that this reform 8 necessary to teeure their freedom of ohoice in lucal tlectiots.

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus