The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-01-24
TIE PLOT TH1cKeHs.

. lno avOWeQ OppOSltiOu VI 0ch. OAoAS W
the new reconstruction bill may mean some
thing OF nothing So extraordinary and
exalted are the powers which 1t proposes
to confer upon this officer. that, were he vastly
------Ie~t and more unaspiring than he is
represented to DC, i45 IHIgnt We'll recon- IN
blushine diffdence from the thought of ac-
cepting them. But many another man has
had similar greatness thrust upon him. If
Gen Grant shall at length yield; if, like
certain lady Of poetic fiction, who, saying she
never would consent, consented, he shall
succumb to the Babylonian Establishments of
radical legislation, the event will be signal,
indeed, but not exceptional 1t ought not to
surprise even the schoolboys of the country;
for every schoolboy has read how Caesar coyly
put aside the crown rendered him by Mark
Antony in the name of the Roman populace,
and how, nevertheless, the liberties of Rome
were at that moment under the feet of Caesars
lesions, and he welded an actual power such
as no crown ever symbolized.
A manifestation of reluctance on General
Grants part to assume the position assigned
to him by the pending bill, may agree well
with the calculations of President-making
junta of Republicans who desire that he shall
compromise himself as little as possible with
extreme legislation and are at the same time
eager that he shall avail himself of such legis-
lation to obtain the Office of President. This,
in truth, is the pivotal idea of the plot now
unfolding in Washington. Gen. Grants ap-
parent opposition to the bill which virtually
makes him dictator will neither defeat nor re-
tard its passage. Should it fail in the Senate,
where it is now pending, the failure will be
due to fear of public indignation, and not to
unwillingness to press upon Gen. Grant an
uncoveted charter Of dictatoril powers. He
has heretofore shown too much facility of
compliance with congressional measures
plainly subversive of the authority of the
constitutional executive, to leave a doubt of
his readiness to cooperate with Congress in
the same line of usurpation by entering upon
the mission which the bill in question, when
passed, will devolve upon him. This bill can
be called q reconstruction measure only by
euphemistic misnomer If named according
to the partisan and revolutionary designs of
its authors and advocates, it might much
more properly be called bill to supplant the
constitutional COMMUNICATIVE chief of the army
and to insure the election to the Presidency
of the usurpipg substitute. The radicals have
got into such desperate straits that they can
think of no plan less irregular and outrageous
than for this securing the next President.
But, having gone SO far in this species Of
tactics, they might as we'll go further and pass
a sweeping bill extending the reconstruction
policy to oil the anti-radical Northern States,
and investing General Grant with a universal
dictatorship carrying with it all the machinery
necessary to elect himself, by the votes of
negroes and the "tluly loyal" whites, and
the Acknowledgement of political opponents,
President for any number of terms. II
There are increasing indications in the
Northern press that the people of the North
begin to perceive that something very like
this the plot of the radical politicians will
eventually come to, if not met by timely
and decisive expression of pablo adherence
Such is, in fact, the Only condition of escape
from the imminent alternatives of anarchy or
military despotism which is the necessary
climax of radical politics The natural moder-
d'lOu NItCn ID uoStADSu W OTduI Is
perfectly delusive as a ground Of hope that
he viii not 60 to a dangerous length in lend
ing bis sword and his prestige to radical revo-
luton. BE has already gone so far as to send
a message directly from himself to Congress,
thus ignoring the President who, as COM
mander-in-cbief, copstitutionally represents
and is responsible for General Grant and the
whole army. If it be true, as is alleged
and as yet is not denied, that he betrayed the
President in the Stanton affair by violating
an express promise, the fact, however it may
be explained or excused, can hardly fail to
confirm his association with bad and
dangerous men who conspire to degrade Mr..
Johnson and destroy constitutional govern
ment. Such betrayal was almost worthy
of the indiscreet reliance on the part of the
President upon an unofficial promise when
he could have had better security
Be this as it may, the President is much
more likely to forgive Grant, than Grant to
forgive the President Men rarely forgive
those whom they have consciously injured.
Hence, if General Grant was before willing to
assist in the usurping schemes of Congress,
he may be expected now to address himself
to the work of running the President, and the
cause advocated by the latter, with more
alacrity than ever.