The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-03-19
General Grant and the Fifteenth Amend.
nrent.

From the N. 7. World.
The unequivocal Endorsement by General
Grant of the proposed fifteenth amendment,
in his inaugural address, removed all doubts
(if any body was simple enough to entertain
doubts) OF his purpose to identity himself
fully with the Republican party, and to give
no offense to the radicals, the most extreme
portion of il. Just before the Inauguration
we took occasion to state that we we're under
no illusion on this subject. We showed that
the force OF circumstances would make the
administration decidedly Republican. 1t was
our wish to tOrestall and discourage any at
tempts, by hopeful and over-civil Democrats
in Congress-, to curry favor with the new
President, in the hope of exerting back
stairs influence on his administration, or of
| moderating his policy. Such efforts can have
! no other effect than to demoralzs the Demo-
cratic party, and abate the spirit and vigor of
that opposition with which it will be the duty
| of Democrats to confront the new administra-
ton from its first hour to its last. Demo-
cratic hopes of General Grant and the Repub-
lican distrust of him are equally shallow aud
ridiculous; and this was as clear to us before
he had broken his sphinx. like silence as it was
after he had openly endorsed universal negro
suffrage and had selected such radicals as
Washburne, Boutwell,, and Hoar for places in
his Cabinet. The recent chickering's aud grum-
blipgs, to which both parties attach undue
importance, merely ruf1e the surface of poll
tics, as the wind does the sea; but when the
| tide is coming in, we estimate the future level
of the water by the laws which heave up its
food rather than by the ftful sgitations of its
surface. Our knowledge of General Grants
further aspirations and of the only means by
which he can hope to realize them, enables us
to tell, without any gift of prophecy or much
penetration, what relation he will hold to the
two great political parties. 1t is the'sheerest
folly for either Democrats or Republicans to
imagine that he will tread in the footsteps OF
President Johnson.
General Grant wishes to be reelected /; and,
like all Presidents who have cherished this
wish, he will make his first term subservient
to his hopes of second. To be elected again
he must be nominated; and the time is past
when he can expect Democratic nomination
His first nomination was, no doubt, forced on
the Republicans by their fears that If they did
not run him the Democrats would but that
is fear which they can never entertain a
second time. political party may run an
uncommitted man; but no opposition party
was ever known to take up President ir
Office elected by its opponents, and make
| him its candidate for reelection. The chic
aim of General Grant, for the ensuing thre,
years, will be to secure the Republican
nomination in 1872 and it is necessary Il
his success that he should act, in the main
with the Republican party. President John
tage to Democrats, and we have no desire Il
see the experiment repeated. 1t so stirred NJ
the spirit OF rancor that the Republicans were
able to preserve the unity and vigor of thei
party, and to carry extreme measures which
they could not have oonsumm ated, and woulC
not have even dared to propose, il that stub
born quarrel had not been to them sourc
Of animation and energy. We have no wisl
3 to see new life again infused into the decayin
D Republican party by such means.
Il The most far-sighted of the Republica
: leaders understand General Grant perfectly
) and they do not yet incline to favor his aspirs
!, lions Tor reflection. They nominated hir
:, once out of fear that he would be run by tn
l democrats but they know we'll enough tina
3 he cannot be again forced upon them in tho
" way, and they are not willing to give him tn
D. advantage OF another method. This explain
o why they are willing to suspend the Tenure
- oi'Omce act for little while at the beginnin
70 Oi MS administration to enable him TO tur
out Mr.. Johnson's appointees; but mean /
3 keep his hands tied during all the residna
6 his term, to prevent his using the power
l. removal as q means of eompellino all an
Of office holders OF the country to work zealousI
r for his denomination. II the Office -holders a,
OF made independent Of him for the last year 4
u two of his term, they will have no stropos
OF motives to promote his nomination than th,
j. of any other member of the party. The si,
g. gular way in which the Republicans are pla,
ID ing fast and loose with the Tenure-of- Off,
IN act, is part of the political game for nom
ar mating General Grants successor. Havir
is nominated him once because they could n
n help II, they do not wish to have the san
s- necessity forced upon them again by his a
Id limited control over the Federal patronage.
of General Grants Endorsement of the
teenth amendment is card well plays
It, towards securing q denomination. 1t plac
Fe him on the most advanced ground which Il