The Express.
London, England, 1867-09-13 00:00:00

LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 13, 1867.

AMERICA.

dinary fidelity and success. It is an organization
which in the hands of an unscrupulous or careless
or incompetent man might, of coarse, have been
NEW TORE, Avoca 30. readily abused, and to say that even with as pure
Nothing new has occurred, or at least got and able a man as Howard at its head it was never
abroad, in the Johnson-Grant quarrel. But the abused would of course be absurd. But I can
final explosion cannot be very long delayed. safely say that no one denies that its abuses
Whatever illusions Grant may have indulged in as have under his administration been reduced to
to the influence he could exert over the President a minimum, while the good it has done has been
in case he took a seat in the cabinet must be by enormous. In fact, without it the negro population
this time dissipated. Mr. Johnson's policy seems of the South would during the last two years have
to be fully settled, and it is not the advice of his enjoyed absolutely no security for either life or
official councillors which have either shaped it or ProPerty. This administrative success, added to
can now modify it. His principal adviser is Mr. his personal character, has endeared Howard not
Black, Mr. Buchanan's last Attorney-General, and only to the political public properly so called, but
other democratic politicians who are in open or to that other and still more powerful, because more
secret sympathy and communication with the lead-
earnest, public, the religious public of the country.
To see him, therefore, displaced from a position in
ing Southern secessionist,. Another influence
which, I am assured on good authority, acts power-
which he had done so much good, and in which
fully on him is that of his own family. In their
there is so much still to do, and sent to take charge
eyes, and especially in the eyes of the female of the wilderness of Walrussia, wounds people to
members of it, his personal wrongs have been the quick ; and the spectacle is made all the
unendurable. He is Preeideat of the United , more repulsive by the comparison which the reli-
States, an office of waribordiwary power sailgious world—not quite fairly, perhaps, but still not
dignity, and he -r ...bees—eheee of ...dearkriliwaatursll77—makas between Mr. Johnson's
all the power by a ares of men whom rector and General Howard's.
every Tennessean has been brought up to I The extreme radicals are still working as hard
detest and abhor. This is certainly not what his as they can to make capital out of the crisis against
family bargained for when he was sworn into office, General Grant. The publication of his oorre-
and they are naturally desirous that he should not spondence with the President, as I said in my last,
now Submit to it. Then, the feeling has been wall a heavy blow and great discouragement to
gaining onhim, in proportionaa the fear of impeach- them, but they are recovering from it, and now,
ment has declined, that he has been guilty of weak- while treating him with greater consideration,
peas in submitting to so much. He has been en- make every little point against him they possibly
couraged in this feeling by the refusal of the Senate can. His taking the Secretaryship of War was
unquestionably a mistake, inasmuch as it has given
in July to arrange for a meeting of Congress earlier
than the end of November, or to prohibit the Pre. his enemies a handle against him, and inasmuch as
silent from removing the military commandivrs at it has not proved of any use in counteracting Mr.
the South. The house was anxious to take both Johnson's designs. Allthat haaresulted fromit thus
of these steps, particularly the latter one, but the far has been that General Grant, instead of some
Senate, which felt that the
progress, towards radi- worse and less popular man, has been made the in-
can= was sufficiently rapid as it was, resolutely atrument of promulgating perhaps the most
refused to concur, and it is simply owing to this obnoxious orders that have ever issued from the
hands of the executive in this country. The "war
that Mr. Johnson retains as much authority as he
does. He has for a long while back been in daily democrats" will unquestionablynominate Grant for
He believes firmly the next presidency ; and the republicans are, as
expectation of a " reaction."
matters stand, very likely to do so ; but it will not
in the popular love of the Union, but, like nearly
per, be certain that they will do so unless he makes
all the old democratic politicians, he cannot
suede himself that they greatly desire any de. ,an unmistakeable declaration of adhesion to their
Principles, which he has not yet. done. In the
parture from the old type of union, or greatly
desire the introduction of new principles into its meantime the candidate of the '° extreme left,"
framework. A certain timidity which nothing headed by the Tribune, is Chief Justice Chase, and
in his past career would fully explain has kept, they are determined to have him if they
him from acting ou this expectation hitherto. I ran- Perhaps the strongest objection to him
But in the refusal of the Senate to impose further is, that, in his present position, he should
restrictions on him, or to provide for an earlier be willing to be a candidate at all. He has had a
session of Congress, he doubtless saw signs of that hankering for the office ever since 1860. There
reaction, or of that widespread and deeply-seated was a strong effort made to have him put in nomi-
