The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1863-02-25
Notes from the Capital.
Correspondence of the N. Y. Express. ]
WASHINGTON, Feb. Is.
HOW THE PRESIDENT WORKS AND AeyTs

HOW THE PRESIDENT WORKS AND ACTS.
Party spirit runs high at the Capital,
and the leading friends Of the Admins
tration are doing their best to infuse the
same spirit into the army Think of the
effect Of this when instigated by obvious |
motives of ambition on the part of GER
tain officers, who desire promotion from
the heads of regiments to the heads of
brigades, and from these again to com
mand divisions
The President and Senate are strongly
partizan. The President nominates Ma
jor and Brigadicr Generals to the Senate,
and the Senate confirms them, if it chooses
Major and Brigadier Generals are made
too, by Republican Congress, strongly
partizan. Put this and that together, and
you have the secret spring of some of the
new born zeal in the West and elsewhere
When the rank and file of the army re-
turn to their homes, they will not vote
anywhere in large numbers to support the
policy of the Administration; nor will
they, in the field, serve with the negro
during the war. l hope the Administra-
ton have sense enough to see this, and
to avoid the consequence of any new
| folly. -
| The President, am told, omits no op-
portunity to taunt those of his party who
believe in the negroes, for not showing
their faith by their works. Where are
the swarms, he often asks the faithful,
'promised by Governor Andrew when the
Proclamation should be issued?" "Where
are the thrice three hundred thousand. also
promised by Greeley" And then comes
the old humor of the President. g Let
me tell you story" "Once upon time
in New England y "WhenI WIS attend
ing Court out West, &C., &C., &c. Then
comes, too, the response from some one
of the most earnest of the Republican
Senator, "He is a jester only" And from
another. eve went to the President
whole delegation, Scuators and Represen--
tatives, and he received and dismissed us
with joke.
One is compelled to hear complaints
daily-hourly, almost-from the Presi-
dents friends, of the jokes--and usually
j they are very low and coarse jokes-pf
the President of the United States. in a
period of civil war and of profound ma
tional sorrow.
All that can be said by way of Offset
is that the President is reputed amiablc
in his intercourse, and free from malevo-
lence as public man. | do not think
his capacity or fitness for his place is re-
cognized or acknowledged by single
member Of his Cabinet, or by ten members
of Congress.
The difference between the Republicans
and the Conservatives in regard to Mr..
Lincoln, is just this The former assail
him in caucus, in secret conclaves, in their
homes and in private life, among personal
friends. and often irrespective Of the par
ties they are with, and the latter comment
upon his public acts in newspapers,
speeches. and there lament his folly. de-
nounce his false promises and ccnsure his
ruinous policy. Judge ye, which is the
fairer and manlier part of the two. One
Of the most prominent Republicans in
authority here not long ago said that there
had not been Cabinet meeting since the
Administration came together He gave
i his facts for this, too, and when asked for
an explanation said, substantially, 'sThat
after all the consultations together. the
President acted not by the advice Of those
around him, but on his own opinions and
without the judgment of his official ad
visers. 81 want to know who is boss, y
said one of Mr. Iincoln's friends to a
Cabinet minister, awhile since. who took a
card from the President, which was not
attended to as promptly as he liked. 1t
turned out very speedily, as it did when
/ President overruled Gen Mcclellan last
summer, on the Peninsula, and Gen. Burn
side only last month, near Fredercks-
burg, that the President is boss, both in
the field and in the Cabinet. Acting,
however, as he often does officially, under
the pressure Of Jealous friends of very
radical opinions and antecedents, in the
simplicity of his nature, he sometimes
asks s.why these men do not now send in
their names Of troops" and "why his
Proclamation has not hurt somebody p
in word why his mode of.conducting
the war, headed as it is by his whole par
ty in Congress, has turned out wretched
failure. This question is easily answered.
Had the war been prosecuted simply and
entirely for the Government, for the Union
and the suppression of the rebellion, there
would have been no failure.