The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-08-07
THE NEW YORK PRESS.
EDITORIAL OPINIONS OF THE LEADING JOURNALS
UPON CURRENT TOPICs-COMPnED EVERY
DAY FOB THE EVENING TELEGRAPH.
THE Great Question Of the Day.

THE Great Question OF the Day.
From the Herald.
portion of the radical press, afraid of tn
overwhelming popularity of General Grant
and afraid that he will not be plant instru
ment in its hands, insidiously assails him anC
asks for a suspension Of public opinion on the
question of the next Presidency. 1t says the
discussion is premature, that the time has mol
arrived to nominate candidate, and that re-
construction and the condition of our national
finances are first to be considered. This is
mere pretense. These radical organs Know
very well that the Presidential question Is up
prominently before the country; that II cannot
be kept down; and that in fact, 1t is the great
question of the day, on which all others hlnge.
The object is apparent; these political man
aoers want time to make bargains and to con-
tf6l both the election and the candidate.
The chief radical organ of this city, at the
same time il uses this weak argument to head
off Grant, has an elaborate puff of General
Sheridan. In truth, it pits Sheridan against
Grant. Very well. We have no objection to
Sheridan, There is great deal of good stuff
in him, and he has fine military record. He
would be acceptable to the people. AS to
General Grant, we have no doubt he would
willingly give way to and cordially support
his subordinate officer for the high position.
His views have been well defined. He frankly
admits that he is satisfied with the position he
holds, but that if the people wish it he will
take that of President He knows that the
Office of President could add little to his fame
or elevation. The General-in-Chief is little
lower than the President, and has much less
labor and care. He wants to be wherever he
can serve his country, and only there. In
Sheridan, as well as in Grant, we should have
an uncomprOmising and vigorous supporter of
AmaricoT nationality honor and innranca
Had the word been given to him when he was
in command on the Mexican border, with thirty
thousand men, he would have whipped the
French out of Mexico worse than Wellington
ever whipped them, and would have thrashed
the Mexicans to boot Sheridan is strong
card to play, but Grant is stronger, though
some of the radical politicians will not see
it yet.
But it is said we should settle the ques-
tions about reconstruction and the national
finances before going into President-making.
Reconstruction is nearly settled now. The
radicals having control of the negro vote of
the South, gives them all they wanted There
will be no longer any motive or reason to keep
the Southern States unrepresented in Congress.
Having secured the support of that section,
the dominant party, of course, will admit the
Southern members to seats in Congress at an
early day, and thus complete the work of
reconstruction. This, then, we regard as a
settled matter.
As to the question of the national finances,
that is another thing. 1t will take many
years TO adjust and put the finances on
proper foundation. The public mind is not
educated yet up to this point; the press, and
particularly the radical press, knows little
about the matter, and Congress is lamentably
Ignorant. Some time must elapse before this
most difficult and important subject can be
treated in a statesmanlike manner. 1t cannot
precede but must follow the settlement of
the next Presidency. There is neither the
time nor ability to take it up before that
event, though it ought to have, and probably
will have, an important bearing on the issue.
Looking at the utter incapacity of Congress
and the want Of knowledge in the press and
among the people, our national tinances-cur-
rency, debt, revenue and everything else per-
tanning to them-should be left as they are
till after the Presidential election and the
restoration of the Southern States. If the
subject be taken up before we are prepared
1or lt-n the on to specie payment cry of the
radical press should be needed before Congress
and the country understand the question
greater disasters will follow than those that
followed the con to Richmond clamor of the
same radical organs.
The frs@hing in order, as they say in par
Iamentary proceedings, is the next Presi-
dency. That is the great question of the day.
NiAO pVetlSlhCAI VI LlldJ Will IOllOW MAUI
rally the other great issues before the country.
The public mind is aroused already, and
nothing can subdue it till the event is deter
mined. Congress will engage in hardly any,
thing else next winter than Presdent-makinr.
The conventions will meet in the spring. and
the election will take place in little over a year
from this time. Let the people and Congress
decide, then, to postpone the consideration of
other important matters till General Grant be
elected, or, if the radicals will and have the
power, till Sheridan be elected. Then there
will be leisure and the opportunity to consider
deliberately those matters that relate to the
national finances, and for the reorganization of
parties on the natural issues growing out of
the material interests of the people.
Party AmIiatiOn at the South.
From The Times
The Pennsylyanians who waited the other
day on President Johnson to urge the fOrma-
tion Of a new party, have their sympathizers
in the Southern States. There the idea of a