The New York herald., 1869-03-16

General GRANTS AdministratiOu, the Cop
Perhead Press and the Democratic
Pnrty.
The copperhead press has opened lively
fire upon General Grant. What for? What
do they want? On this plan what is to be-
come of the democratic party under Grants
administration The prospect is foggy. The
party entered into the late Presidential cam
paign strongly impressed with the idea that
the contest to them was less struggle for the
spoils than for existence. The democratic
leaders and managers, still wearing their JEFF
fersonian green goggles of State rights and
State sovereignty; still limited in their vision
to ''the constitution as it was, proceeded upon
this theory-that we must win this election at
all hazards, in order to overthrow the radical
policy or to prevent the fnlflment of their re-
construction system, negro suffrage and negro
equality included, and their financial system;
for otherwise all these things will be consum-
mated, the government will be fixed on new
basis and we shall have not democratic
principle left to fight for or plank to stand
upon.
Hence, with the encouraging election results
of 1867, the tenacious and desperate struggle
of the democracy under Seymour and Blair to
carry the October State elections Of 1868 in
Pennsylvania, Ohiosand Indiana; for they well
knew that the fate of their national ticket and
ing at every point in these decisive October
trials they virtually gave up the contest, and
prepared in New York to cover their retreat
SO as to save their army from dispersion and
their supply trains from capture. They had
aimed at nothing less than the restoration of
Johnson's policy of reconstruction and the ap-
plication Of Pendleton's system of finance,
niggers rights as defined in the Dred Scott
decision, and the constitution as expounded by
Calhoun. They fought, in short, under
Seymour for ''the Union as it was, barring
the abolition of slavery; and with the defeat
Of Seymour all was lost. They fought to re-
cover their old Southern democratic balance
of power on the issues settled by the war; and
in every election since the war, and at the
close of the battle they were an army adrift.
The next great event affecting the interests
and prospects of the drifting democracy is the
incoming of the new administration. The
leading copperhead organs Of the party prick
up their ears to catch the first sounds of the
inaugural. They hear it but they do not like
it. 1t means negro suffrage, Southern recon-
struction as adopted by Congress, and gold to
the bondholders. They wait next for the
Cabinet, and with its announcement these
WY fastidious copperhead journals out-Herod
Herod in their denunciations of the appoint
ment of Mr.. Washburne as Secretary of State
and Of Mr.. Stewart as Secretary Of the Trea-
sury. The whole Cabinet they think absurd
and outrageous; but A. T. Stewart for the
Treasury, above all things, they contend,
proves General Grant q .thickheaded but con-
ceited ignoramus in daring to put his win
above the law of 1889. Next Mr.. Stewart re-
tires and Mr.. Boutwell, is appointed to the
Treasury; and yet these copperhead organs
are not satisfied. A man Of practical abilities,
they say, is changed for q noisy, pretentious
and shallow politician. Moreover, they have
to lament the surrender Of Grant to the radi-
cal leaders. Worse than all, In stopping GER
tain whiskey ring pardons Of Johnson Grant
has violated the constitution, as it appears,
and in everything that he does or attempts to
do he illustrates the old story, they say, of the
bull In china shop. As presented by the
copperhead organ Of the Manhattan ring Cen
eral Grant is blockhead and q blunderer, o
sort Of despot and yet willing servant Of the
radical politicians, and an ignorant soldier,
withal, whose only distinct idea of his position
is that it was given him to enable him to pro-
vide fat places for his family and his personal
friends.
What can be the meaning Of all this copper
head fault-fnding and balderdash2 1t means
that the copperhead leaders and managers are
sounding the alarm to the perplexed democracy
to beware of the temptations of Grants ad-
ministration; that the party must pr epare to
fight Grant as q sworn enemy, and not to culti-
vate him as friend in disguise-ano.her Andy
johnson. His inaugural and his Cabinet, they
are told, proclaim his radicalism; the restora-
ton Of Sheridan to New Orleans fixed his SYM
pathy win the carpetpaggers, ana MS removai
Of General Blair as Pacific Railway Com
missioner proves the hostility Of Grant to demo-
cratic ofice-holders, and that they are to have
not even sop in the pots and pans of the
kitchen. 'To your tents, then, 0, Israel y
Stick to your party, stick to your democratic
principles, and let your war cry be, Down
with this radical administration"
Was there ever such stupidity? Is il impos-
sible to teach these democratic Bourbons any
thing? In any event we must tell them that
before the year 1872 Southern reconstruction
win be settled and fixed, and negro suffrage
will be fixed, and the payment OF the national
debt will be provided for, and Of the old
democratic notions Of State sovereignty not o
scrap will be left. The Tammany platform
Of 1868 win be-yea, Is now-as dead as the