The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-08-22


Over thirty millions Of people to BIO ruled by
Puritanism and the negro This IL the result
of four years Of terrible war the sacrifice Of
two hundred thousand lives the sinking Of
national morality the wrecking of commerce |;
the ruin of our agricultural interests; the i'm
posing upon our country debt of three thou
sand millions of dollars. The mad revolution
airy element that bllndly urges the nation to
ruin still continues its race. To halt Is death
to them; and yet they must be halted. True
to their ideas. and true to revolutionary rules,
they begin now to approach the second phase
in the overthrow of all government Hereto
fore they have followed single idea to its
widest extreme they now reduce themselves
to uphoiding men instead Of principles. They
now strike the name of Sheridan as the loud
est note upon their political harp, and would
make the country believe that the transfer Of
that officer to other duties is an assault upon
them. In the transfer of Sheridan we see
nothing outside Of the simple military right
which exists in the hands of the President to
carry out the duty devolving upon him as
COmmander-in-C Chief of our army aud Executive
of the nation. If he thinks that a change Of
officers is desirable in any command, he is act
ing properly in making that change General
obeying the order to assign Sheridan to other
duty. II alters no law that Congress has made
and effects no principle Of reconstructi0n, az
Is proven by Grants order to Thomas, which
is virtually simple change of executives to
carry out the came general plan. The relative
merits Of Thomas aad Sheridan to GIL the po-
sition are scarcely worth arguing. Sheridan
Is bold, dasbing soldier, with q ststesmanllks
mind that leaps to conclusion and an exer-
else Of rigid justice. What ia overturned ia
the leap sometimes wounds when the sensi-
bilities are keen. Thomas, comprehensive aud
great in solid military genius, moves slower,
but with not less Of certainty and Justice but
in bis exercise of power he will wound less
than the brilliant cavalry of1cer who has-6rst
on the field, and next in tho most difficult of
the five military reconstruction districh-ohsi-
lenged our admiration. The country loses
nothing in the change the Law IL not altered
reconstruction goes on as before and in the
same channel.
The removal Of Sheridan will perhaps Gle
vats him. 1t almost places Presidential
nomination in his grasp. The great radical
element Of the country, looking for an exponent
Of its will, may turn to Sheridan. General
Grant, who feels somewhat disposed to remain
in position which makes him the focus Of
power, will throw his influence in the scale Of
bis favorite. The reconstruction problem,
however, in Its present phase, is bringing daily
new elements to the surface and until we
know If Mr.. johnson will play his great trump
card or not there can be but little certainty
about the next Presidency. That trump card
it is now time that Mr.. johnson should play.
The moment has come; the revolutionary wave
which freed the negro is now dashlng him
against the common sense Of the country, to
the ruin Of its present interests and its future
greatness We are now threatened with
negro representative from each Cong ressional
district In the South, and the code which Is to
govern the United States may receive laws
based upon ignorance instead OF educa-
ton. The wave must be stopped IL
has broken from the control Of those who
first gave II impulse. The national revulsiou
Of feeling demands that it be halted, and de-
mands, too, that Mr.. johnson halt it. Let him
strike the blow let him now give the country
universal amnesty. The negro will then take
his proper place, and in the light of q freedom
which Is his right he may emerge from mental
darkness With universal amnesty the recon
struc,ion problem will be finished at q stroke !;
intelligence will replace ignorance, and Puri-
tanism and the negro may take position second
to the common senss Of the country.