The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-03-06
The Cabinet


no doubt took people and politicians aiike
BY surprise. The prophets and knowing
ones generally have been compulsory
bamboo1led. On no former occasion havs
they been more thoroughly ION inc
E. B.FwAsusunNE, Of illinois, who IS
mined as Premier, is General GRANTS
especial friend the earliest TO press ms
claims for President, and unfagging in his
sunnort Of them. Even he was not con-
sidered as probable in any of the Cabinet
states prepared by the knowing ones"
His health has been very bad, and foreign
travel being supposed to be much desired
by him, the speculators awarded MIN
fore;on mission. Mr.. WAsHBcRNE ID de-
cided Republican, but, through force of cir
oumstances, since he became the prominent
supporter of General GRANT he has been
smartly toned down and practicalized. The
nomination Of GRANT, interfering very much
with the aspirations and schemes of the
more ultra Of the Republican politicians, was
sufhcienttobringu upon his peculiarfriend, in
some degree, the disfavor Of those men. Mr..
WAsHBuRNE is not man of such exalted
abilities as have usually adorned the office
for which he is named. But We take it that
General GRANT is going to direct the policy
of his administration in his own style with
an unusual degree of independence.
ADoLPHE BoRIE, the proposed Secretary
of the Navy, is wealthy and retired
ship merchant of Philadelphia, and no
thing Of q politician. We take it that
General GRANT knows him as possess
ing qualifications fitted for the position.
He would not go out from amongst the men
widely known to select a man who had not
come remarkable capacity.
For the Treasury, we lave Mr.. A. I.
STEWART, of New York. He had been
often spoken of as one whom General
GRANT would probably name for the posi-
ton, but latterly public attention had been
directed to another merchant, STEWART, of
Philadelphia, and the New York dry goods
millionaire had faded away. His nomina-
tion surprises great many. Mr.. STEWART
is highly practical fnancier and we'll
educated gentleman. He has 30 vast q
fortune that we had supposed he would
hardly be able to add the cares Of the
Federal finances TO the management of his
seventy millions Of private Property-of
itself equal to the labor Of conducting the
business of the United States Treasury.
Mr.. STEWART is a decided Republican,
md though latterly taking much interest
in politics, is especially q business man.
lie cooperated with the Conservative Re-
publicans in 1866, and was in the New
York meeting that nominated GRANT as on
independent candidate.
J. D. Cox, Secretary Of the Interior,
was the Governor of Ohio before the pre-
sent ncumbent-HAYEs. He was General
in the late war, and is Republican, with
the qualification of having strcnuously op
posed negro suffrage in 1865. He is man
of fair abilities, and not by specially
politician of the order Of these days.
IA ]. CREswELL, named for the Office of
Postmaster General, is an out-andout Re-
publican. He was United States senator
from Maryland, and was, at the expiration
of his term, succeeded by Mr.. VICKERs.
Mr.. CREswELL, unlike General Cox, has
been strong advocate of negro suffrage.
He is man of probably more ability than
any of the gentlemen named for Cabinet
Offices. He was BREcKINRIDGE Democrat
before the war. Soon after it commenced
he joined the Union-Republican party, of
which Governor HIX was leader, and was
elected to the United States Senate.
E. B. HoAR, General, is a Judge
of the Supreme Court of Massachusetts,
and man of decided attainments as q
scholar and jurist. lie is no partisan poll
tician.
General SCHoFIELD is, of course, con-
tinued in the War Department, and a
stronger man General GRANT could not
have called to his assistance in that depart
ment.
This Cabinet, while composed of men
all, We suppose, belonging to the Republi-
can party, is yet selected with such little
reference to party leaders as to be entirely
in keeping with the oft-expressed senti-
ments Of General GRANT, showing his indie
pendence of party. In his inaugural he
declared that the Presidency had come to
him " unsought," and that he commenced
its duties untrammeNed and he has
steadily avowed the determination to be
governed alone by "the will of the peo-
ple." The Cabinet he has selected must be
tested by its official conduct. General
GRANT evidently means himself to be an
active and controlling Chief Magistrate.
He viii see that public duties are dis
charged, and will relieve the Government
Of incapacity, whenever it appears in his
Cabinet or elsewhere, by removals and new
appointments.
General GRANT, in framing this Cabinet,
has left out the political hacks,-those
drilled and disciplined leaders in partisan
warfare-and he has no doubt done 80 to
get rid Of their arrogance and their preju-
dices and passions. He did not mean to
gather about him men prone to dictation.
In avoiding them he facilitates the way to
peace and practicalizes his administration.
The STRENGTHENING BILL pocketed by
MIR. JoHssoS lost strength as time passed