The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-05-19
General Grant and the Constitution.

Our neighbors of the Wing and Enquirer
have both referred to the course of General
GRANT upon the question of the clauses to
he voted upon separately. There is entire
concurrence between themTas to Gencral
GRANTS expressions upon the subject ana
his agreement with the "committcc OF
nine :" even down to the very day that the
Cabs,,et voted against allowing the "county
organizations" clause to be submitted 10 q
senorate vote. And this is literally true.
We are Informed on good authority that
General GRANT urged the Cabinet to place
the county organizations amongst the sepa-
rated articles, but the vote was four to three
against him: the President and McsSrs.
RAwLISs and FISH for, and Messrs. BOUT
WE'LL, CREswEEL, HoAR, and Cox, against
the separation. This proves the sincerity OF
the President to the very last.
How happened it that the Cabinet was
against him? Why, through the agency of
Governor Wells. Even when the message
asking for the President the authority OF
Congress TO submit separately such parts
Of the constitution as he might select, the
out. Like the fallen angel Except that he
never was an angel, he disputed every inch
Of ground on his way to the place of his
doom. When he was forced to eat his own
words, and give up the acknowledgements
and disqualiications, be determined to hold
on Mt least to the County organizations"
That would enable him to crafty some
small part Of his malice towards the people
of Virginia. He could vex and fret them,
and impair their peace and prosperity, and
foster that alienation between the races on
which he mainly relies for success, in that
way. So he set about the work, either di-
rectly or indirectly, with that indetatigablc
industry in trickery in which he has no SUI
perior. '
The spcciouS argument suggested was that
among other things the county organiza-
tions provided for the election Of n school
superintendent. and that to leave out the
section would be fatal to the educational
system. General GRANT is all earnest advo-
cate of education, and this was an argument
that at least caused him to pause. For he
stated himself that in the first draft of the
message to Congress on the subject be
named the DISTINGUISHING clauses and the
county organizations as proper to be sub
mitted to q separate vote. This message
was held back five days, and indeed all idea
of sending it was abandoned because the
President feared that as iDtroduction
into Congress might create debate and
,rnln hn I'm .If ha N ~
of General FARSEswoRTH, who in the
House moved the resolution on the subject.
the message was sent in. 1t was not. how
ever, in the text of the original message. ii
was changed and some parts eraSed-among
them that specifying what was proper to be-
left out in lieu of which Il mere general
phrase was inserted, leaving the whole mat
ter to the President without naming any
clause.
The President was not asked why he had
changed the message in this particular but
we may very easily conjecture.
The committee that waited upon him or
Friday showed how easy it was to strike
out the county organizations without affect
Ing the question of education, and we doubt
not the President acted upon their suggeS-
tons.
The whole matter, as the Wing suggests.
turns upon the question of submitting the
subject to the consideration of the Cabinet.
Had the President decided it himself, his de.
c'sion ,r0uld haze been Just but the reverse
has been the decision of the Cabinet. be-
hind which we see the Satanic lccr OF the
military Governor of this State.
Whether right in consulting the Cabinet
or not, the President thought it right. 1t
was for him to decide.
\ letter in the Baltimore San SAYS the
matter will probabably be reconsidercd. II
would be very gratifying to us all if it were
10 be rc0pencd; but there has been so lit
lie disposition to reconsider, with the pur-
pose Of fayoring Us, that we fear the state
ment Of the writer will not be borne out by
the facts.