The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-08-13

| tuio uan ucen eo nero stuco party pohticS uaS
proved superior to principle or anything else.
General Jackson was admired by the democrats
for sticking to his friends, and his example has
been strongly commended ever since he was
President. It must be admitted, too, that
there is virtue in the grateful remembrance Of
services rendered, particularly in individual
cases. But in the case of the President OF the
United States there is higher principle to be
| recognized and followed, and that is the good
of the country. When he takes the oath OF
Office parties and men and everything else
should be made subordinate to the interests OF
the republic and welfare of the people. All
| Presidents, we believe, in their inaugural
addresses admit this, though some may not
have followed 1t. General Grant, If we re-
member right, emphatloally enunciated this
sound doctrine Every one Acknowledges IL
in theory, for 1t Is founded in common sense
and patriotism. Though political parties may
be necessary or useful, and though 1t may be
| Of importance to the success Of an admins
tration for a President to use one or the other
of them to carry out his measures, there is a
far to party considerations or olamor may
prove more disastrous than absolutely ignoring
party ties.
| We have been led to make these remarks
| from the views expressed by General Grant
to General Tarbell, Secretary Of the Repub-
lican Executive Committee Of Mississippi, as
published in the HERALD yesterday, on the
subject of parties in the South. This General
| Tarbell was the accredited agent of the radi-
Gals Of Mississippi to ascertain the views Of the
President on the political affairs of the South
ern States, and particularly on those of Missis-
sppi The object is apparent. The radicals
wanted the endorsement of the President to help
them to defeat the conservatives in the ap-
| preaching election In Mississippi General Grant
understood this, and without reserve and in the
most marked manner declared that he favored
the radicals and wished them success. To give
pressed views beyond all question the CONVEX
sation was written down, carefully read to
him and is now published by his authority.
So far, then, there can be no mistake as to his
expressions or the motive for making them.
We cannot help expressing regret that the
President should have stepped beyond the
strict line of duty to interfere in the local cleo
| tions of State. 1t makes no difference in his
| conduct because this is Southern State. Mis-
sissippi Is in the Union, and official interior
| ence of the administration in her case is just
as reprehensible as interference would be in
| tf,ir NJ ofh
State. Besides that it ia a biunder. 1t will
have the effect, probably, of disgusting the
conservative people of Mississippi and swelling
their majority at the election. There is no
doubt that the unwise interference of members
of the Cabinet in the Tennessee election had
such an effect, and this ought to have been a
lesson to the President and his advisers
General Grant probably means well, and
thought he was doing right but he is mis-
taken. There can be no question Of his patri-
otism. Nor is there any reason to believe
that in his emphatic endorsement of the South
ern radicals, in opposition to the sentiment of
the people Of the South, he was influenced by
| personal ambition. He is simply the tool of
the radical politicians in his Cabinet and
| around him. He Is inexperienced in the cum
| ming and tortuous schemes of such politicians,
| and takes their selfish and party representa-
tons for honest convictions. The people of
this country, North as we'll as South, are not
radical. They are tired Of radical rule, and
| the elections show that wherever there Is q
| chance for the conservative elements to COM
bine without going back to the old dogmas of
defunct democracy the radicals are defeated.
| The true course for the government is to recog-
| nize this conservative public sentiment and to
act in accordance with it. If General Grant
I would make his administration successful and
| popular and if be would give that peace to the
country which he desires and talks of so much,
! he must think for himself, and not be led by
scheming politicians in and out of his Cabinet.
In BRIEF his policy must be in accord
ance with public opinion. To do that
he may have to change his Cabinet.
1t never has been unit 1t is a patchwork
sort of body, comprising men Of different views
and party affiliations, from the ultra radical to
the rigid conservative, and is only held
together by the love of Office and personal am
btion. Nor does IL fairly represent the different
sections and interests Of the republic. From the
beginning it was makeshift arrangement die
tated by the politicians, and does not reflect
the sentiments and policy upon which the
President first commenced his administration.
Looking at these facts and at the current Of
popular sentiment setting in against the unwise
and improper interference of the government
with the local affairs Of the States, has not
the time come for General Grant TO reorganize
his Cabinet and make II unit, in accordance
with the conservative tendency Of the country 2
That is the question, and upon that, probably,
will depend the success or failure OF bis ad-