The New York herald., 1869-01-12

The Tenure Of once Lsw--I.portan1
Action in Consress-The Extreme Radi.
oaIs Nowhere.
General Butler, the man rejected by the ex.
treme radicals Of the Fifth Congressional dis
trict Of Massachusetts,, but reelected for all
that by an overwhelming majority, achieved
yesterday, backed by the potential Wash
burne, . very important victory in the House
Of Representatives in behalf Of new de-
parture Of the republican party under General
Grant His bill for the repeal Of the Tenure
Of Office law, under the whip'and spur Of the
previous question, was brought to the de-
cisive vote and passed-yeas 12i, nays A.
The affirmative vote, a. 1t will be seen, in
cluded all the democrats the negative vote is
all republican, and embraces such radical ex-
tremists as Schenck, Shellsbarger and Gar
field, Of Ohio; Jenokes, Of the Civil Service
bill; Maynard and Stokes, Of Tennessee, and
others to the number Of forty-seven. Wash
burne, the right hand man Of General Grant,
Of course took an active hand for the re-
peal and his influence, no doubt, greatly
strengthened Butler, inasmuch as it Is gene
rally understood that in reference to the
President elect Washburne speaks and
acts as ono having authority. The pass
age Of the repeal by the heavy vote
given indicates the beginning Of . de-
cline In the power Of radicalism and the as
cendancy Of more moderate and conciliatory
counsels in Congress than those which have
ruled the two houses in their long and des-
perate conflict with President johnson.
1t is possible that the radicals in the Senate,
whore they have no previous question, win en-
deavor to prevent the passage Of this bill by
parliamentary evasions and delays; but the
friends Of the repeal, we understand, intend to
push it through. The action Of the House, at
all events, marks the commencement Of new
dispensation. It foreshadows not only the re-
peal OF the Tenure of Office law, but the fail
ure Of Mr.. Jenckes' Civil Service bill and of
the little bill Of Mr.. Edmunds in the Senate,
excluding from civil Offices officers Of the army
and navy. This Edmunds bill, it is conjec-
tured, is aimed especially against General
Schofeld and Admiral Porter as prospective
members Of Grants Cabinet, the design being
to head of Grant in reference to these appre-
hended appointments; but from the develop
ments of yesterday we suspect the scheme
will fail
Had the vote Of the House yesterday been
taken without call to the record 1t is probable
that Buffers bill would have failed; but the
record, in bringing the members face to face
with General Grant, cut down the Tenure Of
Office law party to forty-seven. These forty
seven, with their adherents in the Senate,
headed by Sumner, may yet create some
trouble in the party camp before the final VIC
tory Is won; but from the unexpected success
Of the first move Of Butler on his new tack we
may look for removal before the 4th Of
March Of all the shackles which have been put
upon the hands Of the President, 30 that
with the Inauguration of President Grant the
ofice will be restored to its status under
Lincoln.
The House Of Representatives recognizes
the President elect as a living power in the
land, entitled to this degree Of respect and
confidence; the Senate win be constrained to
concur; the new President will be invested
with his constitutional functions, and thus, in
the absence of'a two-thirds radical majority
in the House, he will be in position at once
to proclaim his own policy, foreign and domes-
tic, with the power to cause it to be respected,
whatever may become Of the intractabIe radi-
Gals Of Congress and their followers.