Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1867-09-12
TIL. s,,us,,on--wh., NOV. N,sti

The sttustion--whet Move Ntntf
From the New York Tribune, of Saturday.
Many of our contemporaries are advising
Grant to "do this and that" We fear
that the General has limited his useful
ness by dealing so gently with the Pres
ident. He represents Congress, while
the President represents the spirit of Dis
union and Slavery. The President thus
far has controlled the game. Three
pieces have been captured from the chess
board-Stanton, Sheridan, Sickles-and
three stronger pieces do not remain upon
our side Grant has made one or two
"checks," but the President has avoided
them and taken our pieces. The trouble
with Congress and Grant is that they
have played too easy a, game with his
Excellency. They "check" him and
annoy him, but don't get ahead. John
son moved nearly all of his friends into
good places last Congress, and all of his
leading antagonists out of place. We
call this splendid play, and he is strong
enough to do more mischief. Grant
seems to feel that Congress did not give
him enough power, and his friends urge
that if he Is powerless 1t is because Con-
gress left him so. The President did not
think this when he wrote his veto, eX-
pressly complaining that most of his
authority had been transferred to Grant.
Congress did not think so when it passed
the bill of which Sheridan complained.
If Grant is in doubt, it is, we fear, be-
cause some "astute lawyer" has been un-
settling him. I'D.
Still the responsibility is with Grant,
and it is so refreshing to find military
men submitting to responsibility that we
| perhaps ought to be content. We feel
that his heart is right and that he will
do all he can. At the same time a man
who surrenders the powers which Con-
gress strove to impose upon him can do
but little. In the case of Sickles, for in
stance, Grant permits the President to
plainly override him in the interpreta-
tion of the law, and allows himself to be
rebuked in the removal of his subordi-
nate. Suppose the President directs
Candy to suspend the General Order No.
TO- for which Sickles was removed. What
is Grant to do? We may be told that he
issued an order to the commanders to
permit the orders of their predecessors to
stand. But he also issued an order to
Sheridan to report to Washington to con-
suit on public business. The President,
afraid that some of us might cheer Lit
tie Phil, +" orders him to the Indian coun-
try. Sheridan goes, and Grants order
falls like crisp September leaf. So it
will be with General Order No. 10, with
ThrockmOrton and Welles, with the
whole Reconstruction movement. Be-
tween the haste and crudeness of Con-
gress, and what had better be called the
extreme amiability and conscientious
ness of Grant, there is no law but John
sons whim for the Southern States, and
our champion is only an anxious, earn
est, protesting soldier, who at best does
not say much, and whose power is limit
ed to signing himself "by order of the
President" General of the Army. Grant
will do us good in one way. He will save
epublicmoney and oppose the thieves.
So far as his influence is needed it will
be healthy. But this is ALL
Thus the game goes on, the President
playing with resolution, shrewdness,
: energy. Congress is away, and we see
piece after piece removed, while the ene-
mics of the country shout and cheer
Thus, we fear it will be until within a
week of the meeting of Congress, when
Mr.. johnson will suddenly become con-
ciliatory, and kind, and wheedling. All
, the promises he has made and broken
will be repeated, and certain nervous
peoples cousins, and uncles, and brothers
will be placed in office. We shall be
) asked to trust" the President, for he
"means WE'LL" and confirm his special
pets, if for nothing else, because be will
make a Radical Postmaster in q rural
town. Great issues will be lost IN official
horse. e.jOckeying, unless public opinion
becomes resolute and vigilant. Just now
the President holds the game, and loudly
declares hewill play it, Congress and the
country whether or no. The hand that
might make a check-mate is powerless.
We not imagine that any circumstance
, can arise in which the President may
: not overrule Gen. Grant. A Rebel Dep
uty Marshal of the United States is more
powerful to-day than the General of the
Army. The removal of Sickles shoWs
that. We think there is one move that
would have ended the business. Sup
4 pose; when the President directed the
military commanders practically to disc.
= hey Grants order and make and unmake
p such regulations as they pleased, the
: General had said to the President, "By
a command of the Congress of the United
\ States in law plainly written, decline
a to have the powers expressly delegated
9 to me in any way amended, miscon
a strued, or limited, and therefore respect
: fully refuse to issue an order which COM
pels me to violate my duty" What
= would have followed? Grant woult
: have done just what the country ant
4 Congress want, what the law in spirit
: directs, and what he can only be excused
4 from doing on the plea that he is part
a of the Executive--a hand, finger or foot
n and only amenable to such laws as the
h President permitted him to respect
: Perhaps we take wrong view of the
: matter. We write rather to state case
n and suggest inquiry without giving abso
; lutte advice. We respect the trying posi-
: tion of the General of the Army, an6
n desire in no way to dishearten him ol
8 limit his usefulness by unjust criticism
q But we beg him to look well to his duty
4 1t is high and perpleXing; but God does
d not place men in those positions for al
: unwise purpose. We beseech him t.
. stand like wall between the Presiden
:. and freedom, and we beg him, whatevel
v he may do, to feel that he can make nj
4 error in the eyes of this nation on tn,
4 side of an energetic support of Congress
a and the country.
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