The Opelousas courier., 1868-11-21

Speculation has turned from the proba-
bility of Grants success to the posi-
biIity of break between Grant and the
Radical extremists. The we'll known
fact that nearly every straight-our Radi-
cal in the country was opposed to his
nomination affords some grounds for the
belief that Il conflict is likely to arise.
Besides, taking into consideration two
other facts-the one, that these extrem-
lists generally insist on having their own
way, and the other, that Grant has al
ways insisted on having his-the possi-
bility of q clash becomes more apparent.
There is no doubt that Grant was DEM
ocrat, and in my mind there is no doubt
that he is Conservative. Other renegade
Democrats who were lifted into promi-
nence by the Radicals were even more
Radical than the men they joined, long
before they were rewarded for their
treaelery. Grant, however, has never
made himself conspicuous by an advo-
cacy of Radical ideas, or an intemperate
endorsement of Radical doctrines. Still,
he is in sympathy with the main objects OF
the Radical party, just as johnson was
in sympathy with the main objects OF the
so-called Union party four years AGO,
and he is not likely to break from the
party on any of these. He will fall in
with Congress in carrying out the policy
of reconstruction, and he certainly will
not quarrel with his party about any of
the details. Negro suffrage in the South
becomes, by Grants election, one of these
fixed facts which cannot be put out of
sight, however the people may abher it.
Being obliged to recognize, not to say
accept it. the policy of the Southern peo-
Pile now is to turn it to account the best
way they can, and trust to the future to
rid them of it altogether. They do not
lack minds to show them how this may
be done.
GRANT AND THE EXTREMISTS.
Had the Republican party remained ON
the ground on which it stood when
Andrew Johnson was elected, the sue
cessor of Abraham Lincoln would not
have quarrelled with the men whose
votes made him Vice-President Ii the
Radical party confines itself to the
ground covered by the Chicago platform,
during the next four years. Gen. Grant
will not qaarrel with its leadears. But
the Radical party is essentially Il party
of progress, of new ideas, and of revolu-
tion. Nothing as yet unaccomplished is
more certain than that the manufactnr-
ers of Radical ideas will stand off from
the present position of the party, and
! insist ON dragging Grant after them.
VIII Grant follow This, | think, is
doubtful. Gen. Blair knows Grant thor
oughly, and when he said, in his speech
at Tammany Hall, that it is great mis-
take to suppose that Grant has no mind
OF his own, he spoke the truth. Grant
showed during his command of the army
in Virginia that he has both mind and
a will of his own, and he may decide to
use both If Congress attempts to dra-
goon him into abiect submission, as the
present Congress attempted to drRgoon
johnson. Grant will never force con-
flict on Congress, and will never quarrel
violently with the party leaders. He
will merely refuse to be used by the ex-
treme men, and ii a conflict comes, he
will let them do the hammering, while
he attends to business.
THE NEW cABISET.
The Cabinet makers are already at
work On Secretaries for the new Presi-
dent. They have collected enough ma
terial to make Cabinets for all the Presi-
dents we could elect in o hundred years.
The general opinion among Conservative
men is that Grant will make up Cahi-
net mainly representing the more moder-
ate sentiment of the Republican party.
Seward has some hope of being retained
in the State Department., and / would
not be surprised to see him kept there
for sene time after Grants inauguration.
Schofield has proved himself an accept
able War Secretary to the Republican
party, and as he and Grant have been
close friends all along, he may be re-
tanned where he is. If Evarts had not
been so conspicuous in defending Presi-
sent Johnson at the impeachment trial,
thereby rendering his Republican friends
great service. though they did not
think 50 at the time, he might keep the
Attorney Generalship rs long as he
pleased, for he is in accord with Grant
on NEST questions of policy. But the
Radicals may insist on giving this office
NO man of more pronounced views, and
one who has not set himself up against
them i'm any way, and Evarts will proba-
DIT have to leave the Cabinet. The other
Secretaries, McCulloch, Welles, Randall
and Browning. will certainly have to GO.
lI Is supposed that Grant will offer the
Treasury to q. T. Stewart, i'm return for
hls services i'm making him the Republi-
can candidate, but hardly think Mr..
Stewart would accept it. His business
as 20 dear to him that he could not very
well live away from it, and certainly he
would not give it up for the trouble and
responsibility of the Treasury. The
Navy Department will probably be offer
go 20 Admiral Farragut, and perhaps it
could not go into better hands. The pro-
aable Successors of Randall and Brown
ING would be difficult to name. Old
Nashburne viii have much to say in
Ihelr selection and who knows but he
may get one OF the positions himself.
ne Post Office would satisfy him, as,
With that In his hands, he esslld give an
once TO every relative he has In the
country.
THE NEXT CONGRESS.
1s LID the next House of Representatives,
lne Democrats will have at least n men,
. hers, TO 52 in the present one, including
ile few Democrats from tile South, and
Virginia. Mississippi and Texas come