The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-05-22
PRESIDENT GRANTS POLITICAL IGNO
RANCE.

lL-N-.-.
From Hc w. J. World
The President, having sent Mr. Motlcy to
England without any instructions on the only
subject which renders "a mission 10 England Of
any present Importance, has an uneasy sense of
his shortcomings and is attempting to explain
and apologize tor it. We suppose the real reason
why Mr. Motley has departed without instruc-
tons to be, that the administration is all at sea
as to the proper basis OF settlement, being in
competent to form a clear and definite opinion
of what our just claims really are. But frank
confession of incompetence would be little too
humiliatng to be made by President who took
upon himself such airs Of sclf-suilicicncy in his
Inaugural, and promised in that address that he
would have q decided policy on every public
question as il emerged. So he is attempting to
convey the impression that the failure to instruct
Mr.. Motley is owing to quite different cause
from his impotence and indccision. We make
the following extract from n Washington des-
patch in yesterdays ECeHiHg POST
''It is SAID by some OF the best informed men who
are in position TO know whereof they speak, that
the reuconce Of President Grant n regard to foreign
affairs and his extreme reserve IN dealing with those
foreign questions which occupy the public mind, 40
not come from weakness or hesItancy on his part
nut ta he feels that ustSO long as executive action
Is entirely subordinate TO the VII! Of tile Senate, he
can do nothing
Senate controlling our foreign relations similar to
that assumed by him when the question of the rcneal
of the Tenure. ONCE bill up In Congress- so
long, therefore, as the British Government can ASK
him what reason there is TO suppose THAT in he
should prepare treaty IL would receive the
entIon Of the Senate, he thinks it would be useless
10 attempt 10 negotiate one.
'Ie feels hat he IS cttercd not necause the Senate
has the right to discuss, reject. or ratify a treaty
made by the Executive, bat from the fact that they
virtually have the entire control Of foreign affairs,
which was assumed under the last administration.
and OF which they have il many cases made the most
"Jnder these circumstances he has resolved to
wait the Judgment which the people Will most
suredly pass upon the question OF Senatorial assump
ton when tney come TO iully understand it. When
this matter has been decided 10y them, and when
things brought back to their former condition, it
viii be time for him 10 take more decided steps"
Every citizen of tolerable intelligence must
blush Tor President who is capable of such
crudcness OF conception and disgraceful igno-
rance as are here exhibited to public scOrn.
General Grant disputes the right of the Senate
to pass upon treaties negotiated by the EXccu-
tive lie regards the rejection OF treaties by
The Senate as a new assumption OF power! lie
refuses to have anything TO DO with the iOrma-
tOn OF treaties until the people shall have re-
buked the Senate, and taught that body that it
has no authority to repudlate any arrangement
with foreign governments made by the EXecu-
tive! Did General Grant ever read the COnsti-
tuition of the United States That instrument
requires the concurrence OF tWO-thlrdS of the
Senate in every treaty TO make il binding. The
Senate has Just as clear a right 10 reject any
treaty IL docs not approve, aS IL has TO
reject any of the Presidents nominations
of officers If the President makes Il nOmina-
tiOn Of which the Senate does not approve,
1t is his duty to send in another. And If the Senate
rejects n treaty on a controversy that presses for
settlement and which il concerns the peace of
the country to have settled, il is his duty 20
attempt an ad lustmCnJ on a. more satisfactory
basis. Against the treaty for the settlement of
the Alabama claims negotiated by Mr.. Reverdy
johnson there were some strong and valid ObjeC-
tOns. especially against that part of it which
proposed to decide the rights of claimants by
lot. The administration ought to be capable of
forming an opinion as to what would be Il fair
settlements
no hesitation in attempting TO negotiate treaty
on such basis The presumption ought always
10 be, that q really Just treaty will not fail of
ratification. General Grants administration has
no definite ideas on the subject; and herein lies
the whole explanation of its failure to instruct
Mr. Motley.
There is another excuse for inaction, not quite
so crude and foolish as this latest one of Gene
raj Grants. IL has been frequently put forth by
the press, and was limited NJ by General Grant
himself in his inaugural address The idea
which underlies il is that we can well afford TO
leave the Alabama question unsettled because
we can at some future time retaliate upon Eng
land the same injury she has inflicted upon u.s.
and pay her off in her own coin. This is not so
utterly absurd General Grants latest excuse
for postpOnement; but il is nevertheless too
himsy to bear examination. This method of
redress valves, or rather renounces the COM
plants founded on the English proclamation OF
neutrality; that is, il treats rs of no account
what Mr.. Sumner regards as the head and front
of the injury inflicted upon US by Great Britain
There is no likelihood that England VIII DC Gu
gagged in a territorial civil war IKE ours
and in a foreign war there will be no oPPoI-
tunity TO retaliate upon her by giving pol'iso
rent status to her antagonist. lorelSn i3, natiol
with whom she is prosecuting active noaIliltlo9 ,
will be beligerent, of coursei ana 1n o"lly Pl0,
camaton of neutrality by our uoYeInilenI WIN
give neither advantage nor encouragement 10
her enemy THIS part Of the injury (supposing