The New York herald., 1869-03-06
The New Cabinet.

The Cabinet of President Grant, though
promptly confirmed, win puzzle the politicians.
With all their guesses and conjectures, cover
ing what was supposed to be the whole field
of probabilities, not one of them, nor all OF
them together, hit the mark beyond one or two
members. They were all on the wrong tack
in assuming that, after the established practice,
the Cabinet would be chosen from the most
conspicuous lights and managers of the domi-
nant party, such as Wilson, Stanton Curtin
and Old Ben Wade. This rule of selecting
from the head politicians of the party was more
strikingly Illustrated in the original Cabinet
Of Abraham Lincoln than in any other, though
the folly Of such selections was sufficiently
proved by poor Pierce and Buchanan. The
harmonizing of the different personal cliques
of the party has been the governing idea of
this practice, and it was under this delusion
that Lincoln committed his greatest mistake.
He thought that by gathering his rivals in the
Chicago Convention about him he would
reconcile them to the situation and with each
other; but from the beginning to the end,
with their selfish intrigues against each other
and against him, they were constant source
OF trouble to their chief. Indeed, had not
Lincoln been marvel of amiability, patience
and resignation he could not have endured
such annoyances for one summer
President Grant has not followed this foolish
and mischievous practice. He has not chosen
to have set Of politicians around him, who
might assume the right to chalk out his policy,
as in the case of Pierce or set themselves up
as his masters, as in the case of Buchanan; or
who would be likely to raise hornets nest
about his ears in their plots and counter plots
for the succession, as in the case of Lincoln.
On the contrary, we see in this new Cabinet
that Grant has given the managing republican
politicians a wide berth; that he has chosen
his men for business and as his subordinates,
and with not the remotest idea that they are
to be his masters or his coequals in the
administration. He has utterly ignored the
Cabinet theory of Mcclure, and has selec-
ted his men as his friends, his assistants
and his secretaries, and each mainly in
reference to the special duties of his depart
ment.
Mr.. Washburne thus becomes Secretary Of
State because of the intimate and confidential
relations that have grown up between the
President and his best friend since the be-
ginning of the war. The two men thus thor
oughly understand each other. Grant knows
the capacities of Washburne, and Washburne
knows and is fully in accord with the views
and purposes of Grant touching our foreign
relations. On this subject they are both
largely inspired with the progressive and expan-
sive ideas of the great West, and Washburne's
appointment means positive, progressive and
expansive foreign policy. But the health Of
Mr.. Washburne is feeble and precarious. His
appointment, then, may have been designed
rather as a graceful recognition of valued
friend than as fixed disposition of the State
Department. It will suffice for the present
that this appointment is of itself equivalent to
the proclamation that the Illinois theory of
our foreign relations is to supersede in prac-
tice the temporizing diplomacy and wild land
purchases of Mr.. Seward.
Mr.. A. T. Stewart for the Treasury as dis
tinctly proclaims the policy of President Grant
in this department. The distribution Of the
spoils for party services is q matter evidently
not thought OF in this selection; for Mr. Stew
art has had no experience and knows very
little of this peculiar business of the profess
sional politician. The object of Mr.. Stewards
appointment Is such an administration of the
affairs Of the Treasury as will bring order out
of chaos, system out of confusion, and profits
where losses have been the order of the day.
Economy, retrenchment and faithful collec-
ton Of the public revenue were the objects
which suggested the name of Mr.. Stewart for
this important post, and New York is recog-
make this choice.
General Schofeld is retained for time for
certain special duties in the War Office, and in
this recognition by President Grant we have
satisfactory assurance that SchoGeld's admin
istration of this department has been good,
and that he is especially qualified for changes
and reforms requiring sound judgment and
discretion.
Mr.. Adolph E. Borie, of Philadelphia, for
the Navy Department, has been pronounced
by Mcclure unsatisfactory as party nomina-
ton, in guessing that he might be the Penn
sylvania man upon whom President Grant had
fixed his eye. Mr.. Borie, 1t appears, is of
an old and aristocratic Pennsylvania family,
merchant in good standing and of immense
wealth, and citizen highly esteemed. Doubt
less President Grant has discovered in him those
raye administrative qualities required for the
Navy Department coming from the venerable
Mr.. Welles, and perhaps some particular in
fuences connected with the navy in Philadel-
phis may have turned the scale in favor Of
Mr.. Borie. 1t is certain that McCure's advice
in behalf Of the Pennsylvania politicians has
been treated as the idle wind.
General Cox, ex- Governor Of Ohio, the new
@ a.