The native Virginian. [volume] (Orange Court House, Va.) 1867-187?, 1869-03-19
THE SITUATION.

At the end of three moves, Genera
GRAkT finds himself minus paw
(Washburne) castle (Stewartl, and hi
queen threatened seriously. What
his queen? Checkmate is APPARENT,
not far off, ii ii be not already accom-
plished.
Stewart was to have been his towe
of strength against the whisky, pro
teetive tariff and other rings. In plac,
OF Stewart, Boutwell, is forced upol
him. Boutwell, began his career by {
corrupt bargain which brough Sumner
nto the Senate. and like all turn-coat!
has outheroded Herod in his pretended
devotion to Radit alism. He is a pro
tectonist of the extreme New England
school. Latterly he has surpassed But
Ter in bitterness against, the South. =
His elevation to the Exchequer is sig
nal triumph for the Radicals. But this
is not what disturbs us.
Hamilton Fish. in every way superior
to Washburne, will make Secretary
of State of whom the country need not
be ashamed. Whether he has moral
weight and strength OF purpose enough
to side with the Chief i'll a great strait,
or to oppose him in an attempt to pro-
woke a needless foreign war, we know
not. We take it, he is like Horatio Sey-
mour, deficient in nerve. Fortunately
tfor this country has nothing to gain by
wary Sumner is Chairman of the Sen
ate Committee on Foreign Affairs, and
British gold is never wanting in an
emergency. Did Sumner get rich by
his salary, or by his contributions to the
Atlantic Monthly?
Schofield prefers tho Pacific Coast to
the portfolio of War. He is in search of
something besides gold in Ell Dorado,
but his game is not yet clearly made
Rawlins, his successor. is said to have
Virginia blood in his veins. This
speaks well for HIM. He carries into
his new office The good will and good
wishes of every body. Why should the
Radicals be soicitous bout the War De-
partment, albeit the keeper OF the
Presidents mind is at the head of itP-
Rawlns. it seems to us, is yssnctus sepui-
Gro il his stately mausoleum.
Sherman champions the repeal of the
tenure-of- Office law in the Senate, and
Butler, sua sponte, as is alleged, takes up
the repeal cudgeI. in the House. Here
is the great hinge ei the whole struggle,
which no foreign trouble will avert. 1t
is natural that the House should desire
to have its say in the distribution of the
spoils, and Butler finds his fit place in
marshaling this desire. But Sherman
aim is not SO plain. Of course, he dees
not lose sight of his brother and his
brothers interest. Then, in the over
throw of the Senate he seeks dutm-
citrate, and abnegates self entirely. We
do not say so. Under this depth, there
is n lower deep.
Our readers may remember thai Sher-
man was to have been the nominee of
the Democratic party. 1t was told in
Richmond last Spring, and on good au-
thority. Details of the whole plan we're
given. But Gen. Sherman declined. =
/: is limited that he had talk with his
brother, and that his brother held up TO
him the giittering place of Lieutenant
General. Was that all? This is what
disturbs us. 1t disturbed us before we
dreamed that the new General would
enclose SO many blreaux under his am
pie military cloak. We are the prey at
times Of the most foolish suspicious and
forebodngs.
Finding themselves forced to take a
candidate whom they distrusted, the
Radicals would have been worse than
stupid if they had not made some effort
to prevent their heads from being bro
ken by the stick they were compelled |
to handle. Most likely the matter was
talked over. These events followed
Gen. Sherman went West. General |
Grant went West, and remained seyerl
al months Gen. Sheridan went there
also. 1t is probable that these soldiers
had som conversation, and that the
subtlest intellect by far of the three,
(already in possession of the plot gave
birth) to which party exigency had
controlling influence in determining a
policy, fair enough on the surface, but
with something underneath which the
less subtle minds would by no means
suspect. Behold, then, the Generalissi-
mo grasping with both hands the whole
power of the Government, in
accordance with previous understand
lug. "Gcneral Staff" quotha Do you
at the exceeding composure
Of the Senate, all along, in regard to
the tenure-ot-efiice law? And to {
whom but to the brother of the Gener-
ali5simo should be entrusted the deli
cate task of advocating, not with un-
seemly violence, the repeal of that
law?
such, to sick man in the depths of
he country, who has seen no papers I
5or many days, appeal to BIS the sItIla- {
ion. How very silly must he appear
o those, who have seen the last shiftih t
If lie scenes. +
Mighty pretty WEATHER yesterdsy. ~