The New York herald., 1870-06-16
The Value Of a Strong Government
in the United States.
Irrom the London Economist, June Al

a good faith and q simplicity In the matter whlch
ought TO inspire the English Cabinet with the SIM
cerest desire to settle the disputed question OF the
Aanama claims IN spirit not only OF JUS
tlce but Of cordial consideration for the gov.
ernment which prefers them. II the President
had not arrested General ONein and General Glea-
son, and shown that his purpose OF preventing
the violation Of the neutrality laws was perfectly
serious, there Is no knowing-in spite of General
Lindsay, who very naturally wishes to take for the
Canadian troops ali the credit OF the repulse-to
what dimensions this invasion OF Capada might not
have swelled. II once it had been intimated and
generally believed that the government of the
Cnlted States would not be sorry TO see successful
Invasion OF Canada, and that the dsbanded officers
and men Of the great army might cross the
frontier without anything more than the pretence
OF resistance on the part OF the United states
authorities we might have had the most serious en-
broilments extending over months or years and end
ing ma gigantic war with the United States. NO
doubt such a course on the part OF General Grant
would nave been shortsghted and uns8ise, well as
dishonest No doubt the American statesmen are
Hs m sS ey nuS @ hno M y
anxious TO Join the States as the States anxious
TO have nerif that time ever comes. or course a
fected as the South still Is, would make the fed
eral Union something like house Of cards. All This
Is not only true but obvious. Yet is none the less
certain thai had the Executive Of the United states
at the present moment becn-instead OF a de-
seryedy popular General elected for his plain sense
and s;raig ltlorward singleness Of purpose whose
actions carry an authority OF their own on all mat
ters in which he is himself we-versed--somc one OF
the many nondescript Presidents VINO have sought
TO prop up toterng administration by stim-
nlatng the ambitious hopes or the least
Amerisan people, these hot only true but obvious
maxims Of policy would certainly have been set at
defiance We owe the rspd collapse Of this last
man, with thoroughly honest intentions and sufl-
cient popularity to feel quite sure that in adherlng
strictly to the law he SHOULD receive the support OF
the great majority OF his fellowcitizens Is at the
head OF the government. There Is no shit OF which
government at once ambitious and weak, on the
lookout ior devices by which 70 double its term Of
Office, is not capable. And II the Americans feel
we have doubt they do, heartily thankful TO avoid
new troubles before the misery caused by the last
great calamity has dwindied TO any percepub.e ex.
TENT, they should learn from this sober energy aud
honesty OF General Grant how 1mportanb 1t Is to
them TO elect as President man whose character
they thoroughly know, and who also knows Them
M Which @ he Is as q e reaesc an y
virtue OF which alone he can remain the same man
who won thar respect One OF those un.
OF whom America has unfortunately had 80 many
cannot but he deficient in the very elements Of the
experience by which he ought to be guided. He has
owed his choice to an accident, and is apt to think
that he shall keep by accidental hits the emnence he
tnat he owes all the success he has gained aud all
his popularity TO the constancy of clear purpose
OBVIOUS and rational means 10 plain end. or
course he is not row going TO hazard that reputation
by becoming tricky and Machavean. Probably
he could not II he would but also hewoud not II he
cou He Is fully aware that his country appre
strict adhesion 70 the law what could % be more more In
sane than to abandon the line OF conduct absolutely
mat 10 % BY whs ne ana take 70 play
there was clear evidence Of the advantage OF put
ting at the head OF the administration man whom
the people know and trust, and who, in his turn,
knows and trusts the people, 1t Is this conduct OF
General Grant on an occasion which would have
been to many OF his predecessors one of unusual
hesitation and temptation, whereas he has in all
PROBABILITY never hesitated a moment about his
course-never even felt the temptation to hesitate.
1t Is very remarkable thing That democratic nsti-
uiOns have SO often iaed in fnding for the head of
the executive government the man who best under
understood by it. At >the present moment indeed
General Grant and Napoleon Ill are probably both
Yet we easily see how difficult it is to attain sue.
cess when we consider how rarely 1t happens that
direct popular vote can be taken on name thor
Ougnly familiar to whole nation, unless the Pariia
mentary system be in full operation and the people
have had the chance or measuring the power OF q
dom been possible either In the United States or
France simply for this reason, that in neither coun.
try has Parliament had sufficient national influence
to win any close popular attention to its debates;
nor Will this be likely to happen unless 1t be en-.
trusted with the important duty Of selecting the gov.
France enirnsis % the ultimate e1iea Choice anS Of
from having any real knowledge OF the ttess cadi
dates for power Even LII England, where all our
Leading statesmen are SO fully and keeniy appre-
ciated, II once the right OF choosing the Prime MINI
lister were taken from Parliament ana delegated to
the people we. should soon find Parliament waning
rapidly in influence Parliamentary deoates losing
all their Importance and spirit and, as a cOnse-
quence, growing popular ignorance OF the candl
aates aa most 1T or peiiisa poWer or course such
the late Duke Of Wellington for Prime MInstelshp
lust as The civil war In America marked out General
nd hOh Qt hat ftr,a tytaar n.
mentary government the Duke would undoubtedly
have been chosen by the English people, and chosen
soe sa sef on n sncdi
his own sphere OF thought-for which General Gran:
has, has been chosen by the American people. And no
have acted the same cool, sensible part
en in the @ paee those nw puSc S
events which famIllarlze whole people with one or
two great men, like great wars, are fortunately Of
ration which fought the American civil war have
died out than the people will have further guid-
to which nobody particularly attends in the Senate
or the House OF Representatives Of the United
states And then, In The next place how little the
people learn OF the qualities Of mind most essential
to them by even such achievements as those of the
Duke OF Wellington or General Grant, We know
how poor political Prime Minister the Duke OF
Wellington made. The Americans hardly know the
same OF General Grant; for they have not yet had
full Opportunities for measuring his very limited
his election to show that he Is by means equal to
exercising influence ct ali, good or bad, on
great many OF the most important political
questions OF the day-fnance, for instance,
among the first-and 1t Is quite certain
that II America had had equal means Of
Knowing the irmness and constancy and good sense
or any genuinely we'll informed politician the choice
OF such q man as President would have been already
iull OF benefits to America which General Grant,
from the extreme limitation of his political know.
ledge and interests, has not been able to confer 1t
ls great thing no doubt, that he has the conf
a IN nntt ti,ta
bles him to interfere Just now with SO high hand
10 prevent war pregnant with nnum erable calami.
hes. But statesman, II as well known to the
people as General Grant-as well known to Ameri.
cans, say as Mr.. Gladstone Is to us-woud have had
quite equal confidence In himself and in his country
men, and would, besides, have felt that confidence
on hundred other subjects on which the expression
OF an authoritative Judgment would at once turn the
scale OF public opinion. What American institutions
seem TO us TO want most is the means Of IA
miarizing the country with such statesmen.
And this We do not see how the republic can
ever have till 1t gives to Congress the paramount
Importance attaching to a body which elects and
can remove the administration. Under exceptional