The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-03-24
FROM THE NATIONAL cAPIrA1.

FROM THE NATIONAL CdPITAL.
The Tenure-of-OMcc Act-Butler and
Schenck When Thieves Fall Out
Omce.Seekers and General Grant-The
Mission to Mexico.
The Washington correspondent OF the Balti-
more Gazette writes under date of the 21st
instant:
At the risk of being considered prolix, it is
necessary again to refer to the Tenure-of-
Office act. 1t is the topic, excluding all others,
discussed in political circles here to-day. Some
Conservatives deem it best, even in party
sense. to get rid of the law altoeetber-by re-
neal Mt opce-supposing it out Of the question
for the Radical party TO have the effrontery to
offer to re-enact it in case OF their loss Of the
Executive three years hence Vain hope
The Senate is sure to be then Radical; Grant
will be at that time in Office and quite as will
| ing to favor its re-eractment as he was to push
Through this original bill, and clandestinely
enforce its prc .isions {as IN the ca sc Of STAN
toni By hook and by crook the Radicals may
also have majority in The House.: Upon this
particular point The Washington Sunday Her
aid contains O short article this morning, which
| append. The Herald is an appendage of the
Inteligencer, and the article was written BY
| the Leading editor Of the latter. decided
| change has taken place in regard to this mat
ter in the minds of prominent Conservatives
here during the past twenty-four hours
am fully aware that Conservative senator's
look upon the law as it stands as ureonstitu-
tionaI and if they vote at all would probably as
vet vote Tor direct proposition to repeal it.
| Il is suggested, however, that the decision of
the Senate, as comprehended in it's repeal,
will in no wise affect the constitutional ques-
tion. That the gist OF the matter lies in the
fact that The whole question is judicial one,
1aJ axrov or ho nj ihar h
Congress. No President untrammelled by
Radical and revolutionary influences would
regard it for an instant as binding upon him.
One way for Grant to rid himself OF his fetters
is to appeal to the courts. When the people
shall have returned to their senses, not only
this law, but the series of "reeonstruetl3n
acts" so.called, and hundreds OF other diaboli.
cal acts of Congress passed during the last
eight wears, will be swept out Of existence as so
many cobWebs, or pass out OF operation into
instantaneous aud quiet nonentlty, as not wor
thy even to poster the Supreme Court with, as
MIR. Jefferson totally ignored the very being OF
alien and sedlton acts. 1t IL now reduced to
pealed, it will be done by Conservative votes.
Conservative senators should therefore pause
before intermeddling in this matter. There is
no principle involved in the action OF the Sen-
ate at all, for the plain reason that it will settle
nothing, and manifestly cannot settle anything,
be the vote for or against the continuance OF
the law.
A few days ago the busy Butler promised to
expose Schenck's sins and OUTS" I am told
that his revelations will be deeetsble. Unlike
the Irishnlau's wife who felt an interest in the
tussle between her husband and the bear, I
cannot help taking sides in all great squabbles
of this kind. In the present emergency am
on the bears side lthat is, the Beasts), and
hope no weak-kneed Conservative newspaper
viii vociferously endeayor to get up. sympa-
thy for Schenck by crying out, 'fair play
"hands off" "fair trial" )" and such like neutral
stuff. General Butler, let me tell all such peo-
pie. is no political hermaphrodite, and having
had recently Ga very full swing as the lnteili-
gencer remarks, sin telegraph offices and at
sure Of rotten publida men have basis other
than idle gossip. Bun Ter evidently intends to
turn ''informer" on gigantic scale.
lie ofice-seekers here are put to their
trumps for terms of adulation Of the new Pres
ident. Witness nm anecGote told by the Ch1on-
icle {: Seene-a train about to start from Alex,
ardria South-cars fun-time 1864 lady and
twenty epauletted gentry excluded General
Grant in o Especial car" soius, smoking cigar
tho outsiders are invited in Jenkins
s'Wlthout o moments delay, however. Grant
turned to the window at his right, raised it,
flung out. and thus sacrificed two-thirds OF his
Designio on the altar of pohteness Remem-
ber this was his special car, that smoking was
allowed on that and every other military road;
that Grant was then practically monarch OF
all he surveyed and had right royal liking
for good cRar yet in this little incldent.the
gentleman spontaneously breaks out in the
conqueror."
Your readers will doubtless be surprised to
learn that George Wilkes, the great umpire of
the "Sporting Ring" will probably be our Min
lister to Mexico. So says the organ OF Grant,
as follows:
1t is generally believed that tho Mexican
mission has been rendered, or will be rendered
he decline tho mission strong effort will be
made 10 induce the appointment OF George
Wilkes, ESQ.,, of the New York Spirit OF the
Times" L..
From the Washington Herald Of the 2lst instant
The Radical senators that propose, upon
Executive men ice, to repeal the Tenure-of-
Office act, do so, not upon considerations OF
principle or Difference to law or just policy, or
from contrtion for the perpetration OF great
wrong. With them the point is simply one OF
party convenience in the respect OF friends that
should be rewarded and enemies that should
be punished. And the enemies are not Demo-
Cru $, for hlr. Johnson docine1 for lohg
period back to appolut such, because tEey
could not be confirmed. They are Republi-
cans who, III ono WY or another, may nave
fallen short, Ill the estimate OF the fiery dra-
gon OF fanatlcal rage and nate, OF inc 1ull
measure of seething hot partisanship.
In thus aspect of tho case, the issue is not
one Of repeating the law for the purpose Of car
ryng out the principle, Ito the victor belongs
the spols," but rather, as was onco expressed
by Governor Marcy, "pillagiug their OWN
camp" 1t is an intestine family war.
Therefore, we ask, should Conservative or
Democratic senators interfere in what Ii in
ISSUE upon no consideration Of principle, by
the Radical senators, who desire to propltiato
Executive regard or favor, but simply for the
purpose of eflectinS fcathering of their own
nests in what they term the interests of the
Republic IN party? So considered, why may
not the latter settle the thing among them
selves
Suppose the law repealed by tho votes OF
Democratic Senators. and the next Preslden-
tial election should result in the election OF
Democrat, would not both the Senate and
House mako hot haste to restore the obnoxious
law2 Certainly they would. What olse could
be expected OF party that has contemned
both law and right with unbridled license, and
with scared conscienc
The Mississippi papers contain the an
nouncement of the death OF Colonel James
Deane, prominent man in that State. Colonel
u,, noiiua nf South Carolina and