The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-08-02

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! the patriotism Of President Lincoln, and in the
wisdom, unity, activity and capabilities OF bis
| Cabinet. But recent revelations of certain
| jealonsies, ntrigues and family jars among the
! members Of the Cabinet, and the growing belief
| of positive incompetenoy in one important de
| partment, and of unlimited jobbing in another,
are elements of a damaging unpopularity They
must be remeded or removed if the administra-
| ton would continue to command the confidence
| and the blood and treasure Of our liberal and
| patriotic, but vigilant people.
We have no earthly objection to the retention
Of every member of the present Cabinet to the
close of Mr. Lincoin's term, provided that each
man of them shall prove himself, TO reasona-
bic extent, equal TO the great responsibilities of
his department, and provided that all of them
work together as a unit, sinking all selfish aspi-
rations and all mere partisan objects to, the one
great end Of the speedy suppression of this re-
belIion But according to the revelations OF the
day the Cabinet Of Mr.. Lincoln is not exempt
from those deceptive visions Of the White House
which made the chiefs of the Cabinet of poor
Pierce gang of Presidential schemers, each
with his clique behind him, and which made the
Cabinet of the weak and deluded Mr.. Buchanan
a den of thieves and traitors If we may be-
lieve q 1.-THE of what We hear, several members
Of the Cabinet to-day are more intent upon
checkmating each other as Presidential aspi-
| rants than upon the great and overshadowing
! duty of cordial cooperation in the work of
this war for the integrity of the Union"
| In any impression, suspicion or allegation of
this sort, Mr.. Seward, Mr.. Chase and Mr..
| Cameron must be necessarily implicated. Each
| Of these distinguished men was prominent
| candidate for the Chicago nomination, and EACH
| perhaps may be excused for thinking to-day
! that be is nearer the honors of the succession
| than he was year ago. We feel fully au-
thorized to say that Mr.. Seward, in the digniied
and fearless policy which he has adopted touch
ing our relations with England and France,
| and from the patriotic moderation which he has
! exhibited in regard to this war against our re-
bellious States has gained wider and more
wholesome popularity than ever he has enjoyed
| heretofore Weare assured, too, that notwith-
| standing some drawbacks In the Cabinet of an
| ultra antislavery character, our Secretary of
Stale has succeeded in the preliminaries of an
! understanding with England in reference to our
Southern embargo, which guarantees the preser-
walton of the most desirable relations of peace
between the tive governments. This is all we are
permitted to know upon the subject, for
the present, because, perhaps, any particular
information may be deemed incompatible with
the public interests" The public may think
| differently, as we do; but we are content, so
long as we believe the public interests arc faith
| fully consulted.
| We have said enough to show that Mr..
Seward satisfactorily, thus far, has filed bis
! important position. 1t may next be said of
| Mr. Secretary Chase that in his discharge OF
the extraordinary duties devolving upon his
department at this crisis the public have no
complaint to make. 1t is supposed, however,
| that his political proclivities are somewhat too
strongly seasoned with anti-slavery ideas for
that perfect accord with the Presidents wal
programme which is the all important matter
| The immediate business of this war in the two
departments Of the army and navy has at
tracted, most of all, the public attention. 1t is
but fair to say, in this connection, that Mr.. Sc
cretary Cameron has displayed a wonderful
degree of energy and activity in collecting biz
armies, his arms, equipments and materials oil
war, and that our late disaster in front of Ma
nassas cannot justly be charged upon him. Mr.
Cameron has also protested his innocence Of
jobbing in army contracts and transportation
and we are disposed TO acquit him as not guilty
the public are fully satisfied that neither
On his part nor on the part of any other mem
Der of the Cabinet are jobs and contracts
awarded from personal or party considerations
mischievous reports and rnmors will continue
to undermine the integrity, unity and efficiency
of the administration.
No complaints have been uttered from any
quarter, to our knowledge, affecting the charac-
ter of Mr.. Welles, the Secretary Of the Navy, as
man of careful aud scrupulous honesty in the
business Of his department. But there is very
general complaint against him of want of ca.
pacity for his situation, and very general be
| lief that he is too slow, too cautious-in word
not equal to the exigencies of the day. It is the
duty of the President to satisfy the country
to show from an infusion Of activity and com
prehensive chain of preparations in the naval
service, equal to the wants of the time, that this
aforesaid complaint is ungrounded, and that
the administration throughout is smooth and
harmonious mass of powerful machinery. The
country will not care whether Mr.. Welles OF
any other Cabinet officer is retained OR dismiss
ed, if the work of his department shall be KEEP,
well up to the necessities of this momentous wal
for the Union.
Mr.. Blair, the Postmaster General, is accused
while urging the march upon Bull run, o.
having denounced Gen. Scott as unequal to the
duty Of graphing with this rebellion with sufi
Gent energy and comprehensivencss Such as
pensions from a Cabinet officer against thu
practical head Of the army were certainly ill
! advised and productive of mischief; but still
from the evidence now before us, it must bt
conceded that Mr.. Blair, in his distrust of thu
advanced old age of Gen. Scott, was not very