The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-02-12

a wish to have the Tenure OF. Office act re- |
pealed. This is disingenuous dodge to cover
the TACT that, in advocating the continuance of
the law, the Tribune is Sopposing the known
wishes of General Grant. The openness of a
manly opposition would be more creditable
than this snakein-the- grass kind of skul<tng.
General Butler was frequent visitor to Gen.
Grants headquarters and had consultations
with confidential members of his staff, before
introducing his bill for the repeal of the law.
MIR. .Wsshburne, General Grants long tried and
most intimate friend, has denounced the law
in the House, as putting fetters on the limbs
of General Grant, which would make IL i'm
possible for him to be an eff )ient President.
The fair presumption is that General Butler
acted with the sanction, and Mr.. Washburne
by the inspiration, of, General Grant. 1t would
Ill become the Tribune, which accuses Grant
OF tamperipg with judges in a criminal pro-
ceediDg, to pretend that he would have auy
scruples about trying to procure the repeal of
law which is q legislative expression of
want of confidence in the President. The law
was passed because Congress did not trust
Mr.. johnson, and if it is not repealed il will
be because Congress does not trust General
Grant.
The Tribune ia over-confdent in it's opinion
that there can be no ill-feeling between the
Republican party and General Grant. If the
Republicans trust the new President, why are
they unwilling that he should exercise powers
they never would have taken those powers
away from Lincoln, why are they unwilling to
restore them to Grant No other reason can
be given than this:-That they dare not trust
Grant as they trusted Lincoln that they re-
gard him as man to be treated as they have
treated Johnson, rather than as they treated
Lincoln. The Tenure Of Office act is like the
safeguard called a "poke"-a sort of yoke
with pole protruding in front-put by
farmers on the necks of unruly cattle to pre-
vent their leaping over fences. A well-dis-
posed animal that keeps within the limits of
| his own pasture is never disabled by poke.
| When the poke which President Johnson has
been forced to wear is put upon the neck of
| President Grant, it advertises him as vicious
| and unruly officer who cannot be trusted.
The Tenure of Office act is mark of ignominy,
! which was intended partly to restrain, and
| partly to insult, a President who was de-
nOunoed as traitor and renegade. Con-
| sidering the motives in which it originated,
and the humiliation meant to be put upon
! Mr.. johnson by its passage, General Grant
| has right to resent, and he must
be either more or less than a man
| il he does not resent, such an insulting
restraint upon his official freedom. 1t is like
requiring a man to give heavy bail before he
| is accused of any crime, from mere suspicion
| of his character. If there is no ground to
fear that General Grant will abuse the power
| ef removal, then there is no reason why he
should not be trusted with it. The Tribune
itself said, on the 1st OF May last, speaking OF
| Johnson, "the sooner the President is re-
I moved, the sooner the law can be dispensed
with"-a clear admission that the only neces-
sity for its continuance was to restrain q
| President who would abuse his power. There
| is no resisting the conclusion that the non.
repeal OF the law is an affront and an indignity
to General Grant, putting him on a level with
| President Johnson. And the Tribune thinks
him such a model of meekness that he will
| patiently bear the INSULT