The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-09-06
HARD KNOCKS BY WENDELL PHIL
LIPS.
General Grant, Senator Fessenden, and
the Whole Hadlcal OOngress FlOOred.

the w mole RADICAL COmEreBB FIOOre0s
From the Anti Slavery Standard.
Grant at last has spoken, and-blundered.
How he stalked into the Secretaryship, his
friends boasting his great power to prevent
mischief What mischief has he prevented :?
None. The only power he claimed against the
President a moments thought obliges him to
renounce. This is our practical" statesman
81. Michael, whose reslstless sword was to NOV
down the Satan OF the fallen most! Instead of
draw it!
The great popular leader sinks to be only the
Presidents Secretary, issuing orderslhe abhOrs;
sits like "ancienG Pistol" eating his leek and
grumbling! Was ever boastful promise followed
by such miserable failure! The General of the
United States is to-day weed caught in the
Presidential maelStrOm and unless some better
brains than his own come to the rescue, sure
soon to be swallowed in the vortex. Let no Grant
man after this call Johnson clumsy knave;
he has found wit enough to befool the model
wisdom-the puff of whose cigar was states
manship Once before there was an animal
which passed Tor a lion till he spoke.
Grants friends excused the shame of his
taking Stanton's office on the ground that he
got thereby so much power TO prevent mischief.
What power 20 prevent mischief has he gain ed
by becoming Secretary? Absolutely none. His
remonstrances are totally disregarded; he IS
obliged, as Secretary, to issue orders he distkes
and wait till, as General he can do something
to avert their sad results. Evidently, then, he
has gained no beneficial power by taking the
assumed position which teaches the people?
What valuable lessons do the people learn from
befooled into this sorry plight by brains so
muddled that when, as Secretary, Grant remon-
straies against o measure, Johnson. torgettlng
him with "insubordinationw AS II Cabinet
officer could be guilty OF "insnbordinationP'
We challenge the South to produce negro as
unfit to vote as this man shows himself TO pre-
side over Cabinet
Grant has not, as Secretary, aVerted any mis-
chief Has he Dy taking the office reused and
taught the people? To fasten public attention
more thoroughly on this plotted treason TO
fhaV1 10 4 hai N
sacrifice of conscience. Has Grant done this
great public duty by taking Stanton's office
gust at Witnessing the Presidents "altry tri-
uph over him, teach them the needed lesson
Every thoughtful man sees that so far as Grants
Influence is concerned, the loyal masses: ARE
weaker to-day than yesterday.
II Grant had Indignantly protested against
Stanton's suspension and refused to accept the
place. that would have reused and taught the
people and made him President OF the United
| States on a just platform. Instead of this, the
neopIe see to-day that Grant rushed forward to
help out Stanton, supposing himself TO possess
| q power OF controlling the District Commanders
| which he now cOnfesses he has no title TO- He
stands before the public convicted al once OF
| Ignorance of his own duties and lalthlessness
AS matters stand the only advantage the
masses gain from this event is one more hollow
idol broken-One more sham exploded. Grant
g0InS sS nGSies.ni iSs ..mirSt have been" We by no
means undervalue this gain. But the present
| 10 mend idols, Our present business is to save
| the loyalty of the South from plunder and
| death. In this great emergency II appears that
/ neither the Thirty-ninth nor the Fortieth Con-
| gress had sense enough to draw statute that
/ would hold water. IfGrant be blunderer, he
hes scores of comrades Ia the last and present
| Congress
| lfiS6l will stand in our history as the year OF
treason, 1857 will surely be marked on the same
Il page as the year of ounces. Treason, no doubt
/ fiourishes to- day in Washington; bat incompe.
Tency is the dominant characteristic which dis
| austs the nation and amuses the world. If the
| real Government is shown al Washington, then
1 it is demonstrated that Democracy is failure
/ A head of the State who would long ago have
/ wrecked IL, had not Heaven graciously pro.
| vided that he should be even weaker than hs
L was wicked; a CongTess-it body to fit head
| ruled by q conservatism which modestly as
1 sumes to represent the calm wisdom OF the
nation and smiles, Malvolio like on its critics
/ as sentimentalists The result of this wisdom
a code which, worse than the old sarcasm, moi
/ only let's the big villains through, but cannot
L even catch the small ones.
II What can we expect of practical common
sense nom Senate which follows Fessenden