Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1864-01-06
A New Cabinet.


We have been urging the President, and the
country has been urging him for months to reor-
gsnize his Cabinet and place men Of honesty and
ability in II who will command the respect and con-
fidence of the people The Richmond Wing of
recent date says:
"When General fails in campaigns or battles,
he is required to give place to another Success is
the recognized test of meri. There Is no reason
why this rule should be limited to the army. In
popular government especially in time of great
public peril success in craftsmanship is as necessary
as success in arms, and failure should be redressed
in the same way. The statesman or diplomatist
who lacks competency and commits blunders, may
do as much harm as the General who wants skill
or courage Tried by this standard, there can be
no doubt that the present Cabinet should give way,
or be removed. They have uniformly, signally and
deploeably failed. The Secretary of State has failed
utterly to establish State relations with any one
government after nearly three years of effort The
Secretary of the Treasury has failed to save the
finances from running into such disorder as threatens
immediate and general bankruptcy. The Secretary
Of War has failed to keep his armies from being
almost destroyed by desertions to prevent the loss
of State after State, and to provide regular and re-
liable means of supply for his troops. The Sec
rotary of the Navy has failed to create navy
The Postmaster General has been diligent and
laborious, and has succeeded moderately we'll: The
Department Of Justice is vacant With no feeling
of personal unkindness or political hostility, but
regarding only the good of q cause doubtless as
dear to them as to ourselves we respectfully sug-
gest to the chief of the four Departments first
named. that they owe it to the genius Of our inst.
tutions and to that judgment Of mankind which
DEGREES the forfeiture of place as the penalty for
failure, to resign their Offices and allow the Pres
dent to test the capacities of others in the important
duties they have had in charge Should they decline
to do So We urge it then as an indispensable obliga
ton of the President to require them to vacte their
posts. Weare fully convinced that reconstruction
of the Cabinet upon wise and liberal scale would
send shock of joy through the country such as no
trinmr of our arms since the first battle of Manas
sas has produced We express ourselves temper
atey and respectfully with the hope of accomplish.
ing the object A much stronger utterence would
better reflect the earnestness of our convictions,
and the strength of the public desire this sub
ject"
But the President will not heed the voice of the
country. He seems to be "cursed with heart un-
knowing how to yield" A partizan himself, he is
surrounded by narrow minded partizans who never
lift themselves to the level of the great duties and
lar fact that this revolution has developed no great
General in the South, who compares favorably with
Napoleon, or Wellington, or Caesar, except Stone
wall jackson and that no great man has yet shown
himself in the Confederate Congress or. Cabinet
When Alexander H. Stephens, who from his very
position is necessarily CIPHER in public affairs, is
absent from Richmond, there is no great man in
that City on whom the country can lean in this day
Of almost superhuman trial
We are among those who voted for Mr.. Davis for
President We did so with the hope that be would
ignore party and unite the whole country in Wig
orous prosecution of the war. We have been griev-
ously disappointed. But it is not too late for Mr.
Davis to himself in history and save the coun.
try. Let him throw himself with generous conf
dence on the sovereign States-let him respect their
rghts-let him remodel bis Cabinet and call to his
aid the ablest and best men Of the country in this
trying crisis, without regard to party-let him re-
qure his subordnates Of every grade to respect the
rights ofthe States and zeal justly and kindly with
the people-let him cease to contend for territory
which has slipped frurn grasp, .nd which can.
not be recoyered-let him consent to reorganiza
ton of the army by allowing the to choose thei,
own oficers-let him know no party but the coun
| try,-let him do these things, and he will nfuse
new lie into the cause. Let him refuse, and the
cloud which now hangs over us will thicken and
darken and the cause may be finally and irretrieva-
bly, lost