The Sun.
London, England, 1869-01-21 00:00:00

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liation for sackcloth and ashes. " General GRANT,
said Mr. WENDELL PHILLIPS, ,c will be untrue to
the cause," and that saying has found an ea() in
many a Radical's heart. The New York. IVorld
published a conversation which a 'Western member,
of Congress had professed to hold with General,
GRANT, wherein it was asserted that the end would
be a split between the General and his party, when
his course would be much in the same direction as
that taken by President JOHNSON. These are mere
inventions, for no such conversation ever Was held'
Indeed, leading party organs lend themselves to°
readily to the circulation of such libels. yet the
smoke shows some fire, and doubtless the " War-
Horse" party are justified in thinking their views
find little favour with the man about to occupy the
White House. With this suspicion in their mind!'
which the Democrats do all they can to fan, it 1,5_
not surprising that 47 Representatives should think
it advisable to wait till the PRESIDENT Elect began
to show his hand before they repealed a law whi,,cs
would exert over him so strong a check. Tee
people, however, having faith in their elected one'
desire to place in him no stinted tneed of con'
fidence, and the House has but given expression I.°
the general wish. The law was believed to be 113"
constitutional, and known to be injurious. It sy3B,,
framed for an emergency, and to regulate .:"!
" cuss." Matters of policy affecting the very 11";
of the nation may or may not have justified it; hil„
this we know, that under its operation the " rings
have grown into powerful corporations, and sainf
drels of all degrees have fattened on the plunder 0;
the public. When America asks, who is to blame
for placing all these bloodsuckers on the body 1)°-
litic, the PRESIDENT replies by pointing to the
Senate, declaring that the Tenure-of-Office Act de:,
prived him of the power of removing the rascal'
from the offices obtained through their agency. The
Senate maintained that the blame rested wholly
with the PRESIDENT, who unscrupulously rewarded
political support by place, and not only sustained
i
the fraudulent holders, but stood between them and
the law, remitting sentences on convicted criminals,
and so using his pardoning power as to lay hinisel,
open to the charge frequently made that, he desire.a,
to bring Congress into contempt by showing the evil
influences fostered by its acts. The Springfield Re'
publican, a paper, we must confess, far from frieud'Y
to General BUTLER, attributes his zeal for the re'
peal of the Tenure-of-Office Act to his desire t°
stand well with General GRANT before the distribil:
tion of offices. So far as the House is concerned
the Act is now repealed, and BUTLER must rely Oiri
the favourable impression he hopes to have create('
But it is very certain that he does not wholly rely
on the generosity of any man, for it has been hip
habit to appeal more to man's fear than to man
love ; and this he announced distinctly in answer tr°
a remark at his election, saying that, if G": 4,,
proved unfriendly, he would find him with Plen'i,
of work for his term. Clever as General
is we doubt his ability to do this, because in operas,
ing against the President Elect—he has not 0n!.9
in-tecure base, bur, w hat is of more importance, he 11;3
no point of attack. ANDREW JOIINSON furnished 1111
with on,, against himself by bringing forward
" My Policy," and putting his foot clown on hts
interpretation of the Constitution, but it mr°lll4
puzzle BEN BUTLER, ingenious as he is, to eat%
GRANT in such mistakes. He would have then t
attack his acts, not his opinions, and these always
e
speak for themselves, however distorted, so that
nation sooner or later can fully comprehend thom
At the same time if BUTLER has got the bill he intr°-
duced through the House for the repeal of the 'lei:
nure-of-Office Act he has held out the olive bralle
and GRANT is too good a General and too wise ,s
man not to prefer BUTLER'S friendship to Bo'l°o
enmity. We think the news interesting, in°
from its pacific and conciliatory indications, an
ls
as a proof of the tack buTLER is on, than for 0
intrinsic importance, for the Act now repealed wou
have been a dead letter on the installation a tI30
new PRESIDENT.—AngIo-American limes.