The Sun.
London, England, 1869-12-07 00:00:00

LONDON, TUESDAY, DEC. 7, 1839.

A would-be philosopher was once advised to be
studiously silent, for by silence he would infallibly
gain the reputation of wisdom. Whether or no simi-
lar counsel was ever given to General ULYSSES GRANT,
he has certainly made it his rule through life to act
on the principle of speech being silver and silence
golden. Taciturn, undemonstrative, and reticent,
he was not to be startled into indiscretions of tongue
or pen by any of the violent convulsions of the
time. War and peace were alike powerless to
move him. He was kept back from high
military office by a series of mauceuvres and
mischances ; he it was who carried the crisis of the
war to its final issue, and reaped the reward of the
exertions made by SHERMAN, SIIERIDAN, and others,
and received the surrender of the remnants of the
great Confederate force under a general of whom
any nation might be proud. Later on, when
feted and congratulated by the citizens of New York
and Washington, when processions were formed in
his honour, and throngs of enthusiasts surrounded
his balcony, calling on him for a speech,
the result was always the same. " Gentlemen, I
thank you," " I am no orator, gentlemen." Such
was always the formula into which resolved them-
selves General GRANT'S views on the Alabama
claims, and the reconstruction of tha South, and the
Mexican question, and every other embroglio,
foreign and domestic.
Since he has been PRESIDENT there has been little
variation of the programme. The White House has
not unlocked his lips. If his predecessors talked too
much, General GRANT may almost be said to talk too
little ; and if ANDREW JOHNSON lost supporters by
his rash and intemperate language, President
GRANT ought to win them by the thou-
sand. The day has, however, come when
the spell must be broken, and the silent man must
show us into what his wisdom has been secretly ma-
turing. In truth, there is room for disappoint-
ment. President GRANT has not only told us
what we knew before, but he can hardly claim
to have expressed very original views upon
it. If American difficulties are to he adjusted at the
White House, they will, we fear, have to wait some
time for a satisfactory settlement. He approves, it
is true, of the gradual return to specie payment and a
reduction of taxation, giving full support to Mr.
1301711-ELL'S financial policy ; but he disapproves, as
was intimated a few days since, cf a renewal of the
Canadian Reciprocity Treaty, " as the advantages of
such treaty would be wholly in favour of Canada.
Except possibly a fru, engaged in trade between the
two countries, no citizen of the United States would
be benefited by reeiprocity." Certainly, whatever
else bas formed the subject of his study, the PRESI-
DENT has not employed his years of silence in the
study of political economy !
Coming to a question of more immediate interest,
the:relations between England and the United States,
the Message is not altogether satisfactory.
Ho hopes for an early and satisfactory solution
of the question, but the PRESIDENT'S language
is too much the reflection of ,current Ameri-
can feeling on _ the subject to allow us to be-