The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1863-09-22
The Chase and Seward Factions ia ahe
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We peblish this morning two very carious>
political documents. The FIRST is the mani
festo Of the Chase faction In the Cabinet,
which roundly abuses President Lincoln and
Secretary Seward. The secoad is letter frosn
Th1rlow Weed, in which he takes the copper
heads and nigerheads by the collar aud behts
their brains out against each other. Oar readers
will end these documents much more interest
ing tfan the ordinary run OF political troohsscS.
They should be carefully pert,sed and tho
roughly digested.
The Chase manifesto opens with the broad
statement that in this country, "pubic officers
are not rulers, but servants," and then pvo-
Goods to repudiate that ''hackneycd fallacy
termed by Jeremy Bentham The official
ma.efaotors' screen--attsck rs, and you attack
Che government This is exceedingly strange
language for the 7riJsp,e to use, after having
long been The most persistent advocate OF that
hackneycd fallacy" which Bentham con
demns. Still it is not less true than strange.
and must receive our most cordial assent The
manifesto then gives us the following glimpse
OF the workings Of the present administration
| "The departments have been carried on sepa-
rately and Independently, without concert OF
even consultation. AT Cabinet meetings such
| Of the Secretaries as chose may have ex-
| pressed their opinions as to the matter
in hand; but in general a vote APP
! pears not to have been taken. Hence il is that,
| having no unity, President Lincoln's govern
mcnt, rs such, has been and is without policy,
| and. instead of leading. has drifted along some
six months or q year behind the loyal public
sentiment Of the country" We are then fur
Their told that each Secretary has been run
ming his own machine as he thought proper, and
| the Secretary Of State has undertaken, in addi-
ton, to run the President" Also, that it is a
| misfortune TO our country that President Fin
| coin lacks force Of character-frmness" Also.
that the President permitted rs, 900 descrtions
from our army; that "he could not be induced to
use black troops" that "hc was iardy in coming
to the resolve to remove generals that might be
unsuccessful that che canno. nerve himself
up to apply the same salutary rule to Cabinet
officers" that "he has, through vacllation. post.
poned the draft" and that che has done aud
omitted TO do other things which, while they
demonstrate that we are in no danger Of losing
our liberties in consequence Of his assuming to
| become dictator, show that he has more than
once imperilied free institutions by his irresolu
tion.'' This is the indictment by which Chase
hopes to destroy Lincoln's chances Of the repub.
lican denomination. HRE
| Having thus disposed Of Lincoln, the Chase
manifesto takes up the case Of Seward, who has
been running the President The idea of call
! ing Seward the Premier ia ridiculed Chase. we
arc informed, is the real Premier, and we are
referred for proofs to the example Of other Pow
ers. "In England the first Lord of the Treasury
is the Premier, and in oil governments the Off
Ger charged with the Department Of Finance,
which has to sustain all the other departments,
! is the real Premier. This question settled, we
next have paragraph Of bitter personality.
| "No one" says the Chase manifesto. ..can
! read the elaborated essays of Mr.. Seward,
| which he supposed TO be speeches. can wade
| through the mixture OF oracular twaddie, OF
platitudes mistaken for congratulations, aud of
| prophecies, which make up his diplomatic
correspondence, and can calmly contemplate
| his political career. and come 10 the con.
clusion that he is man of lofty principle. OF
earnest convictions, and, above ALL of pluck
| This polite way OF calling the President
! nincompoop, md the Secretary OF State a
| twaddlcr and coward, reminds us Of the style
| Of the Count de Gurowski. Perhaps, indeed,
this Chase manifesto Is the production Of the
savage aud erudite Count. If SO, II is curious
that he should be backed up in regard 10 one
point at least, by Thurlow Weed who says ia
| bis letter, ~ can see errors and infirmities.
| weaknesses and blunders, Of the administra-
tioD," aad who agrees with the Chase manifesto
| in this most wonderfully illogical, but perfect.
" correct conclusion:-"Ience it is the more
important that loyal men should support and
strengthen the PresidentW A more terrible
political muadle, "prettier quarrel as il
| stands,' we have never before witnessed. The
Chase and Seward factions seem 10 Hght with
fails, knocking down friends aud foes indis
crilninstely, and often cracking their own skulls
while cndcagoring to GET sharp whack at the
enemy.
We have not left ourselves space to quote
more of Thurlow Weeds letter, nor is II ncces-
sary for every one will read that letter for
himself. Mr.. Weeds exposure Of the errors Of the
peace democracy, and Of the snesking and bully
ing cowardice Of the drafted radicals, Is OF the
most scathing kind, and must be perused 10.
tact 70 be properly appreciated. Let US, then,
be content with advising President Lincoln ia
regard TO the right course for him to take in
this Cabinet squabble. We do not ask him
to remove either Chase or Seward. Both OF
them are well enough in their places. and both
are about equally praised and abused. Chasc
has Presidential aspirations and political in. I.
trigues; bnt these only act At present like I
gndHy uron an old horse, 10 spur him up 10
do his duAy, and they may be crushed by Mr. ]
Lincoln whenever Il may be deemed expc-