New-York tribune., 1868-01-06
THE POLITICAL SITUATION.
FROM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT.

tons may interest you, so far as they indicate
the political situation.
The session thus far has been chaotic. Moth
ing has been done, because no one has seemed
to know what to do. Impeachment died lg-
nobly, with scarcely enough friends to give IL
decent burial. The trouble about lmpeaeh-
ment was that few were sincere IN 1t. Ihe
friends of Mr. Chase did not want Impeachment
because it would have made Mr.. Wade Presl-
dent. The friends of Mr.. COlfax opposed IL
because the temporary elevation of any Repub-
lcan to the Presidency would almost certainly
depriye him of the nomination. The friends OF
Grant were for it and against tiff we may
cite Mr.. Washburne,Iwholwas an impeacher last
Summer. but changed his mind. There can be
no doubt that the Impeachment attempt in
iured us. 1t gave Mr.. johnson the courage OF
insolence. 1t fell upon the party ikea shower
of rain. and especially when 1T was at
tended by the reaction against Republicanism
in the October elections. Then, also, came the
Financial question So far as an immediate po-
Gtical effect is concerned, deem Gen. Buffers
financial pronunciamento as unfortunate as Mr..
Douglass Nebraska bill in 1854. No good is to
be gained by it. The question is not practical,
and only becomes popular when it appeals to
and restless about the finances, and we have
Butler making just such an appeal as Jack
Cade made to the men of Kent: There shall
abe in England seven half-penny loaves sold
"for a penny the three-hOOped pot shall have
"ten hoops; and l will make it felony to drink
"small beer.n 1t is popular enough to cancel
our debts by paying certain portion OF thelr
value, to make paper dollars gOld ana 10
double our wealth by increasing the machinery
of the Treasury Printing Bureau; and our he-
publican members have been appalled, by thls
"sentiment" They are trying TO get around II
to sugar-coat gold payments for gold oOllga-
tons. The Reconstruction measure comes once
again. We have tried to make this complete;
but Mr.. Johnson's vindictive eamestness,
connled with the cunning of Judge Black, has
made il impossible The Tenure Office
bIl--v;olated in the person OF StantOn-still
remains reft and torn, and Stanton is as much
out of our politics now as though he were dead
or an ex- President. For a gentle, easy fading
of regulations, commend me to this dear
old dusty town. "Where is the brilliant and
rising Gabby from the Rocky Mountain Dis
triet7p "Oh !-Gabby yes; splendid genius
"but he was beaten by Rocket, and keeps
"tavern in Montana" So long as Stan
ton was God of War, he was wor-
SHIPPED; he had organs and cOurtiers;
but now, when his name ON lieutenant's COM
mission would not be worth smithareen, he
is forgotten. Probably they may crowd him in
when the Senate meets. But people care very
little about it.
The woes of Stanton - Impeachment the
drenching storm of the October Equinox,
which came down upon the poor Radicals so
Observation-Disclosures financial Jack Cade no.
tions-are all forgotten in the Presidential ham
dicap:
Gus Grant b. h.. aged; dam. Victory. sired by West
Pont-Ridden by EtB. washburne. Colors, red, white
and bue-with black hoop"
If you will allow the racing calendar text,
thus give you the favorite horse in the pres
ent handicap. 1t looks very much as II our
betting men had it arranged that he should be
formally entered at Chicago. l use "handicap"
in more expressive sense than mere form OF
speech. Grant is the favOrite horse in the poit-
ical betting books Every jockey and tramping
man of the Republican party shouts for him.
The amount of shouting is wonderful. There
is so much organized enthusiasm and
disciplined spontaneousness "Ask no ques-
"tons-answer none-merely hurrah, boys"
This is the Grant idea Then we have Mr..
Washburne himself. The good father OF the
blouse" has generally been stern father-un-
relenting and exacting-a perfect old Squire
Western, and apt at any time to bring down
his cane upon the back of any poor young
member who came within the range of his
equity toes Ask Roscoe COnkling for youth
full experience-say about Oregon War-Debt
times What a dear old father he is now!
"a perfect, blessed, heavenly old gentle
man-Irascibility mellOwed into Benignity
full of dimples, and cheeriness and
good-humor, with a sort of Bless you
"my dear children" stealing over his face as he
walks down the House of morning. The
young members cuddle around him as a per-
feet Kriss Kringle, and, for the first time in his
Congress career, Mr.. COlfaX finds that he is not
the most popular man in the House. No, no,
gracious Mr. Speaker; the man who carries these
foreign missions and things in his pocket is the
man of men to-day. This is the jockey who
trains the fast horse Ulysscs-who teaches him
his PAGES, and what gait he shall take, when
he shall trot, and when he may canter.
And there never was more favorable IN
vestment See how the trading men crowd
around his paddock and caress him. The num-
ber of original Grant men'-Of men who dis
covered his merits years ag0-who stood by
him and believed in him-and who saw IN his
modest, quiet face the features OF a second
Washington-passes comprehension. l doubt IL
ever a man was more "beleved in" The adml-
ration with which Captain Cutie regarded his
marine comrade Mr.. Bunsby, was nothing to it.
.o Loft oyoi1 M