The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-06-25
mUDpLkp srArEsMANsHIP.

The New York Times, seeing how absurd it
would be to run Gen. Grant for the highest
civil Office in the country, on the ground that
he had proved a successful soldier, only this
and nothing more, finds, after diligent search
in the apocryphal pages of yellow-covered
life of the general, that under his military
Uniform has all along been concealed one of
the most profound and skillful statesmen of
the age. "Wbat strikes the competent stu
dent of Grants life most forcibly," says the
Times, "is the way in which he has dealt
with all great questions of State and public
policy which have come within his purview.
The same journal further observes that "he
has shown the most remarkable capacity for
the treatment Of public affairs; his statesman
like powers and qualities are as striking as his
soldierly abilities" The first occasion which
occurred to test Gen. Grants " statesmanlike
powers and qualities" was when he was called
on to give his opinion, deliberately and pre-
cisely, as to the expediency of admitting the
Southern States, as they then stood, reorgan-
lied according to the plan of President john
son, to representation in Congress and to
their former equality in the Union. After
tour of observation in the South for the ex-
press purpose of storing his capacious intel
lect with data bearing on this momentous
question, he made up the desiderated opinion
and subscribed his official signature to it.
Thus formally presented, it became the most
famous public document of the day. 1t
attracted universal attention. 1t created
profound sensation. 1t raised n storm in
Congress And what was in it to produce all
this consequence? Apparently not much;
nothing, indeed, that was original, for it
simply attested facts which everybody, ac-
quainted with the situation in the South,
knew before, and the policy which it advo-
Gated was the same that the President had
already undertaken to carry out. 1t was felt
to be important, however, because the oppo-
neRts of the President in Congress dreaded
its effect as the Endorsement, by the highest
and the most influential officer in the army,
of the Presidents plan of State restora-
ton. In the document referred to the
general displayed his statesmanlike
powers and qualities" by reporting
that the lately rebel population
were peaceful and law-abiding; that they had
no desire or thought of renewing rebellion
against the federal government or resisting
its laws; that they were fit to be trusted with
the control of their civil affairs, and ought to
be admitted to representation in Congress.
Sumner, Wade, Stevens, and the whole radi-
cal pack in the two houses, flew at this
report, resolved to tear it to pieces before it
could influence the minds of their constitu-
ents. They said, in effect, that it was a
lying report, inspired by the servile alacrity
of a military subordinate to the President to
bolster up the usurpation of his master.
Time passed. We never heard of Gen. Grant
resenting the aspersion. As far as known,
he pocketed the opprobrious filings of Sumner
and the rest with as much sang fr0id as
Butler used to pocket portable values within
reach, and with as little question about
whether they properly belonged to him.
Tirae otin passed, and the President grew
constantly weaker in his struggle with Con-
gress. At length congressional policy is
completely ascendant, but the President is
somewhat troublesome as an impediment to
the scheme of radical congressman for secur-
ing the next Presidency. At this point Gen.
Grant discovers that the Presidents policy
was all along wrong and that the congress
sional policy was all along right; and he con-
trives with Stanton to bring ABOUT the i'm
parchment of the President on the ground,
among others, that the President had advo-
Gated, in preference to the congressional
plan of reconstruction, that plan of restora-
ton which Gen. Grant, in his famous report
had recommended What is this but coming
forward, after he had let the charge of
making a false report go against him by
default, and confessing his guilt, so to speak,
in open court? Thus, upon the second occa-
sion which put Gen. Grants statesman
like powers and qualities to the test he
recants all the conclusions to which those
powers and qualities conducted him upon the
first occasion. He is self-cOnvicted of having
been upon one or the other occasion hagi-
tiously wrong in respect to public policy
If this is craftsmanship, what is imbecility or
charlatanrv ?