The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-02-04
General Grant-The Politicians.

" have not called upon you since your cleo
"tion." whereupon he was delicately as
sured by the General that a great many
others had-showing plainly that he had
not been neglected. This adroit style Of
shutting off the approaches to the more
confidential style of intercourse has been
of great service to the General. He has
we'll shielded himself from the tide con-
stantly setting in towards him.
He has kept his counsel with more per-
severing reticence and calmness than sny
Of the Presidents elect that have preceded
him for 8 long time. Free from all preten-
sion, he is approached easily by all kinds
of men; yet he confines the conversation to
the weather, horses, and such common
places as anybody, as well as President
elect, may talk about. The moment poll
tics are mentioned, however, he ceases to
respond, and promptly diverts the CONVEX
sation to some other theme.
This perplexes fstterers, office-hunterS,
and politicians. His uncommunicativeness
is taken Extensively by some of the more
arrogant of the leaders. They are inqui-
ring whether it is respectful to the party
that elected him thus to keep his plans and
purposes to himself? Who are to compose
his Cabinet What his foreign, what his
southern policy? Who are to get the prin-
cipal foreign missions 4? etc., etc. Never
theless, General GRANT pursues his course
after his own way, and if he is aware of
complaints he does not let the world know
the fact.
But the leaders in the Senate who take
afront at the Generals reticence yet have
the tenure of office law under their control.
The bill to repeal that law now pauses In
the Senate, and no doubt will be held there
for awhile to see what the President elect
is going to do. Should the General not
please them altogether-and should they, IN
spite, continue the tenure-of- office act IN
force-what them Will General GRANT
submit to be tied hand and foot, like AN
DREW JOHNSON ? Time must tell. But
military chieftains have seized far less en-
barrassing interference from the legislative
department of country to expel the legls-
lators from their seats, and calling for new
elections grasped the reins of government.
But we do not apprehend that the leading
congressman will be guilty of any such
provocation. General GRANT is too strong
he is too we'll backed by the military force
of the country. He will not be dared in
such manner by men who know his power
we'll. He will be President, and they know
it. They will keep the tenure-of-ofiice act
for awhile in terrorem over him; but ne will
care nothing about demonstrating it, to use
his own words on memorable occasion,
80 mere fasco."
Congress will repeal the obnoxious act,
and the President will 60 on quietly and
steadily rs though nothing had happened.
Still there will be dissatisfaction amongst
some of the more selfimportant of the
Republicans, who have in the bitter and
furious days of war ridden on the whirl-
wind. There may be an anti-GRANT party
organized out of these. The forty odd who
voted against the repeal of the tenure-of-
Office bill are probably Matching the eggs of
the new brood of anti Administrative par
tisans who will undertake the task of an
noying General GRANT--than which no
labor could be more Improbable.
The idea of such party is further sug-
gested by the fact that there is much
Jealousy now felt towards military men by
the class of politicians to which we allude.
In the military government of the South
there have arisen many questions of vera
city between the "truly loil" and the
officers, from the commanding Generals
down to oorporals. 1t is well known that
in Congress the statements of the military
men have not met with the respect due
them when presented in competition with
the declarations of the "truly loil." And
we remember the serious attempt to exclude
military men from civil office, which, IN
deed, is not yet disposed of by Congress.
We said that General GRANT repealed
the volume of flatterers and office-hunters
with more success than any President o.
modern times. 1t is moro necessary nov
than ever that the President of the United
States should protect himself from them
for 30 vast is the increase of our population
that no man could survive the unbroker
force CT the multitudinous wave. His sue
cess in turning it aside has been complete
The result is that there is an unprece-
dented quiet at Washington upon the eve Of
q Presidential installation. One would
almost think that martial law was pro-
claimed, and that the heights about the
city were occupied by an army. The
scenes there are significant; and while we
do not believe the politicians will presume
to adopt measures to restrain the President
elect by withholding any material part of
the authority accorded to the Presidential
Office from the foundation of the Govern
ment, we believe that if they do General
GRANT will meet the emergency with a
decision Of character that will, in possibly
way net altogether constitutional, vindi-
cate the theory of the Government and
establish the integrity of the Executive
Department.