The New York herald., 1863-11-20
Thr President and the Radfcais-Com-
menccment OF the Contest,

We find in several papers letter nom Az
torney General Bates to Mr.. w. W. Edwards.
radical politician, and the United States District
Attorney at st. Louis. which is couched in the
following -"Sir-YOur recent active
participation in political enterprises hostile 10
the known views and wishes Of the executive
government of both the nation and the State
render il unfit, in my opinion, for you to hold
the Office OF United States Attorney for the
Eastern district of Missouri. Such being my
opinion, the President at my request, has
caused your Office TO be vacated and another to
be appointed in your stead"
This brief but significant letter. taken in oon-
nection with the reported declaration of the
President to Wendell Phillips, that "the eman-
cpation proclamation waa IL, greatest folly
of his life." shows that the warfare Getfeen the
radicals and the Chief Executive ia nd longer
To be all on one side The Presi4ss& ted0N\
going to fight Ere with 6re He sees th errors
into which he has been sedSc.. = .;.s[rl; J
earsr'ra!os. and aeis taking active mea-
sures to cut himself loose from radical conn.o-
tions. The promise which we thought ve u':
about 10 be fu,niied. Ths 'iiea letter ofsEr5Tnev
General Bates means even more than appears
on the surface. II he can remove radical Office
holders because OF their radical opinions, by
and with the consent Of President Lincoln. IL
is very evident that Mr.. Lincoln will soon be
removing certain radicals himself II So the
long pending contest between the radical
fanatics and the President whom thew
have sought to bully and control will be com.
menced in the most bitter earnest. and will
soon end in the complete discontinue Of that
Satanic faction which has uniformly hindered
and prolonged the war and which has done quite
rs much injury to the country as the more omen
but not more venomous rebels who fight under
the flag Of jeff Davis
But we desire President Lincoln to act in this
matter with the dignity and decision which be6t
bis high position. Let him destroy the radicals
radically. If he were to 60 to work to eui
down tree he would not begin by looming
of all the twiggs, boughs aud branches. but he
would strike his axe into the trunk at once
This is the way he should 60 TO work at this great
reform. Radical district attorneys aud radical
custom house officers and radical pos,masters
are only twigs, boughs and branches. Chase
and Stanton are the trunk. Cut then, down.
and all the rest will follow Il ;; not
iair and 1sply to puush an employe
for The fault Of principal, nor subaltern for
following the sSanple q bis general. Poor
Greeley tried that plan when lie sneaAingy en-
deovOred to make Mr.. Dana responsible for
series o. despicable articles which appeared in
the Tribune; but Greeley only succeeje, 10
making himself more contemplate than ever
President Lincoln ought TO avoid this mistake
The ST. Louis District Attorney is only hum
bls imitator Of Chase and Stanton His "activc
participation in POLITICAL enterprises hostile 70
The known views aud wishes Of The Eys,u.
tive was only servile copy of the actions Of !
Secretary Chase. If the Attorney deserved |
removal, how much more does Chase deservo \
similar fate ! Nay il may be most empbas.
cslly said that. whereas the little noliti.
cal intrigucs of the District Attorney
have injured nobody bu, himself tho es
forts of Chase and stanton to prostitute
the vast powers OF the national armv
navy and treasury so rs to aid Chase m his
Presidential schemes have injured the ybole
country, sacrificed many valuable lives and
many millions of dollars. and retarded fo,
many months the restoration of the Union.
We trust, therefore. that President Lincol,
viii hesitate no longer TO do with energy and
'romp'ucss that deed to which personal. political
md patriotic motives alike impel him. but that
ie VIII forthwith lay his axe at the root Of the
adcal Tree, aud bring down both Chase and
stanton at single blow District attorneys
md such small Try may be attended to after.
wards.