Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-02-25
THE NEW CABINET.
Gen. Grant Becoming COmmu.
nicatlve.
No Military or Naval Officer to
be Included In the Cabinet.
A First Class Man to be Seere-
tary OF State.
Correspondence of the New York Herald.

tary OF State,
Correspondence of the New York Herald.
| WAsHINGToS, Feb. q, 1S69.--As the
day of Inauguration approaches the seal
of secrecy seems to be gradually wearing
away from the lips of President Grant
Every day now some little remark or act
of the coming man is noised about and
made the basis of speculations as to the
views and designs OF his administration.
The significance of many of these acts
and remarks is of course greatly exag
gerated, and no weight whatever should
be attached to them. As, for instance,
his social movements. Everybody he goes
to see is put down for cabinet position
or as having influence cabinetward. If he
dimes out with anybody or anybody
dimes with him, according to Ger
tain class of guild aRRcS and political
Spectators here, it is the state of the na>
ton instead Of things edible or drinkable
that is the principal topic of discussion,
and some deep scheme of governmental
pOlity is at the bottom Of the movement.
Nay, more, it has got to be so bad that
Mrs. Grant herself cannot 90 out now
without some significance following in
her steps whether she sallies forth to
make friendly visit or merely on shop
ping expedition, matters not The polti>
cal wiseaeres will after her and make her
responsible for plottings and schemings
that never entered into her sensible cra~
| mum.
But some things the General has said
and done recently are a fair subject Of
speculation, and some of them indicate
his policy very clearly on certain points.
NO MILITARY OR NAVAL MEN TO GET cABI-
NET POSITIONS.
But though thus independent in his
dealing with the politicians, Gen. Grant
is becoming quite free in conversations
with his old friends.
Thus yesterday he had long inters
view with an old Connecticut acquaint>
ance, gentleman who was his trusted
and trusting friend before he had become
the pet of fortune, and when, indeed,
UOA . oNdASO duu uOGuCNs LII ulo
communion with his friend yesterday,
Gen. Grant appears to have been more
unreseryed than usual He spoke freely
of his views on public questions and
about his cabinet, and without giving
names, stated the kind Of persons he
should try to select. From this unfold
ing of his views, which get in such
NOV No 70 lava M douht &C 20 tha;r ali;
ability, it appears to be fixed that no
purely military or naval man will be in
vited to a seat in the cabinet He re-
marked on that point that he considered
it would not be for the benefit Of the gov.
eminent, the army or the navy, to ap"
point an army or navy officer to
cabinet position. He regarded such
selections as detrimental to the mill
tary and naval service and not bene-
fetal to the civil branch Of the govern
ment. Il shall invite civilians to fill ali the
cabinet positions" said Gen. Grant, "and
If my selections should not prove judi~
cious in the first instance | shall feel my
selfjustified in correcting the mistake by
making a second or third selection if nee
essary." These are said to be almost
literally his words, and bear out his utter
ance to the Congressional committee that
waited on him the other day. This
would seem to set at rest the stories in
circulation as to the appointment of Scho-
field and Porter respectively TO the di-
rection Of the war and navy departments.
Gen. Grants relations with these two
officers are Of the most friendly character,
but under this latest and perfectly re-
liable enunciation of Grants intentions
it seems settled that even those distinS
guished gentlemen cannot walk into the
cabinet, unless, indeed, there is an under
standing that they will resign their
present positions with view to accept
ing Office under the coming administra-
ton. Ga this point do not profess to
be advised, and therefore do not hazard
an opinion.
The fact that Grant has thus expressed
himself gives satisfaction to a number OF
his supporters in Congress who have
heretofore appreheBded that the General
would display an invincible partiality for
the elevation of the military and naval
branches over the civil They bail it as
sign of the wisdom of the President
elect, while some Of the appFehensiye
Democrats who have been predicting
military despotism and everything else
dreadful under Grant are coneratulating
themselves that, after all, he is going to
''let US have peace instead of war during
the four years Of his administration.
FIRST CLASS MAN FOR STATE SECRETARY.
For Secretary of State Grant intends
to select man of the most eminent
ability. According to his description of
the kind of man he desires for the post,
the Connecticut gentleman believes there
are not more than three men in the
country who will come up to the mark,
so that the material from which to pick
is reduced down to a very small guam
tity
The Maine men here pretend to have
good assurance that Senator Fessenden
is the man who is destined to be offered
the foreign portfolio.
The MASSACHUSETTS men as confidently
state that Motley, Adams or Sumner will
be honOred with the appointments
that it is really quite difficult to come to
any conclusion as to who stands the best
chance.
EVIDENCES OF A COMING STORM.
Thus his,respOnse to the congressional
committee that informed him Of bis elec>
ton shows that in the matter OF the selec.
ton of his constitutional advisers he does
not intend to be dictated to or embarrassed
by any Of the customary influences. He
indicates plainly enough that be wants
to be let alone on that subject; that he
does not invite advice from ANY quarter,
and that in fact he will regard volunteer
contributions in that line as simply i'm.
pertinent OF course he did not say this
so plainly as put it; but it is undoubt-
eddy what he meant, and what the leaders
of the Republican party believe he in
tended to convey | say they believe it,
but they do not at all relish it. Some OF
them already say he is mounting too high
a horse, putting on too many airs, and
treating with contempt the old and tried
statesmen OF the country. Is be any bet
ter, quoth they than former Presidents,
that he scorns to consult with Senators
and Representatives, whose fidelity to the
Union has been tried over and over again,
whose wisdom has been acknowledged |
on all hands, and whose honesty is above
suspicion
This evidence of morti6eation and dia.