The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-08-29
Tanning the Embors OF Disoord.

reaction now going on in the public mind |
the ground is slipping from under them, and |
that they are destined to lose largely in |
the elections this fall, which they regard as |
bad omen for their party in the Presidential |
contest next year. They were fortunate
last year in the New Orleans riot,
and in the maladroit invectives of Presi-
dent Johnson during his Western tour.
Had it not been for these fresh incentives to
agitation, the elections last autumn would
have been carried by the conservatives in
most of the States. Many Republicans of
great credit and estimation in their
party stood ready to indorse, and several did
indOrse, the policy of President Johnson. Mr..
Beecher wrote the ablest most studied and
most statesmanlike letter that ever came from
his pen in support of the Presidents policy.
The ECening Post expressed the strongest
appreciation of that letter, and declared again
and again that the mission of the Republican
party was substantially ended. Mr.. Raymond
and his paper, the Times, were for brief
period stiff and Jealous in their opposition to
a Congressional policy far more moderate than
that which has since been adopted. The rea-
son of the country was on the side of concilia-
ton, and it was only when its passions were
reinfiamed that the radicals regained the
ground which they had been losing in the tenn
porary lull of excitement.
The experience of the radicals has taught
them-not merely their experience last year,
but all their experience since the formation
of their party-that fierce and overlooking
agitation is the only temper of the public
mind favorable to their success. A single
year of unbroken calm would end the Repub-
lican party. The Tribune understands this,
and rails at the following extravagant rate, in
the hope of reviving the agitation which has
been dying away, to the great advantage of
conservatism, since the adjournment of Con-
gress:-
Especially are the ex traordinary powers con-
ferIed by Congress on the Military Comman-
ders at the South TO he transferred TO the hands
of conservatives of caste and negro-hate to
the very utmost All the still vast patronage of
the Executive is to be welded in aid OF resist
ance to any such reconstruction as Congress
purposed, and as Sheridan, Thomas, Sickles,
Pope. and Howard, were laboring to effect
Governor Seward Will resign the State De-
partment-probAbly in the course of next week.
We judge that McCulloch and Randall must
also 90. Grant will be bowed out of the War
Office SO soon as another can do the work re;
quired of the incumbent. and an .unequivocal
Copr erhead Cabinet will be made up. These
changes will be made. not necessarily because
Governor Seward or General Grant is hostile,
but because neither OF them can be expected to
go so far nor work so heartily in the direction
Black. and Montgomery Blair will readily do
And 1t is held that halfhearted work is made
quate to the emergency.
"The end hoped for is a political revolution in
the North and q rejection of the conditions of
restoration prescribed by Congress in theSouth.
! Mr. Johnson's backstairs counsellors doubtless
assure him that, II the whole patronage OF the
| Government is transferred to Democratic hands,
| they will thereby be enabled to overbear last
! years moderate Republican majorities in New
! York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, etc, and thus
| secure Republican defeat in the Presidential
| contest next year. Meantime, reconstruction
! is TO be postponed or defeated at the South,
with intent to take advantage of the expected
Democratic triumph next year, and so, while
enfranchising the Rebels remand the blacks to
| perpetual sertdom If not actual slavery
| "Such appears to be the programme of the
| new struggle which Mr.. Johnson has opened
the War ONCE. That 1t will be fierce and vehe-
ment, few will doubt; but let us all firmly re-
| but that all shall implicitly abide the delibe-
| rate judgment of the people,"
Since the removal of Sheridan, the Tribune
has had frequent articles, by the evidence of
style clearly from its chief editor, in this strain
of vituperative extravaganza. They are not
based upon any evidence, but only upon the
wishes of the editor, and the supposed neces-
sites of his party. As these fctions and
chimeras are judged to be serviceable, the
| reality would of course be of still greater ad-
vantage, inasmuch as the reality could not be
denied and exploded. The Republicans need
topics of evaporation, and do not scruple to
invent what they fail to find.
1t might not be quite courteous to say that
the abOve-quoted invective of the Tribune is
a string of knavish falsehoods; we will, there
FORE call them conscious fctions. The 'still
vast patronage of the Executive" is myth,
and the Tribune knows it to be so. Since the
Tenure of Office bill the President can re-
move no civil officer who has been confirmed
by the Senate without the consent of the
Senate to the removal. The Executive
! patronage is, therefore, next to nothing. That
the President is using such patronage as he
| has to resist the Reconstruction laws Is also an
assertion without evidence, made in hardy
4 -I,-.
charges thrown out at random, let the Tribune
| name the section, clause, or provision OF the
Reconstruction acts which the President is
attempting to resist. It is only in one single
point that the President comes in contact with
those acts at all, and that is in the assignment
of commanders to execute them. Has he
neglected to do this We suppose that not
even the Tribune will have the hardihood to
say that he has, but it might as well say that
as to make other assertions equally ground
less. II is the law, not the President, which
tells the commanders what to do when they
are once appointed. General Thomas was the
Presidents choice for the Fifth District.
Is General Thomas "CopperheadP Is he
incapable of understanding the lawf Would
he be indisposed to obey itl The same self
answering questions might be asked about
General Hancock and General Candy. They
are soldiers of great merit and distinction;
upright, loyal, firm; honored and trusted by
the whole country. What a reckless, unscru-
pulous libeller must that journalist be who
affects to believe that the appointment of such
men to execute law is a means Of resisting
and defeating its operation!