The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-11-14
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DAY FOR THE KvENINa TELEGRAPH.
The Homes of the House of Blair.

Dean Swift would have drawn an excellent
portrait of the Washington politician. The
w. 2. is a character. He is indigenous to the
national capital, and rarely thrives in any
other place. Generally, he is native of the
District but the records sometimes show in
stances OF successful transplanting. Thus,
fine young New Yorker, who has just seen the
inside of the Tammany ring, and has scarcely
reached the Councilman's position, or a
plump, corn-fed Pennsylvania, who has
attained the early dignities of party state
Committee, will, if taken to Washington and
properly cared for, bloom into very aocepta-
ble specimen.
To this Washington politician the world is
composed of red tape and sealing wax, The
economy of nature is one endless circumlocu-
tion Office. He lives between the hours OF
10 O'Clock and 3, including an hour for
lunch His days OF dread are the 1st and
18th of each month. His constant anxiety
is for promotion from the ''class" he is in TO he
"class" above him. Mr.. Postmaster General
Randall, one of the few cases of successful
transplanting late in life, expressed an axiom
when he said that all the officers in the De-
partment should support Mr.. Johnson be-
cause he was the source of their "bread and
butter" We fancy that it as much bread
and butter and an instructive, uncomfortable
dread of the 1st and 18th days of next March
that lead to the astonishing unanimity with
which Washington politicians abandon
President Johnson and surround Gene
raj Grant. The one fact these gentlemen
appreciate is majority in the Electoral
College. From the moment it was known
that General Grant had majority of the
Electoral votes, they were his warm and
steadfast friends, his lusty, consistent sup
porters, his champions through good report
and evil report, just as they would have been
for Mr. Seymour had he been successful
Grant was their choice from the beginning.
mi .-.k- Al - ,l0aI.x IL,
In all his quarrels with Johnson, they gave
him silent but sincere sympathy. Aud
now they will give him the National IntelLI-
qencer; and if he has any trouble about the
little patronage that drips from the Depart
ment, they will find publio-spirited citizens
like Mr.. Coyle, Mr.. Wendell, Mr.. Hoover, Mr..
Berrei, and the Hon. Thomas B. Florence, not
to speak of the multitude of the Blair family
(by blood and marriage), perfectly willing to
take every responsibility from his hands.
Mr. Montgomery Blair is perhaps the most
conspicuous and illustrious Washington peli-
tician now living. His triumphs have been
the wonder of this generation. Under Mr..
Lincolns administration he was Cabinet
officer Another member of his family was in
the Cabinet, third was an Admiral in the
navy, in charge of the most profitable block
aiding station in the service, while brother
was in the army or rather osoillating between
the army and the Speakership Of the House.
If Mr.. Seymour had been elected we have no
doubt that the whole administration would
have been transferred to Silver Springs, and
the multtudinous Blairs would have taken
the Government on contract. The election of
Grant would seem to have put an end to this
pleasing anticipation and to remand the whole
Blair family back to the appalling necessity
of working for their daily bread. Mont
gomery, however, with his serene and
modest genius, comes to the rescue,
nd a nafnn nor ttn
paper, publicly advises Democrats to press
Grant to select his Cabinet from among con-
servative Republicans like Trumbull and Fes-
senden, and to promise him the support
of the Democracy for his administration"
''The support of the Democracy is only
figure of speech for the support of the Blair
family. The mention of Fessenden and Trum-
bull as the two gentlemen who are to harmo-
nize and consolidate the new Administration,
to bring Mr.. Wendell Phillips and Mr.. Vallan-
digham, Mr.. Sumner and Mr.. Garrett Davis,
together around the national freside, is a
quiet piece of irony. The offer of the "sup-
port' of the Democratic party to President
Grant, if he will only bow down and wor-
ship the Blairs, is only equalled by an offer
of similar character which we find recorded
in sacred history. Profane history gives an
interesting illustration. When Andrew John
son became President he was welcomed
by the Blairs and the Washington
politicians, who brought him assurances of
the s'support" of the Democratic party called
him ''second Jackson" " promised him unani-
nous denomination, and journeyed to Phila-
delphia to endorse him. They so preyed upon
the vanity and the ambition of the poor man
that they dragged him over the country like a
travelling circus No man ever demeaned
himself more than President Johnson. No
man ever kept bargain with more sincerity;
and if any President ever deserved the ''sup-
port of the Democracy" Mr. Johnson did, in
return for his support of the Blair family.
But the Convention met, and instead of re-
ceiving the "kingdoms of the world and the
glory of them, the confding "second jack
son" was CURLY dismissed with sort of cold,
shiveripg, oontemptuous support, and the
honors were divided between the unpopular
Seymour and hungry Blair.
Mr.. 'Johnson's difficulty was that he sold out
too cheaply. He really imagined that these
men had principles" They only wanted
bread and butter. Ii President Grant wants
to buy the Blair family and the Democratic
party combined, with the Rebel army thrown
in, he can do it with one custom house aud
twenty post-ofices; and they will support
him, even il he tTansoends in his policy the
extreme doctrines of Mr. Wendell Phillips
The cheapest articles in the political market
to-day aIe the Washington politicians; and
the cheapest of the lot are the members of the
house OF Blair. If Grant thinks they are
worth purchasing, there can be no objection
to his making the trade. We only trust ht
will take warning from President Johnson
and, instead of buying dearly, take the gam
at the lowest figure. This, after due dicksr
ing, he will find TO bs extremely small.
UWmt Shall We DO With the Negro 2