The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-05-25


On Wednesday evening the Jobnson Clul
of Washington made night melodious with
serenade to the President and the members o.
the Cabinet The gentlemen thus compli
mented had been warned some time before
thas speeches would be expected from them
upon this occasion, and consequently we 6nd
In what they said or did not say q full OK
preston Of their views upon the great issues
now before the country. The remarks of the
President were very brief He simply thanked
the people assembled for their presence and
appreciation. Secretary Seward was out of
town and had already delivered his speech at
Auburn. Secretary Welles CURLY endorsed
the policy Of the administration. Secretary
stanton praised both the President and Con
gress, declaring that he was in favor of the
disputed measures, such as the Freedmsn's
Bureau and Civil Rights bills, before they
were vetoed; opposed to them after they
were vetoed and in favor of them again Il
they were passed over the vetcesL Score.
tary McCullooh supported the President
and denounced Congress in the most vigorous
style. Postmaster Dennison did not believe
that there was any cause for separation be.
tween the President and Congress and would
continue to act with both Of them. Attorney
General Speed skedaddled, not being in a
position to give publicity to his opinions, lest
the country should see how inconsistent it ID
for him to remain longer in the Cabinet Sec
Rotary Harlan, who is in the same predicament,
also refused to speak, but sent letter in which
he candidly confesses that he has done nothing
to merit serensde and says that he intends to
60 with the Union party, neglecting to state,
however, whether this is the party Of Thad
Stevens or of President johnson.
So far as the President is concerned the
result of the inquisitorial demonstration on
Wednesday Is eminently satisfactory. His
retlcence shows that he fully appreciates the
sentiment Of the people in regard to any fur
ther. speech-making. The time for talk has
passed; the time for action has arrived. If
the President had been inclined he could
have given us another scathing re-
view of the radicals and their revolu-
tionary extravagances and another elo-
quent defence of his principles and his policy !;
but he feels that the country is fully informed
upon these matters already, and therefore he
declines to indulge in any further remarks.
The President is quite right. The people are
almost unanimous in his favor. They require
no more arguments, but they do demand the
logical application Of the Presidents princi-
pies to the Cabinet officers and to all other
federal Oficeholders The developments of
this serenade bring the whole subject home
to him. Let him look at the speeches of his
Cabinet ministers Out of the seven members
Secretary McCulloch is the only one who
earnestly and unequivocally endorses the
policy Of the Chief Executive. The others all
finch, squirm and wriggle. Secretary welles
supports " the administrations" that is to say,
he supports himself as part of the administra-
ton. Secretary Stanton sustains both the
President and Congress, although the Bible as
sures us that no man can serve two masters.
Secretaries Seward and Dennison are 30
blind to facts which all the rest of the
world perceive that they deliberately assert
that the President and Congress are not hostile
to each other. Secretaries Speed and Harlan
are conscience-stricken and dodge the ques-
ton. Only one out of the seven is faithful to
the President. We may laugh at the absurdity
of some of these gentlemen in attempting to
carry water upon both shoulders, to travel in
different directions at the same time, to be on
both sides Of the fence, to ride two horses,
to play double part, to initiate Janus; but
how much more reasonable is President John
son, who condemns the radicals as rebels and
yet keeps them in his Cabinet!
The present Cabinet does not represent the
sentiments OF the American people and is not
at all characteristic Of the President 1t il
Abraham Lincoln's Cabinet, not Andrew John
sons. Mr.. Lincoln selected and collected 1t,
not because he cared particularly for the ad-
vice or assistance Of the persons who compose
II, but because he wanted to reward some of
in members for their political services and
desired to keep some other members
Of 1t quiet and out Of mischief and under his
own eye. Secretary Seward, for example,
might have been formidable rival for the
Baltimore nomination II Mr.. lincoln had not
chained him TO the desk Of the State Depart
ment When Mr.. Lincoln died he left the Cabi-
net Is II Is, and decent respect for the pro.
prieties constrained President Johnson to re.
tain 1t until the days Of mourning were over.
But there Is now no more reason for bis keep
ing Mr.. Lincoln's Cabinet than for his wearing
Mr.. Lincoln's old clothes II he imagincs that
he strengthens himself with the people by not
changing his advisers and that something Of
Mr. Lincoln's prestige Is attached to the secre-
taries he is utterly mistaken. The people OBJ
ject to this Cabinet because the majority of the
members Of II are grossly incompetent, for their
positions and because they entirely misrcpre-
sent the tone and temper Of the country. Be-
sides this, the Cabinet does not suit
President Johnson; II does not at him;
IL does not agree with him; upon various
vital questions II Is decidedly opposed
to him, and whenever an emergency occurs IL
is actively and successfully used by the radi-