The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-08-22
Jehnsoa ON the War Pn,h.


Johnsoa ON the War Path.
1t has taken the President several weeks to
convince the country that he is really determ
ined to commence hostilities. The North
has been as incredulous as the British officers
in the ballroom at Brussels, when the guns
of Waterloo first broke upon their ears. But
there is no longer any doubt that the Tennes-
see brave at the White House is on the war
path, and means mischief; and as Red Cloud
and his colleagues of the plains begin their
sangunary attacks upon the pale face by pre-
tending to start off on their " annual hunt,;'
and incidentally stampeding an occasional
herd OF cattle, or robbing chance stage
coach, following up these milder recreations
by taking large numbers of scalps all in good
season, so the great rebel Chief Veto, begins
his war upon the Union and its supporters by
committing acts which are only mildly sug-
gestive Of the bolder things he means to do.
The decapitation of Sheridan has followed
that of Stanton quite promptly, but, were it
not for the peculiar circumstances attending
that act, the transfer OF Gen. Thomas to New
Orleans would not be particularly distasteful
to Congress or the people. tits not that they
love Thomas less, but Sheridan more. Thorn
as has always deserved well of his country
men. AT Mill Spring he gained almost the
first decisive battle of the war; at Chicka-
nauga he saved the national arms from dis
grace; and finally at Franklin and Nashville
he won victories which for completeness are
only paralelrd by those gained by Sheridan in
the valley OF the Shenandoah. Since the
war nothing has occurred tending in the
least degree to impair the confidence with
which sold Reliable is regarded AT the
time of the late election in Tennessee in
stead of making the troops under his COM
mand a sort of rebel reserve, as many people
hoped and believed he would, he directed his
subordinates not to interfere unless requested
to do so by the Governor or the lawful au-
thorities of the State of Tennessee. 1t is well
known, too, that when he has been sounded by
the President or his friends for the purpose of
discovering his views with reference to the
quarrel between the President and Sheridan,
AAS hdo SAPicooCd uihiSCiFCly ClupudtfCdliy
favor of the latter. During an interview at
Washington, he told the President that he
should interpret and execute the reconstruc-
tion law precisely as Sheridan did. So long
therefore as Gen. Thomas has the control in
the fifth district, and is allowed to take his
own course without Executive interference,
there is no danger that the purposes of Con-
gress win not be carried out in good faith..h
Nor is the. change one which can be mat
ter of regret to Sheridan personally. He
does not retire in disgrace, but may enjoy
the pleasing consciousness of occupying the
first place in the affections of the American
people. Nor can the man who exhibited 50
much vigor in delivering from rebel dominion
what was aptly termed the valley of our ma
tional humiliation, regard return to active
service as punishment. II tlie Indian diff
culties are not settled he viii once more
have an opportunity to meet an open foe
one he can deal with without that embarrass-
ment which attends conflict with skulking.
dshonorable enemies, who declare themselves
friends but stab in the dark, like the seces-
sionists of New Orleans Nor is he unac-
quainted with Indian warfare. From the
time he graduated at West Point till the out
break of the rebellion he was constantly
fighting the red man in Washington, Oregon
and Utah Territories, and he there exhibited
the same military genius that afterwards
challenged the admiration of the world. IL
he wants to make himself President-and we
have better opinion of him than to suppose
he does, the plains afford him far better op-
portunity to build himself up than Louisiana
and Texas. a aa mot
There is, then, no occasion to denounce the
President with so much vehemence on ac-
| count of this action, except in view of the
unworthy purposes which he plainly has in
view, and at which he is aiming in the re-
moval of both Sheridan and Stanton. He
attempts, ludicrously enough, to make it az
pear tnat the former is transferred to another
field upon grounds ol public policy, ire
spective of political considerations. He
'sauced' the Chief Magistrate, too, and that
cannot be suffered by the dignifed statesman
who, nevertheless, calls his assailants "dead
ducks" in maudlln 22d of February speeches.
But no one can now believe that the Presi-
dent does not seriously intend to prevent the
plans of Congress from being carried out.
His first steps toward the accomplishment OF
the unholy design have been such as he dared
| to take, but are evidently only initiative.
Grant is well enough in the War Department,
but still, every one will regard the step from
Stanton to him as shorter than from Stanton
to Steedman. 1t is also one that can be made
much more easily, and does not prevent
reaching the goal for which the President has
started. The same unquestioning obedience
to superior authority which led Gen. Grant to
accept, contrary to his wishes, the position he
now holds, will lead to his prompt retirement
when Steedman is called to succeed him.
| After that there will be nothing but lear of
consequences to prevent the appoint
ment of servie tools of the Execu-
tive in all the five military districts.
Ord is already cheek by jowl with the seees-
| sionists Sickles is to be reached indirectly
by mastering him out as volunteer officer
and so disqualifying him for holding his pres
ent position. Pope is already doomed. The
favorites of the people are to be retired
and Rousseau and Custar are the coming men
The result of this can only be that the
Southern States will not during the present
administration be represented in Congress-
and that they will not participate in the next
Presidential election. Unless the President
meditates the coup Fetat. which he is sup
posed to have abandoned, OF making up q
| Johnson Conoress out of his own Northern