Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-09-11


5une.
Many of our cotemporaries are advising
Grant TO ''dO this and that We fear that
the General has limited his usefulness by
dealing so gently with the President. He
represents Congress, while the President
represents the spirit of disunion and sla-.
very. The President thus far has controlled
the game. Three pieces have been cap
tured from the decentralization, Sheri-
dan, Siekles-and three stronger pieces do
not remain upon our side. Grant has made
one or two cheeks" but the President has
avoided them and taken our pieces. The
trouble with Congress and Grant is that
they have played too easy a game with his
ExcelIency. They "check" him and annoy
him, but don't get ahead. johnson moved
nearly all of his friends into good places
last Congress, and all of his leading antago-
nists out Of place. We call this splendid
play, and he is strong enough TO do more
mischief.
Still the responsibility is with Grant,
and ii is so refreshing 10 find military men
submitting to responsibility, that we per-
hsps ought to be content. We feel that his
heart is right, and that he will do all he
can. At the same time man who surren-
ders the powers which Congress strove to
impose upon him can do but little In the
case of Siekles, for instance, Grant permits
the President to plainly override him ir
the Interpretation of the law, and allows
himself to be rebuked in the removal of his
subordinate. Suppose the President directs
Candy 10 suspend the General Order No.
10 for which Sickles was removed. What
is Grant to do? We may be told that he
issued an order to the commanders TO per-
NIT the orders of their predecessors to
stand. But he also issued an order to Sheri-
dan 20 report to Washington to consult on
public business. The President, afraid that
some of US might cheer Little 'Phil.,'"
orders him to the Indian country. Sheri~
dan goes, and Grants order falls like a
crisp September leaf. So it will be with
General Order No. 10, with Throckmorton
and Wells, with the whole reconstruction
movement. Between the haste and erudeness
of Congress, and what had better be called
the extreme amiability and conscientious
ness of Grant, there is no law but Johnson's
whim for the Southern States, and our
champion is only an anxious, earnest, pro-
testing soldier who at best does not say
much, and whose power is limited to sign
ing himself "hy order of the President"
General of the army.
Thus the game goes on, the President
playing with resolution, shrewdness, ener-
gy. Congress is away, and we see piece
after piece removed, while the enemies of
the country shout and cheer. Thus, we fear,
it will be until within a week of the meet
ing Of Congress, when Mr.. johnson will
suddenly become conciliatory, and kind,
and wheedling. ALI the promises he has
made and broken will be repeated, and
certain nervous peoples cousins, and uncles
and brothers will be placed in Office. We
shall be asked to trust" the President,
for he "means WELL" and confirm his
special pets, if for nothing else, because he
will make Radical postmaster in a rural
town. Great issues will be lost 10 official
housekeeping, unless public opinion be-
comes resolute and yigilant. Just now the |
President holds the game, and loudly de- |
clares he will play 1t, Congress and coun- |
try whether or no. The hand that might |
make a check-mate is powerless. We do |
not imagine that any circumstance can /
arise in which the President may not |
override Gen. Grant A Rebel Deputy |
Marshal of the United States is more |
powerful to-day than the General of |
the army. The removal of Sickles |
shows that. We think there is one move |
that would have ended the business. Sup.
pose, when the President directed the mil |
itary commanders practically to disobey |
Grants order and make and unmake such |
regulations as they pleased, the General
had said to the President By command |
of the Congress of the United States, in
law plainly written, decline to have the |
powers expressly delegated to me in any |
way amended, misconstrued, or limited, |
and therefore respectfully refuse to issue an |
order which compels me to violate my |
duty" What would have followed |
Grant would have done Just what the coun- |
try and Congress want, what the law in /
spirit directs, and what he can only be |
excused from doing on the plea that he is |
part of the Executive hand, finger, or |
foot-and only amenable to such laws as
the President permitted him to respect.
Here is Wendell Phillips manifesto in
the last Anti-SldUely Standard
Grant at last, has spoken and-blundered. |
How he stalked into the Secretaryship, his |
friends boasting his great power to prevent |
mischief! What mischief has he prevent |
ed None. The only power he claimed |
against the President moments thought !
obliges him to renounce. This Is our |
practical" statesman, whose first move is |
a blunderl This was our ST. Michael, |
whose Tesistless sword was TO NOW down |
the Satan of the fallen host Instead of |
that we find that he does not even know |
how TO draw it.
The great popular leader sinks to be only |
the Presidents Secretary, issuing orders he
abhors sits like ancient Pistol eating
his leek and grumbling Was ever boast
failure? The General of the United States
is to-day a weed caught in the Presidential
and, unless some better brains
han his own come to the rescue, sure soon
10 be swallowed in the vortex. Let no
Grant man after this call johnson a clumsy
1nave he has found wit enough to befool
he model leader, whose silence passed for
he highest wisdom-the puff of whose
,igar wasstatesmanship. Once before, there
vas an animal which passed for lion till
ne spoke.
Here is what Tilton says in the Iade.
pendent:
zen. Grant has surrendered 10 the Pre-
ident. This fact was unexpected. IL took
he country by surprise. 1t is still the
heme Of universal talk.
But it is neither to be denied, nor con-
,ealed, nor explained away, that General
Grant has within the last few weeks, great
q disappointed The american people. He has,
within this period, been more freely criti-
'ised both in the public presa and in pri-
rate circles than at any former time since he
became famous man. Moreover much
Is we dislike TO make the confession) these
criticisms have been Just. There is a natu-
al desire among men to have ones heroes
blemish or flaw; and,
yhen they are so in reality, we strive to
'aint them so in our imagination. But
ven Gen, Grant is now proven to be not a
Zero in all points.
|
The Washington correspondent of the
(ew York Tribune, writing on the 9th
nst, says of the effect of the amnesty
1t is understood that it is the opinion of