The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-12-24

chief source Of their influence and smolum9ntg,
and one of the means by which they refm-
burse themselves for their heavy eleotioneer-
ing expenses. We do not know what it will
cost Senator Morgan, of this State, to get
himself reelected; but whether IL be thirty
thousand, or fifty thousand, or a hundred
thousand dollars, we suppose the outlay will
be made on the strictly mercantile prinoi-
pies which are so we'll understood by this
''eminent merchant. .",eW What with the money
spent last fall in promoting the election of
members of the Legislature, and the money it
may be necessary to expend this winter in
brbing members or buying off competitors,
a new term in the Senate will cost him very
considerable sum; but sum that he can easily
afford, If the whisky operators in the internal
revenue service shall keep their places aud
continue to be his tools. Scores of other
leading members of Congress have similar in
terests in their own localities Aud as they
would all have a much surer thing in keeping
tried and expert dependents in Office than in
running the hazard of getting new ones sp-
pointed and confirmed, it is obvious that the
interests Of this whole class are adverse TO
repeal Of the Tenure Of Office law.
1t is easy TO understand, therefore, how
powerful are the interests which are openly
or secretly hostile to release of General
Grant from the fetteTs which bind President
johnson. Such outs as hope to be appointed,
OF get their friends appointed, would OF course
wish the new President to be restored to the
liberty which was possessed by all of Mr..
Johpson's predecessors. But so long as they
ale in doubt whether they or their rivals will
carry off the prizes, they will stand by prefer
ence in the same position as General Butler;
anxious to promote a repeal, if repeal would
bring grist to their mill, but ready to oppose
it if it would inure to the benefit of their COM
petitoTs. The whole tribe of spOils hunters,
of every shade and stripe are accordingly
waiting for General Grant TO show his hand.
And he seems in no hurry to relieve the
agony OF their suspense.
The Ips, comprising Senator'S and Repre-
sentatives who prefer to remain in Congress,
and whose friends are now in Office, have hit
upon plan which, in their estimate, is very
promising. A bill for the repeal of the
Tenure Of Office act is to be passed in the last
days of the session, in order that Congress
may ad ourn before the expiration of the ten
days allowed the President for its considera-
tion. 1t is fancied that President Johnson
will not give it his approval. In the first
place, be and General Grant cordially hate
each other, and it is supposed that he will not
be forward to promote a measure which would
be for General Grants advantage. He of
course could not veto the repeal after having
vetoed the original bill. II time were allowed
him, he would quietly suffer it to become a
law by the lapse OF ten days. But by its pas
A
really defeated by its authors, and the respon-
sibilty shifted, as they calculate, upon the
shoulders OF the President. a shalIoW device
inasmuoh as nobody could fail to see
through it. But the President might have
other motives besides his dislike of General
Grant for not wishing to sign such bill. The
Tenure-of Office act was passed for no other
purpose than to annoy and restrain him; and
he might regard its repeal, just at the
moment he was about to quit Office, as fresh
repetition of the insult. ltwOnld be- telling
| him to his face that its whole object was psr-
sonal. II would be- like asking a man who
! had been set in the stocks to take up the
| timber and carry it away wi en- his punish
ment was ended, as If no O'ber person could
ever be bad enough to furnish a use for such
an instrument. The only way the President
could svoid letting his enemies thus degrade
him, would be by neg 'ectipg to act on such
! bill neither signing it nor vetoiDg it, but eav-
| ing it to become a law, or not, according to
the space allowed by Congress previous to
adjournment.
| it is probable that many Republicans will
/ oppose the repeal on pretended grounds of
principle, thus shielding themselves from
General Grants censure while maintaining
the restraints upon his authority. This can
be done with some plausibility, as many of
them pretended TO act on principle in its pas
sage. But the real motive will be distrust of
General Grant. They know that he was not
an original Republican; that he was never
Republican by conviction or preference, other
wise than as he might have believed it better
to accept the reconstruction measures than to
keep open the quarrel. They know also that
he has scarcely disguised contempt for the
whole uuclean herd OF busybodies and office
seekers who make politics their trade and seek
to live on the public plunder. He does not con-
sort with such men when he can well help it,
he despses their intrgues and their rigmarole
speech-making; and their fear is so great that
be will give pref renee to army officers, that
Senator Ednunds, a day or two since, intro
duced bill iorbidding the appointment of
military officers to the civil service. This bill,
and the formidable opposition in the Senate to
the transfer of Indian affairs to the War De-
psrtment, so strongly recommended by Gene
raj Grant, betoken their distrust of him-a
distrust which is justified by the facts that he
was never at heart publican, anl that his
phltgmatic, unexcitsble temperament units
him for over becoming blazing radical. The
genius of the Republican party is fanatieal
! sgitatiOn, and there is hardly man in the
country less cut out for fanatic or an agta-
tor than General Grant. 1t will bs little short
Of miracle if this man and the Republican
Nrva1I 4pCa Tf.lr