Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1869-02-26
Special Correspondence of the Baltimore Gazette.
FROM WASHINGTON.


FROM WASHINGTON.
Radical Twaddfe-The Struggle for the
Treasury and Internal Revenue Depart
Observation-Disclosures as to the Secretary of
| State-The Tenure-ef-Ofsice Act to be Re-
| tanned as a menace-The Next Cabinet
President misunderstanding Seward De-
ceivea Him-The New Tax Bill-ProbabIe
Passage of the Fifteenth Constitutional
Amendment-The Forty-first Congress.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 10, 1869.
1t is to be feared that all the twaddle
about prospective 'h0neSty" in the col
lection of the revenue, like that of " ccono-
my" in it's expenditure, will end in smoke.
Signs are abundant enough, and of daily
exhibition, showing that the great struggle
among all the ciques of the dominant par
ty is for the Treasury Department and its
important appendage, the Internal Revenue
Bureau. Although our foreign relations
are by no means in a safe position, there is
little or no controversy here as to who shall
| fill the State Department. In the face of
serious and imminent misunderstanding
with Great Britain, leading Radicals ap-
pear to be utterly Indifferent whether our
Foreign Secretary shall be Sumner or Geo.
Francis Train, or whether the new Envoy
to that Government be Mr.. Motley or Mr..
Cornell Jewett. With regard to manager
| OF our finances, however, the magnets are
still fighting with will, And wherefore
(if the rings" are all to be demolished
if the collectors, assessors and supervisors
are ali to be honest men), this eXtraordi-
nary sensitiveness on the part Of wire-pull-
ers possessing, or at least profes ing to pes
sess the ear of the now President? The
marines may swallow the stuff in vogue
about honesty. but the sailors will not
| The Tenure-of-Ofice act is yet unrcpeaIed,
and will not be touched until the looming
man . has entered into bond with approved
security upon these vitality important points.
| In this connection [ may say that public
| rumOrs are rapidly assuming an authentic
shape in reference to the more important
| Cabinet positions. Undoubtedly leading
Radicals have become decidedly more cheer
| full within a day or two past. l stated the
other day that the estate" had been di-
vulged to some Of them. 1t is now conf
| IDENTIFY stated that the makeup receives the
| appreciation Of such differently classified
| men as Sumner and Stanton on the one
hand, and Bingham aud Trumbull on the
other. Indeed, it is predicted, with more
| than usual audacity, that at least two of
| these worthless will themselves occupy con-
| spicuous positions, although heretofore
classification of g Wings Speaking of the
names g now freely bruited about by Radi-
cal partisans of persons who are to compose
| the Cabinet the IteAiaencer of this NOR
ming significantly remarks
"There are 6lOOd-St0inS Of cruelty upon
| the skirts of one named for q most GRATED
place. and of another little can be said other
| than that he is nothing outside Of u naa1TOao
and malignant Er0scriptireneSs.
1t is understood that President johnson
will take no part in the ceremonies of the
inauguration, and will vacate the White
House at once, and leave town as soon as
possible for his home in Tennessee. He
will doubtless be the Conservative candi-
date for Governor of that State. In the
meantime he will probably visit Europe.
''Let others hail the rising Sun
The other leg Of the couplet is not APP
plicable for Mr.. Johnson will yet give his
present tormentors trouble enough. Take
it all in ALL the retiring President has, Gin
his high Office" done ''as well as could be
expected" With the counselIors who sur
rounded and deceived him, he did won
ders ; and will yet do more ! Seward lied
to him TO the last. 1t will seem scarcely
credible to some, but it is nevertheless q
fact, thatnOt a week before the latter went
over, body and soul, to the Radical candi-
date, Mr.. Johnson assured the writer of
this, that not member of his Cabinet, to
his knowledge, entertained the remotest
idea Of supporting General Grants preten-
sions.
The new Tax bill cannot possibly become
law this session. Probably the bill pro-
viding, in effect, for additional currency
for the South and West may get through, |
Us it is understood it will receive the sig
nature OF the present Executive.
The constitutional amendment, known as
the fifteenth, it is thought, will also be
adopted, in some form-probably in that
recommended by the Judiciary Committee
of the Senate and already passed by that
body. IG seems to be conceded, at least in
Radical quarters, that it will not be neces-
sary to submit this joint resolution to the
Executive for approval. The only differ
ence between the views of the House and
Senate is upon the point of negro eligibili-
ty 10 office. as we'll as the right to vote.
1t Is a mistake to suppose that it will be
necessary for General Grant to call Con-
gress together in order to insure legislation
after the 4th of March. According to law
the Forty-first Congress will assemble in
regular session at II o'clock on that day,
and it will require vote of both Houses to
adjourn. The session will probably be
somewhat prOtracted one, and all the mat
tiers left over will, it is thought, be revived.
Much fun ahead. X.
Cotton In 1859.