The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-10-10

| President johnson in the Present Crisis
| A golden opportunity is now before Presi-
den! Johnson to make himself the undisputed
master of the political situation and his admin
istration positive power in the land. II he
has any pluck, any sagacity, any clearness OF
vision In perceiving the advantages OF his
present position, he will readily understand
what Is required Of him to reach these advan-
tages and to turn them to good account The
great Central States, through the voices OF
Pennsylvania and Ohio, have spoken on this
radical uldmatum Of universal negro suffrage
and negro supremacy, and 1t has thus become
manifest to all eyes that we are on the verge
Of one Of the greatest Of revolutions in the
annals Of our political parties. Mr.. johnson
may now do much to give cohesion and direc-
ton to this new uprising Of public opinion,
and complete reconstruction Of his Cabinet
Is the first essential to meet the demands Of this
crisis.
In beginning new administration with an
old Cabinet Mr.. johnson undertook very
difficult task but in attempting from time TO
time to adapt this old Cabinet to new order
Of things by patching patch here and
patch there, 1t was cloves labor lost"-an ex-
pertinent not only pro6tless but 80 fruitful Of
disasters that he may be thankful it has not
cost him his official head. But if, in an official
sense, he has escaped the last misfortune Of
Charles the First or Louis the Sixteenth, 1t is
because his mistakes have served the purposes
of his adversaries and they have profted by
them. Now, with their own heavy budget Of
blunders, condemned by the popular voice Of
the Northern States as far as they have ex-
pressed themselves, Mr.. johnson may turn the
tables upon the baffled and astounded radicals,
and identify his name, his policy and his ad-
ministration with the great majority Of the
loyal masses Of the loyal North.
To this end he needs Q new Cabinet, begin
ming with the State Department Retirement
Seward, but an act of kindness. He has outlived
his day ofusefulness in public life. He belongs
to an age and generation, to political system
Of dogmas and ideas, that have passed away.
The best that his faithful, good man Friday can
now do for him Is to glorify him at the expense
tattle about her little bills as lady of the White
House. To get rid, therefore, Of the master,
in order to be relieved Of his man, would be OF
itselfa good move on the part Of the Presi-
dent but much higher and larger consider
atoms call imperiously for new Secretary Of
State.
The same broad and general reasons, to .
greater or less extent apply to ell the other
members Of the existing Cabinet, including
old Mr.. Welles and his ring Of spoilsmen under
the care Of Mr.. Fox. We understand that Mr..
johnson has been meditaing for some time
past upon such stroke of policy; and it has
been minated to us from well informed
sources at Washington that he will, in all
probability, under the announcements Of these
late elections, proceed, without further delay,
to active measures. Let him do SO; but let
him, in the reconstruction OF his Cabinet
against the implacable radicals, be careful to
avoid the other extreme Of incurable copper
heads. He wants no such official advisers
about him as either Of the two Seymours, or
the two Woods, or Mayor Hoffman, Voorhees,
or Vallandigham. Such dead weights would
soon sink Mr.. johnson beyond the reach Of
resurrection. He wants men thoroughly iden-
tilted with the Union cause In the war-men
Of whom the loyal masses Of the North are
justly proud, and yet men who are not COM
mitted to the revolutionary schemes Of radical
fanaticism-not visionary, but clear-headed
men-such men, II you please, as Grant,
Thomas, Sheridan, Hancock, Fsrrsgut and
Porter.
In the intermediate course thus suggested
Mr.. johnson may now do q great work in
fusing the conservative Union men Of both par
ties into the victorious party Of 1868, leaving
Northern radicals, fanatics and copperheads
and all the disturbing factions Of the day,
North and South, high and dry, like the drift
wood left on both sides Of . great river from
heavy food. We may say, too, that il the
revolutionary programme Of the last two SEES
sions of Congress stands condemned by the
people, the constitutional amendment upon
which the elections Of last year were contested
stands emphatically endorsed. A Cabinet.
therefore, and message to Congress, framed
upon this issue, and especially upon the suf-
frage settlement embraced in said amendment,
would make at once diversion In both houses
OF Congress as fatal to the radicals as II would
be advantageous to the administration in So
curing the legislative balance Of power. Mr..
Johnson will do well to understand that the
people have not been following him or fighting
his battles in these late elections, but that they
have been pronouncing judgment against the
vicious negro schemes Of radical fanaticism, a.
they pronounced year ago in favor Of the fair
and acceptable scheme Of Congress which the
radical leaders in their inflated folly and self
conceit abandoned.
Our News from Italy.
In one OF our evening journals we have had
q proof Of enterprise which Is really fitted to