feeling of conservatism from which he has expected , nation against Mr. Lincoln in 1864, but his sup-
reaction to flow, and this, combined with the ex- porters were not strong enough, and such of them
hortationsof his family and of his old democratic i as were utterly opposed to Mr. Lincoln in any event
friends "to be a man," to "put his foot down," i were compelled to accept General Fremont. Mr.
and " show that he was really President of the' Chasm has not since his accession to the bench of
United States," has probably nerved him to take the Supreme Court done much either to conciliate
his present position. I his enemies or win over the conservatives. He has
His cabinet has for a few weeks been more a, gone about the country too much, made too many
name than a reality. He submits his plans to, speeches at negro meetings, and has "lobbied" a
them in the form of questions, and if the majority ; little too much in Congress in favour of radical
should be of his way of thinking, he takes the measures. There is a class of politicians here
who really seem to think that if "impartial advice of the majority ; if they should not be, he
suf-
takes the advice of the minority. The resignations frage" be once established, all the ills from which
mankind suffers will in this country be removed ;
of the whole body, including Mr. Seward, who has
done and suffered so much for him, were sent in other words that if the source of power be
the right one, the machinery through which power
in some days ago, but he has not yet decided which
of them he will accept. The only thing cer- is exercised is of no importance. They therefore
tau about it is that Mr. M'Culloch is km* even on courts of justice as simply instru-
to be retained. He has not meddled much in ments for the propagation of right principles, and
party politics, and his disappearance from the are as ready to have a judge come down off the
bench and take the stump in favour of them as any-
, treasury during a crisis like the present would, I
body else, no matter what the effect may be on his
it is felt, give a serious blow to the national credit.
authority as an expounder of the law. All the party
But all the others will probably retire. Far as
Mr. Seward and one or two more are prepared to managers in
think State are working hard for Mr.
! Chime ; but I there is little doubt that work as
go in the work of " conciliation," they not
they may, General Grant will, after all, be the man
dently intends to go, and keep the company he
prepared to go as far as Mr. Johnson now evi-
get the nomination, particularly as the West is
is to
now evidently bent on keeping. not always under the same influences that the
His changes in the cabinet, however, except as East is.
an indication of the completeness of his perversion,
make comparatively little impression on the public
mind ; no members of it, except Mr. Stanton, had
much hold on the people. What kindles the most
intense exasperation is the removal of the generals
—the displacement of heroes of the war like
Sheridan, and Sickles, and Howard. It is no consola-
tion that Hancock, or Canby, or Thomas, who are
to take their places, are also heroes of the war,
and did distinguished service, and may perhaps be
relied on to carry out the policy of Congress in the
insurrectionary districts with just as much
faithfulness as their predecessors. What
stings people is, that such men should be
removed because of their faithfulness, that they
should be removed, too, in compliance with Seces-
sionista' prayers and entreaties, and that their re-
moval should represent the triumph of Sams-
sionista' ideas and plans in the White House.
Sheridan is just now the popular hero. His ad-
ministration at New Orleans gives perfect satisfac-
tion to the public. It is just what they consider
that region needs, for there is no region in which
the pinions and vices of slave society still flourish
with such rankness and luxuriance, and if there be
any peculiar honour, distinction, or satisfaction to
be had from the position, they think Sheridan is I
fairly entitled to it. To dismiss him from his
post, therefore, as if in disgrace, and send him to
fight Indiana on the plains, is regarded as an insult
to every loyal man and woman at the North. The
same feeling exists, though in a minor degree, with
regard to Sickles. Howard's case, however, touches
feelings still deeper and more sacred than that of
either Sheridan or Sickles. Howard was educated at
the Military School at West Point, but he is a man of
deep religious feeling, and instead of entering the
army, began to prepare for the ministry, and was
thus engaged when the war broke out. He
at once went into the service, but as
a veritable crusader, and deeply impressed, if
ever man was, that in drawing the sword he was
about to do battle for the Cross. His whole career
during the struggle was marked not only by
great military ability, but by a religious fervour,
which displayed itself, not in words only, or in a
faithful discharge of his professional duties, but in
untiring and unceasing devotion to the relief of the
thousand forms of suffering which the war of
course every day presented. He was a veritable
Bayard and Howard rolled into one, and when
the peace came he reached his home with a reputa-
tion such as no other man had won. When the
Freedmen's Bureau was organized it was felt that
he was just the man to take charge of it, and he
was accordingly at once put at its head. Since
then he has diacharged its duties with extraor-

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