New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-02-10

GEN. GRANTS POLITICS and POLICY.
If the world were not full of fools, very many
Journalists would have to choose some other
vocation; and yet the daily maunderings over
an imaginary rupture, or alienation, or mutual
distrust or something of the sort, between the
President elect and his prominent supporters in
the late canvass, are absurd beyond precedent.
They have absolutely no shadow of founda-
ton, and their authors do not hesitate to defy
the most notorious facts Thus Tile World
says of Gen. Grant that
He in fact already even before he is in office.
vOted from Of the chief tenets OF the Chicago plat
form-that declaring that President Johnson Justly
ipeached and ought TO have been coDYicted IL Is no
secret that Gen. Grant thinks the conviction OF the Pres
dent would been blunder that he disapproves Of
the law which Mr. johnson was accused OF violating;
ton to the usefulness and efficiency the executive
head OF the Government. The Endorsement or the I'M
law and Gen. Grants demand for its immediate repeal
evnces the contempt in which he holds that part OF the
Chicago platform"
Now, it is perfectly well known among well
informed persons that Gen. Grant gave zeal
Gus and effective support to the impeachment
of Andrew Johnson, urged Senators to vote for
his conviction, and profoundly regretted his es-
cape from that measure of justice. If there be
an intelligent human being who does not know
this, it is because he has chosen to remain ig-
norant of it, AS to the Tenure Office act,
we challenge any one to name the person to
whom the General has expressed preference
for its absolute repeal over its modification as
is proposed in the Senate. We are unaware Of
his choice in the premises, if he has any; and
we are confident that others are equally so. If
he has a choice, he has been very chary of i'm
parting it to others.
As to the selection of his Cabinet, we think
his persistent reticence has been wise and for
tunate, and we know no Republican who
disagrees with us on this point. He may, even
yet, see fit to make a different cast from that
which he would have made month ago; and
it would be unfortunate if his freedom of ac-
ton in the premises were at all embarrassed
Yet all must realize that if Mr.. A. or Mr.. b.
had been indicated by him in January as his
probable choice for the State or the Treasury
Department, he would have been reluctant to
humiliate and mOrtify that person by sending
to the Senate the name of another instead of
his on the 4th of next month. Nor ought the
Cabinet officers in prospect to be subjected to
boring by office-seeker a day sooner than they
must be. The inquiry of the demons of old
" Art thou come to torment us before the
=" time Y'-was reasonable and pertinent pro-
vided only that its premise were sound. When
the Secretaries in embryo come into possession
of their snug official quarters and their $4,000
a year, let them take up their cross and bear
it. Till then, spare them.
If, then, it shall seem advisable to Gen. Grant
to indicate no choice for Cabinet officers till the
morning of March 4th. or if he shall choose IN
name part of them sooner and leave the resi-
due in allegiance we trust that he will do ex-
acty as he shall see fit. Curiosity as to his
choice is lively and legitimate; but no friend
of the incoming Administration would have it
gratifed at the cost of embarrassing the Pres
ident elect Numerous as the office-seekers may
be, they arc but small fraction even of the
Republicans; and the residue are in no hurry
whatever.
we note that few Of our greenest Repub-
lican Journalists allow themselves to be dragged
into controversy with those who are intent on
diffusng false impression that Gen. Grant is
at variance with majority of the Republicans
in Congress, and intent on "settlng I'D for
himself" as the phrase is. The fact is well
known that he set up for himself many years
ago, and has ever since maintained the position
then taken. He was nominated by the Repub-
licans because his views accorded in the main
with theirs just as he would have been eager
ly and unanimously taken up by the Democrats
had he leaned to their side. Their prospects
of success, from Oct, 1867, to the date of his
nomination at Chicago, were quite as good as
ours, not merely in their own view. but in