The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1869-02-24
From the Round Table I
The Writing IN the Wall

canno, strike from above. Such arc
the leads of the journalists who are OIL
" just beginning to discover that i'm
portant truth about Gen. Grants future
polltlcal relations which was clearly set
forth by the RounA Table as long as last
November. Immediately after the Pres.
dental election it was shown in these
columns that the situation oIthc success
lnl candidate relatively to the cxtrcm-
lists ct the dominant party was such that
he must inevitably either DO ruled by
them or set them at defiance; that, mas.
much rs ut the time OF the convention,
they needed him very much more than
he needed them, it was unlikely, even
were he Il plastic man, that they could
control hiy policy as President and that
as he is by no means plastic man, tho
contrary alternative might bo regarded
rs certainty. Wo have no objection
to furnish IDEAS for the journalisls--c,ls-
tom has made it easy for The 6iscrimi.
mating public will bear witness how
regularly y the seeds have been sown bv
lhc hound Table that have subsequent.
y sproulrd into full bloom sensations,
'rusadcs and startling developments IN
the fertile pages Of tho daiics. But
we really think thcir windows might
have been sufficiently open 10 admit so
obvious and necessary an Inference lis
tins about Gen. Grant without b2ing
Obliged to take it from second hand
more especially after so long Il time
that, through its dissemination among
the masses, tho instructive reflection has
come from below rather than from
above.
Gen. Grants visit to tho metropolis,
ut a moment lst bcc'"c his inauguration
seems to have been instrumental in
producing this sudden enlightenment,
and Tor rcasous not difficult to find. He
has for some time been strengthening
himself with war Democrats and con
srrvarivc Republicans, aud giving the
Radicals Of both parties an impartial
cold shoulder. This has been accom-
p'ishcd through means well understood
by the initiated, but only dimly apprc-
ciat"d, throgh results, by the general
public. Floating in the atmosphere
everywhere whence or how none
could exactly tell-has been, and is,
TIC conviction that between Gen. Grant
and the hitherto all-powcrful Radicals Is
to hc dcatllcss lcud. But with the
Generals visit to New York this has
taken more palpabc form. 1t is now
known that the disposition OF those
great bones OF contention, and IN the
matter of their distribution those uncrr.
ing ind;ccs OF policy, the Cabinet Offices,
the foreign missions, and the three grca,
Government positions at the metropolis,
Will be such as TO constitute guantlrt
of defiance thrown down at the feet of
the Radical faction. 1t is known tha,
the Treasury has b cen offered to Mr..
a. II. Stcwart-and that he has dcclin
cd IT, The State Department has been
offered to Mr.. Charles Francis Adams
and he has taken the proposal into
serious consideration. Should he refuse,
Mr.. Motley Is tho next choice. The
War Dcpartmcnt-and this is very sig
nilicant-has been rendered to General
Mcclellan, and has SO far neither been
accepted nor declined. Ex Governor
Fish has the option Of the portfolio in
the latter case. The Navy Department
having been gratefully declined by
Admiral Farragut. has been offered to
Admiral Porter, who is pretty sure to
accept it, Strong efforts have been
made to induce the appointment of Mr..
E. b. Washburnc as Minister to
Franco, but they arc almost certain to
fail. IT, is pretty well decided that Mr..
Nj. II. Grinncll is to be Collector of
New York, and that Mr. G. a. Dana
will be either Surveyor or Navy Agent.
The last-named gentleman is almost rs
popular with Democrats as with Rcpnb.
lcnns, ana his appointment and subse.
qncnt carecr-able and upright man
that he is-wiIl go far to cnacc the stain
left on New York journalism by the
conduct, in the latter Office of u former
incumbent. Other names might be
mentioned in connection with important
posts still moro sharply indicative Of
Radical discontinue, and the only sop
TO Cerberns seems to consist in the
election of Mr.. Greeley as Minister to
England--a step for which there cxccp.
o'oh'i anu WHICH Is now SAID TO
De finally determined upon. Mr.. John
W. Forney has been spoken OF for Mr..
Grcclcy's long supposed future niche
the Postoflice ; but Mr.. Forncy's sinister
connection with letters in former DAYS,
would naturally damage his chances.
even if his extreme Radicalsm did
not.
All this clearly indicates tho general
natnre'of President Grants future nolicv.
The Radicals have not lifted him to
power, and he does not mean to show
them gratitude for ;avors not conferred.
Ie knows that he is strong enonpb
without them. Moreover not because
they are Republicans--for Democrats in
the like position would have done the
same--bnt because they had tho chance,
the extremists are so far identified with
the schemes OF public plunder that
Grants cherished plans Of retrcnchmcnt
and economy must needs bring about
collision. Thus the bandwritlnp on ,ba