The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-04-08

some Democrats to entertain expectations
which have been speedily falsifed by the
event.
" has now become too evident that General
Grant, instead of being more independent of
party Influences than bis predecessors is to
be more beplessly their puppet aud their
slave. His whole course of proceeding, thus
far, has been founded on a mistaken oaoula-
ton. He did not mean to be party
PRECEDENT, and consequently adopted none OF
the means for exerting the legitimate influence
of party chief. party chief spares no dill
geDoe in counting aud cutivating the leading
men of his party, with a view to gain such an
aeceEdanoy that he may use them as the in
stTuments of his will. A party chief carefully
avoids trying to carry any measure in which
he is not pretty certain to succeed, knowing
that to be publicly pitted against his party
and vanquished lowers him in popular esti-
nation. A President who means to be
party chief selects well-known party men for
his Cabinet. Their influence strengthens his
administration in the opinion of the party;
and when, as must sometimes happen, his
public duty renders it necessary for him to
20 counter to party prejudices, the sano tion of
so many eminent men who enjoy the full con-
idence of the party shelters him against mis-
apprehension and distrust. General Grant has
disregarded every one of these ordinary rules.
He has neither cultivated party leaders, nor
avoided damaging collisions with Congress,
nor composed his Cabinet of strong party
men who would serve as breakwater against
distrust on those occasions when it may be
necessary for him to deviate from the general
sense of the party and educate it to better
views. He has tried vain experiment OF
independence; and having been toiled and
humiated, he is reduced to the de-
grading position of party President
stripped of all the usual means of exerting
party influence. A President who controls
his party, and rules by means of it, always
makes a respectable figure. Jefferson and
Jackson, our two strongest Presidents, were
vigorous party chiefs. Bat a President who,
instead of being the chief of his party, is its
tool, cannot have the public respect; and this
! is the part destined to be played by General
Grant. If he had had the sagacity and self
knowledge to foresee that he would have to
be a party President, his whole course from
the time of his election forward would have
been different. As he has actually managed,
he forfeited the advantages both of the posi-
ton which he sought and of the position
| which he was not strong enough to shun. He
has neither the strength of party President
nor of an independent President.
The necessity which constrained him to
accept his defeat and sign the new Tenure-of
Office act, will domineer over him throughout
his term. At the outset he had the House on
his side, but not the Senate; at last both were
against him. 1t is quite impossible that he
should recover the lost ground, and he will
never again think of asserting his indepeDd-
epce. He will not despair-no President so
early in his term ever did despair-of a re-
election; but he will make an entire change of
tactics for securing another nomination.
What he cannot hope to accomplish by free
use of the Federal patronage he will attempt
by the more servile method of obsequious
compliance with party prejudices. No other
resource is now left him. The influen,e ,e
of his military prestige was spent in
his first elections; political talents he
has none his Cabinet is composed of men
who cannot help him; and he can make no
removal from Office without the consent OF
the Senate. It would have been sheer folly
for him to have vetoed the new Tenure-of-
Office act, as a veto would have kept the
old Tenure of. Office act in force, aud have
placed him in position of open antagonism
with the Republican party. With his objects
in view, he could not afford position OF de-
clared antagonism, even if he could thereby
have secured the repeal of all restrictive
laws. For it is certain that if he is renomi-
mated, it must be by the Republican Con-
vention, and the patronage would be of no
avail for packing it after an open breach
between him and the party. His original
plan was to keep on terms with the
Republican organization, and use the patron
age as a make-weight against Republican
rivals. This expected make-weight being lost,
he has nothing to rely on but his favor and
popularity with q party which he cannot
mould, and must therefore be moulded by, as
clay is by the potter. His only chance of
another nomination lies in unresisting sub
serviency to the humors, whims, and preju-
dices Of political party with which he has
never sympathized. He will be more servile
than ordinary party Presidents, because he
starts without any capital, and has his whole
character for party staunchness and fidelity
yet to establish
On public grounds, the weakness which
General Grant has disclosed is very much to
} be regretted. A strong Republican President,
exerting a commanding influence over his
party, would have aided in restoring to the
Executive branch of the Government its just
authority, which has been 30 greatly cur
; Gus and sagacous party chief in General
Grants place would probably have made no
, immediate attempt to secure the repeal of the
Tenure of Office law, preferring to establish
his personal ascendancy as a fulcrum for
future operations. He would have had no
/ difficulty in getting all his party nominations
confirmed, and his suspensions during the
recess would doubtless have been sane
toned without any strict scrutiny into
his reasons. After the lapse of year or two,
under strong and popular President, the
Tenure Of Office act would have dwindled into
insignifcsnce in the estimation of the Republi-
can party, and when it had fallen into practical
eesuetude it might have been quietly repealed
without exciting any debate or much attention
: General Grant tOolishly insisted on its repeal
at a time when the impeachment of President
: Johnson was fresh in the minds of the
! Senators, and repeal had to encounter the
strong tide OF party passions aroused by thai