The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-03-06
THE Ca BlEEC.

At last the curiosity of the country is
gratiied. Grant has succeeded i'll sur
prising people as he did in tantalizing
them. He has also succeeded, in our
opinion, in disappointing them. With the
exception Of Washburne, he has passed
over the many eminent and able men to
whom the country looked for the advisers
of the next administration. He is appar-
emily about to try the experiment of an
administration in which the men who
brought it into power, the men who
brought into life and built up the policy
which that administration ought and
which the inaugural indicates it will pur-
sue, are to have little or no part. In
other words having attained the platform,
it looks as il Grant were about to throw
down the ladder by which he rose. He
may think this is necessary in order to
carry out the fundamental idea of the in
nugural, economy and retrenchment. Yet
nobody can doubt that among the men
popularity called politicians, GRAFT
might have found as pure men as else
where. Among the Republicans who have
done the Republic signal service in states
manship, and to whom popular expectation
pointed, were such lnen as Boutwell,, Will"
son of Iowa, Griswold of New York,
Dawes, Fessenden, Stanton, Schenck,
Morton, &c. 1t will be hard to
find honester men than these anywhere,
or men on whom the "rings" could make
less impression. The mistake Grant
makes, we believe, is in not having larger
proportion of men who, while they are
honest, have strength with Congress and
with the country. Say what we may Of
politicians" they are like other m en-
GOOD, bad and Indifferent, some honest
and some dishonest; but the country could
not we'll spare those of them who to their
knowledge of public affairs add integrity;
nor can any administration Of the govern
ment be success which ignores or cuts
loose from them. Grant may think
lie is strong enough to do so. Possibly he
&, bat we doubt it. We do not be lieve he
can afford to construct Cabinet SO large
Iy out of men who during the trying times
of the past eight years made no part OF
the country's history. A neutral, mega
tive, unknown Cabinet will not make a
strong administration. Grant in his
inaugural promises a decided, positive
policy. Can he carry it out with this kind
of Cabinet? 1t will be very essential to
have strength with Congress, to disarm
opposition and secure support for his
favorite measures. Can he have this by
filling his Cabinet with men who if not
quite unknown have very little in common
with the dominant party in Congress 1t
is an open question. The recent struggle
over the tenure of Office act, shows thai
there is already strong element in the
Republican majority in Congress which
is not willing to take Grant for granted
and give him full swing. The entire dis
regard of the wishes and claims OF
Republican Senators and Representatives
in the formation of the Cabinet, will
strengthen that opposition. Grant may
be strong enough to walk over all this,
but it will put his personal popularity to
severe tests before year, unless we miss
our guess. 1t looks TO us, therefore, as il
the new President has ventured to be
more independent of his friends than he
ought or can afford to be, to make his
administration q success and carry out the
measures which he has so unreservedly
promised. This view of the case was sc
we'll expressed some days since in antici
patton of the appointments, by Don Plat
in a letter to the Cincinnati Commercial
that we quote:
"No man." General Banks is report
ed to have said few days since, sis sc
strong that he has no need of friends
nor so wise that he can walk safely
without advisers" This applies witt
great force to the President, and while
I ignore the vulgar considerations SCI
mn in the way of gratitude-tor Genera
cant owes nothing to the Republican
marty: we elected him because we could
moi help ourselves-I am forced TO re
member that the day has passed wher
an ordinary man, or even great Sol
der. can be successfully Presldent
the United States without calling aoou
him the wisest and most experienced
statesmen of his organization. I'M
theory, so generally believed hereto
fore, that these Cabinet officers are
mere clerks, and without responsible
ity, has lost its Significance. Any ont
OF the seven has more labor and respon
sibility put upon him personally, thar
Tell TO the lot of any of the earlier Pres
idents, down 10 the day or the irritable
Old Hickory.
"General Grant," said quiet OBJ
server to me yesterday, "needs in hi
Cabinet men possessed OF strength ii
Congress, and popularity with the peo
pie: and he can possess both and hav
at the same time honesty and ability
IF he ignores these considerations, hi
administration must of necessity b
stormy and disagreeable, and probabl.
a failnra He has before him heaYie