Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-08-17
wuE cARTNCT corr D,ETAT.

YER Durham.
TIE CABINET COUP D'ETAT.
From the New York Herald-l Independent
Radeal,)
The President has struck a decisive
blow. Stanton, as Secretary of War, has
been superseded, and General Grant, for
the present, is appointed TO take charge of
the War Department; We presume that
before making this change that Mr.. John.
son had full understanding with General
Grant, and that the latter, without hesita-
ton, will enter upon bis new duties. We
know that his appointment, il accepted
win command the confidence of the
country, and that thus no apprehensions Of
any serious loss TO the public service Will
arise from Mr.. StantOn's suspension. More.
over, by the explanatory reconstruction
bill, passed at the late extraordinary SEES
sion Of Congress, Grant is specifically
charged with the general management Of
the work Of reconstruction. In being ad-
vanced to the head Of the War Depart
ment, therefore, he will only have a larger
discretion in the discharge of these inn
portant duties.
So far, then, the President has properly
met the issue raised by a defiant subordi-
nate in his refusal to resign when politely
requested TO leave But Mr.. johnson must
not stop here. He has only crossed the
Rubicon; the great fight is still before him,
and he must fight it out. The broad and
general issue between him and the ram
pant Radicals is still between his policy
and their policy, although reduced to the
application of the reconstruction laws Of
Congress. He proposes liberal interpre
tation, whereby the Southern whites will
have chance in this business of the re-
organization of the ten outside Southern
states. The Radicals propose and have
inaugurated a rigid and infexible enforce
ment of the laws against the Southern
whites, and have shown liberality only TO
the blacks whereby the political destinies
Of the several States concerned may fall into
their hands. The question thus presented
is whether the ten excluded Southern
States, as a national political balance Of
power, shall be controlled hereafter, for
ten, twenty or fifty years. by their five
hundred thousand niger voters, as they
we're for seventy wears before their rebel
lion by their three hundred thousand mig
ger drivers Is tho country at large pre-
pared and ready for the transfer Of the po-
litical power of the South from the late
oligarchy of shareholders to their enamel
pated negro slaves2 Is there halfway house
of safety between the one extreme and the
other? President johnson thinks there
is, while Stanton and his Radical sup
porters hold that there is not, and are re-
solved that there shall not be.
Upon this broad and general issue Stan
ton has been displaced, and General Grant,
in stepping into the vacancy, takes his Pop
ular influence with him from Stanton and
his radical faction over to the side of the
administration. This is an important point
gained. But it is only the beginning Of the
work required Of Mr.. johnson to clear the
track Of Radical distractions. We have
heard enough within the last few days of
the Of backbone and harmony in this
Cabinet to satisfy us that the suspension
Of Stanton will only weaken the admins.
tration if not followed up by other suspen
sions. " In for penny, in for pound"
From the State Department down to the
Attorney General new Cabinet is wanted
To sustain and strengthen General Grant
and the President in this new political de-
parture The Cabinet under Mr.. johnson
has been a patchwork Cabinet long enough,
and, having broken ground for decisive
reconstruction, he ought to make Of it
clean piece of work, beginning, if not al
ready written, with a courteous letter, EN-
braeing many thanks, requesting Mr.. Sc
ward TO retire. That old Paul Pry, Thur
low Weed, among other things TO be con
sidered, will thus be got rid Of, in similar
step whereby Honest Old Abe was
relieved of the annoyances Of the Blair
family.
Next, in regard to the FIVE commanders
of the FIVE Southern military districts. We
have renewed guarantees that Sheridan's
head will soon be brought TO the block, a
necessary proceeding, perhaps, TO defeat
the game of Stanton. But is not the pro-
gramine of reconstruction adopted and
pursued by the other four commanders sub
stanually the same as that Of Sheridan, and
equally, or to a greater or less extent, in
disregard of the Presidents wishes and
suggestions Why, then, makefish of one
and flesh Of another To meet the case
fairly and fully Mr.. johnson must have
new sci of military commanders, from first
10 last Otherwise he will fail TO touch the
Radical reconstruction combinations which
run from Mr.. Schenck's Congressional Ex-
ecutive Committee through all the military
and Freedmen's Bureau machinery of the
South, in behalf Of negro supremacy. A
new Cabinet and a new set of military
commanders under General Grant, who is
generously inclined towards the Southern
whites, will enable Mr. johnson TO turn
the tables upon Stanton, Stevens and Sum
ner ia the interval 20 the next appointed
meeting Of Congress in November.
In pursuing his first decisive blow with
these other decisive blows suggested, Mr..
johnson cannot fail to make a case so broad
and sensation so great in his behalf az 10
result in powerful popular reaction in our
coming Northern elections in favor of white
supremacy against negro supremacy, es-
pecially as the white policy Of johnson will
ae represented by General Grant as the
general superintendent of Southern recon-
struction by authority Of Congress.
From tAe New York Tribune-(R Radically
We know now where we stand. There
is no complaint that Mr.. Stanton had not
discharged his duties faithfully; il is plain
that be is suspended simply because he is
a Republican. Mr.. johnson could not en-
dure that the Secretary Of War should be
resolved 10 execute the laws in the spirit
in which they we're laid down. Mr. Stan
tons otfense was that be chose TO obey the
laws. even if ia doing so he disobeyed the
President. The Senate will determine
whether his suspension was legal, and in
the meanwhile Mr.. Stanton has put it on
record that he has yielded only to suPe-
rior force. He could not resist the COM
bined authority Of the commander-in-
chief Of the army and the General Of the
army. When Gen. Grant agreed with the
President, and sent word to the Secretary
that he had accepted from the President
the position, Mr. Stanton had no choice
left Had Gen. Grant refused to have any