The Portland daily press., 1869-01-08

A reliable newspaper correspondent not
one of those pcrnicious scamps, who like the
New York World man, manufacture CONVEX
Stations out of whole cloth-says that General
Grant in recent talk spoke as follows of one
OF our public men: "His speech was false
hood; there was nothing on which you could
put your finger and say this is lie,' but the
whole thing was falsehoed, for all that; I've
despised him ever since heard him make that
speech" That sentence is worth thousand
dollars sin gold" to an expectant people, All
OF the great crop of conversations which the
last two weeks have given us that have any
claim to authenticity have been characterized
by the same spirit
There is a remarkable concurrence of cir
cumstances showing that Gen. Grant means,
first of all, to make honesty of purpose and
action the distinguishing characteristic of his
administration. Among all the fabulous
conversations" supposed to have been held
with him, there are evidently two or three
genuine ones besides the one referred to above
There is no room to doubt that he has ex-
pressed himself on the subject OF railroad SUBJ
sides substantially as reported. Neither is
there any reason to question the story of his
interview with the gentlemen who wanted
money out of the Treasury to repair the Mis-
sissippi levees. 1t will take not only the moral
strength of saint, but almost the physical
power of Hercules to adhere through the four
years of his administration to these heroic pur-
poses. The pressure" that came near emitting
off Lincoln years before Booth shot him. will
be brought to bear with increased power upon
Grant. Hundreds of men in each of the thir
ty'seven States and eight Territories will
make it their business to invent cunningly
devised tortures for the purpose of compelling
him to abandon his relentless economy. But
what may we not hope of the man who was
not dismayed at the disasters of the first day
in the Wilderness?
The politicians are beginning to understand
the tendencies of Grants mind and are evil
IDENTIFY endeavoring to reconcile themselves to
the inevitable, if it shall prove that they can
do nothing to change his "policy" for the
worse. The conviction that none but honest
men can come, unless by accident, into Grants
cou ncils, is seen in the character of the cabi-
net states of the latest pattern The rogues
who at enc time figured largely in thu Sc curl
Gus works of art are all weeded out. Little
reliance can be placed on any of this guess
work, but it is a healthiul indication when
men imagine that men like David A. Wells
will be at the head of the Treasury DEPART
ment, and that Gen. Schofield will be Secreta-
~ Of War, E. B. Washburne Secretary of the
Interior, Horace Greeley Postmaster. General.
General Hawley Secretary of the Navy, and
Wilson, OF Iowa, Attorney General. 1t is
possible that not one of these gentlemen NAV
even have an invitation to take seat in the
cabinet but it is now certain that if men of
their stamp can be found they will be selected
for heads of departments. They are all men
against whom no such charges as veualty. cor
rupton, extravaganza or a weakness of char
acter that can be played upon by thieves have
ever been made.
In connection with this subject, the speech
OF Washburne, of Illinois, in the House of
Representatives, on Wednesday, has great sg-
nihcance. Whether or not we are warranted
In concluding, as did the versatile Mr.. Wood
OF New York, that the speech is an authorized
foreshadowing of the policy of the administra-
ton of Gen. Grant, it is extremely gratifying
as coming from his most trusted and confiden-
tial friend. We have no doubt that Wash
burne is brusQue in his manners and sometimes
incorporate in his language, but much may
be forgiven man who has stood at the door of
the Treasury so long as he has with stripes
and blows for all who came with the purpose
of stealing or wasting. We give herewith some
extracts from Mr.. Washburne's speech which
is attracting more attention than any deliver
ed SO far during the present session of Con-
gress.