The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-09-11
THE DRIFT OF POLITICS.
The Outlook from the Capital-The
Late General Rawlins-Who will Sue.
ceed Him-A Contemplate Adminis-
tration-The Greenbaok Policy Loom.
ing Up-The Fifteenth Amendment,
= &c., Sc.
irnox oun OWN CORRESPONDENT

| SPtSsNAAeS~f -N"-"
Secretary Rawlins, although not unexpected,
is nevertheless regarded as calamity, espec:-
allv at this crisis in public affairs. Those who
knew him best assert that he held strong con-
servative views, and 30 long as he remained in
the Cabinet would have exerted wholesome
influence over the President, in the important
matter of the treatment of the South. am
not prepared to state this as fact within my
own knowledge, but simply give it as current
opinion in political circles here.
Who will be the next Secretary OF War is a
question freely asked, but not yet answered
There is rnmor that Grant, with that su'
preme shortsightedness and stupidity that
have characterized his administration thus far,
will confer the Office upon a little 'dried up
fellow from Iowa, named Dodge, who, be-
lieve, was once volunteer general, and more
recently q member OF the House Of Representa-
tiyes. He is said to be good railroad and
bridge builder, but am sure he would lend
| neither dignity nor brains to Cabinet Office;
vet he may, on Ma. Gccoun, alone, be chosen
By Grant, of whom he is political and person
al miniature.
Under the American system of Federal go:-
ernment, every administration must necessa-
rily be acknowledged during it's term OF office;
but venture to say there never was, within
the memory OF the "oldess inhabitant," such a
lack Of all the elements OF respectabilty and
statesmanship as is now painfully visible
throughout the executive aud legislative de-
partments Of the govenments-especially the
former; and it is this very want OF necessary
governing qualities that breeds the confusion,
doubt and uncertainty that never prevail in
governments where brain rules "loyahy," in
stead OF ''loyalty" ruling brain. The simple
fact 1.-The country has fallen into unskilful,
unframed hands. AS we'll might ploughman
undertake to navigate ship asa tanner to
govern country-especially ''the greatest the
world ever saw *
+ These views must be known and appreciated
by every candid and unbiased man who has
paid the least attention to the working OF the
government for the past six months. to say
nothing of thu eight years Immediately pre-.
ceding; aud it is this state of affairs that has
already produced, to q considerable extent,
and viii continue to produce. reaction
amongst Lhepeeple. The leaders Of the pres.
sent dynasty see this in the countenances OF
their once faithful parasites. They hear it in
every echo that comes from their homes; and,
more than all, 1t is breaking the chain that has
30 long bound the larger portion Of the Ameri-
en- press to the support OF tnat political or.
ganization now passing in such severe review
before the crit ,al eyes Of an abused and out
ragged people, .-rsr ~ ~ j,
/ The spois OF ofics-the cohesive power OF
public plunder," "a the great South Csrolinian
forcibly expressed it-no longer remain to be
distributed amongst the faithful" The para-
sites Of Grant, himself have already received
the larger share, and the rest has been frit-
tered away aop, useless camp-followers, who
stand ready to join either the Conservative or
Radical wing Of the party, whichever taay for
the time be uppermost This is the condition
Of the ruling organization to-day: Without
head, without statesman, without brains, and
without decsncy; Nothing TO hold it together
save the R.read1are boast Of "loyalty," and
the stale cry OF "copperbead" and "Rebbta.'
Arrayed against this factlous aud peace-dis-
tnrbing element is the Democratic, or, il you
please, the Conservative masses Of the coun-
try. They are led by men Of intellect efpower,
and, above all. Of principle, and wherever they
have planted themselves firmly on o great
right, or in opposition TO 0 great wrong. they
have sooner or later brought the maj ,risy to
them. ,n ~
The election of Grant last fall, and HE SUBJ
seouent installation in the Executive chair. re-
moved the scales from the eyes Of the people,
and the wonder now Isl how they came to elect
such an individual to such high Office. There
is no longer any power in his name. nor charm
in his brass buttons, and the demand is
for statesman. This demand the Democracy
are determined to meet, and even in the Gu
berna.orial contests now going on in the States
OF Pennsylvania and Ohio, they have present
cd two citizens who are qualified to meet
every emergency, and to answer the, present
exigencies Of the country. The campaign IN
each of these Stares is conducted on PRINc1-
PIE. The power of Congress to regulate the
question OF sufraee in the States, and the
right of the bondholders to be paid 10 gold,
while everybody else is paid in, deprecated
paper-these are great questions, and i am
fully persuaded that. theywh DO answered
this very year In the negative. -
Where, then, will be the strength Of an ad-
Er1inistratiou committed to the support of both
the above mentioned measures Can IL longer
claim to represent the people? Or will the
President, following the Eugllsh example, take
the hint, and change the ministry? The latter
is too much to hope for; the former is equally
out Of the question. All that remains is, for
the successful contestants to follow up their
now almost certain victory. To strike, as soon
as they can, the present oppressive tax levy
from the industry of the country; to stop put
| ting the duties on imports into the pockets oil
bondholders; to pay interest on debt which
can. be "wiped out" as rapidly as Treasury
printing presses can turn off greenbacks, and
that too according to and in pursuance Of the
very law under which this bond debt was in
CURED.
There are greet measures Of reform demand
ed BY the people, and to be made for the peo-
ple. Prosperity and contentment throughout
the whole country will follow their enactment
as sure as night follows: day. The turmoil,
strife and misgovernment that now prevail
/ will vanish, and none know the TACT better than