The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1869-08-15
Affairs at the Capital.

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1t woulds~appear from indications at
Washington that President Grant is not
heartily in accord with his Cabinet on all
questions. He is, and considers himself,
the President of a party. All his life
Democrat, he has consented to accept the
Presidency at the hands of the Republican
party, and considers himself bound by
military honor to be faithful towards his
new allies. His appointments therefore
are Republican, his Cabinet is Republican,
and the Massachusetts wing of it appears
to be entrusted with the helm of Govern
ment. All measures decreed by the wigwam
to be of Republican faith receive the Pres1-
dental support, and Republican military
satraps in the South, who use their lawless
authority in the most oppressive and in
sulting manner, cancount ON the approval
of Gen. Grant so long, at least, as the Cen
trail Committee says so. '-t
But no matter how faithful a captive may
be to his parol OF honor, or an auxiliary to
his flag, even in war against his own birth
place, natural proclivities and sympathies
will sometimes show out. Gen. Grant oc-
casionally gruuts forth an approval before
ftti gRH5 th hds h1nmse "e Ont Of accord with
the spirit of his party. The President then
has to take the back track with the best
grace possible. Thus in Virginia the cleo
ton of the Conservative candidate by an
unexpected majority was terrible blow to
the straight out Republicans, but the Presi-
dent expressed, and no doubt felt, immense
satisfaction at the result. OF course the
Cabinet immediately afterwards conveyed
the warmest expressions of Executive SYM
pathy to the defeated Republicans, but the
cat was already out of the bag.
In Mississippi, affairs wear similar as
pect. Everything Indicates that the Presi-
dent sympatllises with the Conservative
party, with which-his brother in-law, Judge
Dent, has fully and prominently identified
himself. Yet this does not suit Republican
policy, and Immediately n variety of CORE
spondents report the President as express
ing himself in antagonfsm to the Dent
party. But one naturally asks himself if
this condition of things can last man
finally grows FESTIVE under this constant
restraint upon his feelings, this unsparing
application of the party lash. If President
Grant gets good and honorable opportu-
nifty of breaking with the Massachusetts,
faction he will do it. That opportunity
appears to be approaching. The Republi
can party is showing manifest signs of
division into two wings-the conservative
and the ultra. Kansas, Virginia, Tennes-
see, Mississippi, all tell the tale with over
whelming force. Republicanism proper,
which is nothing but Pnritanism In politics,
will have to retreat to its native New Eng
land lair, and the contest will be between
Democracy and conservative Republican
ism. This is the natural fate of all ex-
tremism. 1t can flourish only in periods
of wild and morbid excitement. In the
mean time what becomes of the President
why of course he joins the Couser natives
openly. When his party divides formally
into two wings, he can consistently hold to |
either, and it is but natural that he should
chose the more powerful, the more rational,
the more successful of the two, especially |
neutrality-suspicious. sympathies are evidently |
with it.
In fact this is the only hope for the Re-
publican party, and it would be much better
for the Democratic if Republicanism could |
be made to hold together Conservatism I
win save for them many States which I
Rigidism would lose altogether, while, I
when the Presidential contest comes, New
England will vote for the Conservative
Republican rather than the Democratic
We think Gen. Grant will soon
End himself at liberty to give his parol of
honor a liberal construction.