The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-05-05

iuit here: If the pinterview" so reported
ia a fortunate one, and the statesmau's
"ideas' are received favorably by the
public. all is we'll; on the other hand, If
they prove to be unsafe or unpopular, the
statesman has only to disown the report, aud
announce that he was "misunderstoOd' or
"misrepresented." This sort of political
"table.talk" is one Of the great Improvements
which we have made on the old style of
American politics, where a Congressman for
example, WAS in the habit of putting his
public opinions on record officially in Con-
gress, aud so became responsible for them
There is one drawback, however, to the use
fitness OF the ''interview" correspondents,
namely that they rarely fail to render the
great man to whom they play the Boswell
rather more oonceitsd, consequential, AFRO
CANT, or absurd, as the case may be, than he
is in his more formal public conduct and
speeches.
PRESIDENT GRANT AND HIS CABINET.
From the " y. Herald.
II is evident that the men composing the
Presidents Cabinet are ill-suited 10 their posi-
tiOns. None of them take hold of the great
questions appertainiDg to their departments
in manner that indicates grasp of mind and
originality in execution. We speak of these
things for the benefit of the President him
self He requires men around him who have
sufficient brains TO administer the laws in all
except extraordinary cases, which may re 1utre
consultation and close executive attention.
General Grant has made a mistake in suppos-
ing that civil government can be directed by
military forms. The civil power is the reverse
OF the military. The former proceeds from
the people to the centre-the mass governs
and directs through its mouthpieoe, the Presi-
dent; the military power is the centre, ore
atiDg all action and shaping everything. 1t is
with the military idea predominant and in
keeping with his education and habits that
General Grant came into office. The Cabinet
was selected under this principle, and not
having been accustomed or fitted to work in
such direction, they already show signs of
imbecility. The Secretary of the Treasury
finds the financial problem too ponderous for
the keeper of a country store or for solution in
accordance with the old European book the
ores. He finds it impossible to run the Anne
rican treasure-bo on European wheels.
A letter from Washington says truly that
| "Mr. BOre was called from the most complete
retirement" much to the astonishment of
| himself as we'll as the country. Admiral POr-
! ter is to-day virtually filing the Office of
Secretary of the Navy. The Secretary of
State, worse than all the rest, is as un Ameri-
can as it is possible for an officer to be. His
tame foreign policy is in i'll. keeping with the
| bold attitude of the people and the Senate.
| The country does not expect him to think for
| it, but simply to watch its temper and obey
| its mandates. When he fails in this he ceases
to be the representative of the United states
in the position where the President has uuor-
| turately placed him. We are little disposed to
have Secretary amuse the people with ideas
OF a bold policy on any foreign question, while
he has private and opposite understanding
with the power to which it relates. This is
too much in the track of the last eight years.
| We speak of the necessity of rem odellipg
| the Cabinet that President Grant may have
around him good working men, who live with
| the times and understand the animating forces
| of our political existence. We know that the
| Preside mt enjoys himself in looking upon his
fast horses rather than in the analysis of ab-
| st1use governmental questions. This and good
| a a>sistants will enable him to last out his term
| of Ctfice. General Grant is man of very solid
sense, and will readily see the necessity for
abler Cabinet brains, not only for the reasons
We have indicated, but for those which he
| himself gave in his inaugural address.
MISGEL ANEOuS GOODS