The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-05-05
General Grants Administration.
E1-o11I kh1. Chio10n Tribune


any other man who has filled that high
office during the present generation.
The only predecessor comparable to
him In this regard was Mr.. Lincoln;
but Mr.. Lincoln never saw the day
when he was free from the active, de-
termined hostility of powerful politi-
cal party.
This party, when General Grant was
inaugurated, had not only been crushed
| by defeat, but conquered by a latent
admiration of the cool, silent, sure-foot
ed antagonist who had oVerthrown
them on so many and such diverse
fields of action. The Republican party,
so lately torn asunder by the impeach-
ment trial, was again united, and ire
sistible in its loyalty to Its elected chief
On that day it may be safely said thai
President Grant was the strongest man
In Christendom; for his power was
rooted in the affections of free people
There has been a change. Two months
have passed away, and 1t cannot be af'
firmed that we have strong admins
tration. Its moral power has been frit'
tered away by small absurdltles, which
fortunately have no bearing upon the
sincerity, the truthfulness or the high
purpose of the President and his adj
visers. We doubt If there ever was an
administration with more good inten.
tions at heart or less aptitude for carry
ing them into effect. And since the
evil which exists Is not able to cure
itself, its remedy must be sought and
found elsewhere.
General Grant is our President. he
| is a man of high motives and pure pur-
poses. History does not record more
| iIlustrious career in arms than his.
Whether we regard tho magnitude OF
| his achievement or his singleness of pur-
pose-whether we contemplate the &C.
curacy of his judgment, or the hrmness
of his resolves, or the unselnShneSs o.
| his acts, we must admit that ne STANDS
| among the great men of ancient and
modern times. He Is too great and too
good a man to be allowed TO fall into
popular derision for the want of friends
courageous enough to acquaint him
with his errors.
General Grants first mistake con-
sisted in his surprising that govern
mcnt is the same thing as an army, and
| TINT an administration IS 10 be carried
| on as a battle Is fought, with infantry,
cavalry and artillery.
| To command an army SUGGEST uliy
officers nre needed 10 execute the orders
| of the General-in- Chief. To carry on
government statesmen are needed who
understand the ideas, the wants and
the temperament of the people, and
whose conjoint experience and wisdom
NAV form a body of opinion in mar
mony with the nation, or at least with
| the party IN power. .,
| IF there be statesman in General
Grants Cabinet, he has yet to make
himself known as such to the public
| To begin at the beginning, the SecretA-
rv of State does not know the men, OF
| the idea, or the country OF the present
| dav: nor do they know him. lie IS
gentleman of a noble and pure type. Ii
| "a nrobnble that he was AS much sur
nrised when he was called 10 fill the
! fOremost place in the Cabinet as his
| countrvmen were. He has come dow
| TO US from former generation, ana IN
all that constitutes excellence OF CHAR
acter, he is worthy representative OF
the times in which he acted his part
| Rnt he is not the man to conduct our
dinlomacv, Nor is he the man to take
| a leading position in great and pro-
| gressive government.
THE Secretary Of the Treasury Is like
wise a man of pure and elevated char
| acter. who has risen from an humble
station by his own perseverance and
rectitude. But his abilities are moi
| above mediocrity, and II he should re-
main at the head of the Treasury De-
nartment during his natural life he
could do no more than drift with the
| tide. and avoid the breakers from hour
to hour as best he might.
The Secretary of War Is the strong
eat and most positive man in the Cabi-
/ y
an invalid in health and unqualified by
training and experience to take the
| Iaadin9 position which circumstances
have forced upon him in the national
administration. Even he is unknown
to the country save as stat othcer Of
the commanding general curing tne
war. Few men know the worth AND
few have felt the native powers OF mind
| which belong to John a. Rawlins. 1r
view of his close relations to the Presi-
dent and his sterling qualities, his ap
pointment was certainly ht to be ~ ade
and we hope he may be retained. a:
the administrative officer of the Wal
Denartment he has no superior, feeble
as he is in physical health and strength
vet no one will admit more readily
thnn himself that he has not had the
sort of education that fits man tc
lead a Cabinet council. And we feal
that even his advice has been thus fal
of little avail.
mon consent, untitled either for ad-
ministratiou or council-a worthy anC
we'll meaning merchant, whose uEfa
miliarity with political affairs is ex'
ceeCied only by his Ignorance of naVa
affairs.
The Secretary of lthe Interior, the
Postmaster-General and the Attorney
General are probably competent to dis
charge the clerical duties OF their Of
frees: but prior to their elevation they
we're not in any way distinguished as
statesmen, or held by their acquain-
tances as better qualified to assume the
reins Of government than the average
of their neighbors in the same plane O.
society.
General Grant, whose distinguishing
excellence during the war consisted in
his ability to select the right men fol
the right places, has apparently MOI
perceived that statesmen are required
to fill the places of statesmen. The sec
ond mistake OF the President (and the
one which has perhaps weakened hin
most in the public estimation, is his
eagerness to appoint personal friends
and relatives to Office. In this behalf
he has furnished target to the enemy
where all their shots take effect, not on
him alone, but upon the party which
elected him.
In appointing Mr.. Washburne Sec.
retary OF State, as a mere matter Of
commitment, he trifled with the dignity
of the highest Office in his gift. A com
pliment Of this nature ought not to have
been either conferred or accepted. The
Office was too high to have been made
, an instrument Of politenes. More thar
half the votes against the repeal OF TN
: Ofice-Tenure law were made by TIL:
indiscreet act