The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-08-27

determined upon by the President. The signi-
Aosnca Of this step will be more apparent
wben we shall have seen the names of the new
Cabinet. II harmony in the Cabinet were
wanted. we certainly have been often enough
assured from Washington that the present
bodv (always excepting the Secretary of War,
Mr.. Stanton) were unanimous in their support
of the President and his policy. The names
which Washington rumor gives as those of the
proposed new Cabinet would present most
curious hotch-potch of political opinions.
jeremiah s. Black and John A. Andrew are as far
apart, politically, as the poles. No Cabinet
made up of part Democrats and part Republi-
cans will be harmonious, for the simple reason
that the line between the parties is TOO broadly
drawn. Men to act together in harmony must
substantially agree.
To our view, this breaking up of the Cabinet
means simply the formal abandonment of the
attempt to build up sort of middle party
between the Republicans and the Democrats,
which was the chief political movement of last
year, dating from the August Convention held
in this city. That movement was a disastrous
failure, and MIR. Johnson finds now that he
must give it up. The "Johnson party" has
become too small to stand alone.
The only question that remains is as to what
basis will the President build his new Cabi-
net on. Logically, there is but one answer to
this question. Mr. Johnson has deserted the
party which elected him, and has gone over
in principle and policy 20 the opposite party,
and from them it would be natural that he
should select his Cabinet. But, singularly
enough, the New York World, by far the ablest
distinctively Democratic journal in the coun-
try, in discussing this subject, advises the
President to form a Republican Cabinet. 1t
says:-
ITO expect triumph over the reconstruction
policy of Congress would be q wild quixotism;
and q Cabinet constructed in that erpectottonG
great folly. All that can now be done, after so
many neglected opportunities, is to abate the
way for mild and considerate administration
of the law. This being the case, zoe hope all the
he DaTt~ taH eiecied hioa TSe Republcan party
thrives on provocation and impotent defiance.
We trust there may be no mare attempts TO ertt-
ogS s ege Sg 2s SS Ill., so;s o coarss
remain the uOhether The President changes his
Cabinet or not; but the spirit in which 1t is
cuted will nevertheless make a difference. A
Republican Cabinet who believed in the law
as a Cabinet which does not, and could ease It's
operation without provoking new collisions
Republican Cabinet, Democrats % Would Id tS rathel
see in ii Republicans who can do some good
than Republicans who can do none. The pre-.
sent Republican Cabinet has only aggravated
the evils Of a situation which was bad enough
at the best"
II the President were enough of statesman
to heed this advice, to give up all idea o
triumphing over the reconstruction policy o
Congress, to confne his efforts to abating tn,
asperity of feeling which his own turbulence
and folly have created, and to appoint Re
publican Cabinet "s0ho believed in the la,O" tn
whole question would at once be settled, 70
that would be the acknowledged and complet
triumph of the popular will, as expressed b
Congress. But Mr.. Johnson has no idea, i
our opinion, of doing anything of the sort
He is still blindly bent upon EMy Policy.
His obstinacy is such that he prefers to kee
the country in constant turmoil of agitatio
rather than yield his point. There is, there
fore, nothing for him to do but to go owe
openly to the Democrats, and to make up h
Cabinet from such men as Vallandighan
William B. Reed, Fernando Wood, and otht
course, is upon the ground that the Cabin,
ought to represent the ideas and policy of tt
President. But it may we'll be doubte
whether the country has not tolerated tn
dangerous and unconstitutional dogma Ion
enough. The President is merely the ExecU
tive, and has no right to ''pOlicy." Th
policy of the nation is to be determined b
the legislative branch of the Government, an
the President has no constitutional functio
but to execute that policy embodied in the Law
The idea, therefore, OF allowing the PresideI
to select Cabinet to carry out hsS policy, {
opposed to the legally expressed will of I'll
people through Congress, is most dangerou
and anti-republican one. For our part, "
should be very glad to see the Senate at one
adopt the resolution that no officer should
confirmed as a member of the Cabinet WI
did not thoroughly endorse and sustain I'll
policy of the people This Government is f,
the people, and they have right to contr
IL. The Constitution makes the Senate pa
of the appointing power, and they should ui
that function in an emergency like this to i
fullest extent. We would have Cabinet
express the will of the people, or there shou
be no Cabinet.
The Last Attack.
IT Is idle to speculate how far the madness