The New York herald., 1869-05-05
General Grant and the Radical Managers
What will He DO with Thems


The republican managers, through their vari-
ous newspaper organs east and west, are dis
cussing the important question, ''What shall we
dowith General Grant? They are already begin
ming to look upon him as their white elephant,
or as sort Of second Andy Johnson more
dangerous than the first. They are hard to
please. What just ground of complaint have
they against General Grant? None in the
world. Has he not faithfully adhered to the
Chicago platform? Has he not actively sup
ported the ratification of the fifteenth amend
ment OF the constitution for the establishment
Of equal suffrage to all male citizens over the
age of twenty-one, whites, negroes, Chinese,
Indians and all? Has he not, in his appoint
ments to Office, established the doctrine OF
equal rights to whites blacks and reds-in
black man, for instance, as minister to Liberia
and another to Hayti, and another as internal
revenue assessor in New Orleans, and another
as postmaster Of Columbia, S. c., and in an
Indian as Commissioner of Indian Affairs
He has done all these things, and with the
consent and applause of the Senate. Nor has
he forgotten women's rights, for, beginning
with Richmond, late the Confederate capital
of JEFF Davis, he has appointed fair proper
tion of women as postmasters
In all these appointments he has certainly
labored in good faith to carry out the extreme
radical dogma of equal rights of men of all
colors to vote, and of equal right to hold Office
by white women, along with white men, red
men and black men. He has, moreover, gene
rously done the best he could in the division of
the spoils to satisfy the republican members
Of both houses of Congress, and especially the
managers of the Senate; and all this for the
sake of peace with the party electing him and
with Congress. At the same time, in behalf of
peace and harmony in the South, he has turned
adrift the men Of Andy johnson and has put
in their places not only white republicans,
known as carpet-baggers and scalawags, but
reconstructed white rebel soldiers and repre-
sentative loyal blacks and, above all, he has
caused it to be understood in every section
and among all parties that, whether he
likes or dislikes this or that law, he will faith
fully execute all the laws of the United States.
And he is faithfully executing them, Tenure of
Office law, all the amendments of the consti-
tuition, and all the reconstruction laws of Con-
gress included
Could mortal man do more in the White
House as the embodiment of the Chicago plat
form and the republican party? No. Did
anybody ever expect General Grant to do so
much? No. Why, then, all these discords in
the camp and all this clamor against General
Grant from the party organs and managers?
1t is simply because in giving out some three
thousand Offices General Grant has failed to
satisfy the thirty thousand men who had ex-
pected these offices. To the twenty seven
thousand who are disappointed and their
hackers we are indebted for all this hue and
cry against General Grant. Spoils, spols-
1t is all about the spoils. But the seed is
sown, and good crop of weeds is already
beginning to sprout among the spring wheat.
| The truth is that, as the republican party has
| gained its extreme demands, and has no longer
any great principles to fight for, it has nothing
| to do but to wrangle and squabble over the
| spoils, which is the beginning of general dis
integration and break up.
What, then, will General Grant do with the
republican managers? 1t is evident that
whatever he may do now to harmonize them
around his administration he will fail. His
proper course is no longer to attempt to har-
monize their conflicting claims. demands or
suggestions, but to pursue his own policy;
for by this course, whatever may befall the
republican party in the interval, the admins
tration party in 1872 will be master of the field
General Grants services as soldier settled
the election of 1868. His policy as states
man during his present four years term will
settle the election for the succession. Having
fulfilled the republican programme the party is
adrift; and the democratic party, from the
complete defeat of its Tammany platform, is
adrift; SO that the best materials of both
these parties may be fused by General Grant
into the great party Of the future, leaving
the intractable managers, cliques and factions
on both sides to shift for themselves.
China md Modern Progress.