The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-06-15
SPIRIT or THE PRESS.
pprroR1AI, OPINIONS OF THE LEADING JOURNALS
UPON CURRENT ToPICs-CoNrPILED EVERY
DAY FOR THE EVENING TELEGRAPH.
GENERAL GRANTS ADMINISTRATION.

From the ~ y. Times.
The hostile clamor against General Grants
administration has in good part died away.
Democratic partisans continue TO denomce
IL MS n failure, but this IS partly from the
force of habit and partly in the hope of party
nroft But the disposition which at one
time seemed quite general among Republi-
cans to disparage and decry it, has given
,,1oce To n temper at once more hopeful and
more inst 1t seems at last to be felt that
tbe administration has had as yet nothing
like trial; that three MONTHS under any
circumstances, is not time enough to test
either the Justice or the wisdom of any adj
ministration; and that the circumstances
which have surrounded the beginning of
General Grants term have been especially
unfavorable to the formation of Just and
dispassionate Judgment.
The expectations of the public, in the first
place. were extravagant and unreasonable.
General Grants great military renown, and
the reputation his services in suppressing the
Rebellion had given him, inspired an undue
estimate of what he could do as President,
and led the people at large to expect from
him whatever the country might need
from any department of the Government
and in any branch of public affairs. 1t was
forgotten that the department he had
been called to fill was at best one of
limited power, restricted by the Constitu-
ton to the execution of the laws of Con-
gress, and greatly curtailed even in that,
by recent legislation and by constant en-
croachments of the other departments of the
Government. At the outset of his admins
tration, moreover, he encountered what must
always be, so long as our present system
exists, an enormous difficulty to every
new administration, the redistribution of
official patronage. This has probably been
greater embarrassment to him than to any
of his predecessors since the beginning of the
Government The war had multiplied enor-
mously the number of offices to be filed, and
had, at the same time increased enormously
the number Of applicants for them. Party
spirit has grown more and more eXactlng,
more and more selfish and less disposed than
ever to give paramount consideration, in
Judging the motives of public men, to the
welfare of the country. The Republican party
had become largely venal and less patriotic
than ever before. The greet for Cttce had
become more universal, more clamorous, more
intolerant, and more unreasonable.
Under these circumstances it was scarcely
possible that General Grant should not fail to
meet the expectations of the country. I'm
questionably he djdfail, and it is quite certain
that any other man in his place would have
failed quite as badly, and probably much
worse, than he did. ....
But the country has come to understand
that the appointments to Office of the first
quarter of a new administration afford no
Just test of its capacity or character. Gene
raj Grant disappointed the country, we think,
in abandoning 50 hastily the policy with which
he set out of making honesty and fidelity in
the performance of duty the sole tenure of
Office and by surrendering 50 soon and 50
absolutely as he did to political cliques and
factions the power of debating removals and
appointments. But it may be doubted whether
be could have done otherwise. Political par
ties were too strong for him. He could only
resist their dictation with the certainty of a
prolonged contest, in which he was by no
means sure of winning, and which would have
added greatly to the difficulties and embarrass-
ments of his position.
That matter, at all events is disposed of,
and the administration is now free to give its
attention to the graver matters which involve
the public welfare, and upon which the ques-
tion of its success or failure must really turn.
While no effective action can be taken on
these matters until the meeting of Congress,
and while Congress will then be more directly
responsible for them than the President it
will be for him to recommend such measures
as he may deem best adapted to meet the
public necessities and to promote the public
interests. He has assured the country that
he shall have policy on all public questions;
and although it will not be forced or urged
in defiance of the convictions or wishes of the
people, the character and scope of his recon.
mendations will afford the true criterion by
which his administration will be Judged.
SO far as we can judge by past indications,
there is no reason to fear that the action OF
the new administration will not be adequate
to the public wants, and fully meet the ex-
pectations of the country. 1t has done much
already to give effect to the policy of recon
struction adopted by Congress-, and to adapt
its execution to the wants and necessities OF
the Southern States and there is every reason
to believe that before the first term of Presi
dent Grant shall have half expired harmony
of feeling and action will have been re
stored to the sections so recently arrayeG
in hostility against each other, and all in
furious traces of the recent conflict vii
have been removed. Very gratifying
progress is made towards paying th
public debt, and in relieving the industry o
the country from the burdens that it mus
impose. The Indian questions which havt
hitherto given the Government so mucl
trouble are in fair way of adjustment. Tht
collection of the public revenues of the coun
try has been greatly improved, and create
efficiency and integrity secured for this branc
of the public service. The War and Nav
Departments, in spite of clamor against tn
men placed at their heads, have never bee
administered with greater vigor or success
And in every department of the Govemmer
there is a very decided improvement in tn
mode of carrying on its AFFAIRS.
Persons who have been disappointed i
getting Office, and politicians who have faile
in securing for themselves as much OF inf,
ence in the distribution of Office as they thin
thew ought to have are, of course, under I'll