The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-08-15
The President and His CRbInet-What
Does the Emergency Requires

From the Herald.
Mr. Stanton in retiring takes care to make
up his case, evidently with a view to the
future action of Congress. He seems, indeed,
to have had the double purpose to fix his own
position and at the same time the position of
General Grant; trying, of course, in the latter
to hold the General responsible in some part
for what he esteems violation of his rights,
and this even while exchanging with the
straightforward soldier expressions, hollow
enough on his part, of admiration and respect.
This will recall characteristic conduct of a like
nature memorable in the earlier history of
Mr.. Stanton's official life. He is careful not
to assent to any step in the Presidents course;
to protest that it is all wrong, and that he
does not yield of his free will but only retires
because assured that General Grant has
accepted the appointment to his position, and
that this implies superior force" Doubtless
all will agree that the retiring Secretary should
save his wounded dignity and cover ignomini-
GUS dismissal from high position with this
poor plea. AS to ultimate right, we sus pect
that here, as in many other great cases, the
act will be judged in relation to its results; in
other words, if the President carries his move
ment so far as to commend it to the people
to make 1t popular success-it will be right;
while otherwise, if he halts and fails, he will
be held as having been desperately in the
wrong His fate before the nation is now in
his own hands, and the result of the steps
already taken will depend upon what is in the
future.
If Mr.. Johnson stops with the mere removal
OF Mr.. Stanton, he will have taken no advan-
tageous step. He may get secretaries quite
as. efficient and quite as acceptable to the
country; but that is not enough. Mr.. Stanton
had definite position in this case, as repre-
senting the policy of the nation, and with this
has also done so well in the proper discharge
OF his duties as to call from man of such un-
! questionable candor as General Grant an eX-
| preston OF appreciation for his "zeal, patriot
ism, frmness, and ability" Mr.. Johnson
must therefore make the case so clear that it
cannot iposslbly be supposed that he acts
against Stanton merely, whose position is re-
spectacle as an efficient official and upholder
OF the national policy of reconstruction in
It's broader sense, The President must show
that his action does not intend a mere re-
opening of his former issues with Con-
gress, and that this present action is not to
be classed and cOnfounded with such former
obstructive steps as the nullifcation of the
Reconstruction law by Stanbery's opinion. lie
must render 1t impossible that this step shall
De CLASSIFIED in that category of obstructive
acts which irritated the country and gave all
lts power against him to Congress and made
the clamor of impeachment what it was. ne
VIII have only reawalzened that dormant spirit
II he does not now show distinctly that he
moves to counteract, to control to oheokmate,
u possible, that particular tendency of the
Republican party which threatens to throw
the ,destinies of the country into the hands
OF the niger; to give dominant voice IN
the councils of the nation to those newly
made voters that have just come out OF
barbarous condition, and in their ignorance
are the tools of the dangerous extremists, the