Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1871-12-15
Gen. Grant and his Late Message.


1t is now nearly two weeks since the annual
pow-wow. between General GRANT aud Con-
gress has been made public, and we do not
yet see that it has produced any unusual ex-
element, or been received with more than
common place interest, North, South, East or
West And come to think of it, we cannot
understand why any one should wish to hear
anything from GRANT. If be were private
individual no one would ask him for an opin-
ion on any subject Of greater moment than
stable of horses, kennel of dogs, box OF
cigars or a cask of rum. Why should any
one expect anything, better from him now
Being President does not make man other
than what he s. And il General GRANT were
selected President fourteen times, at the forth
coming Inauguration he would yet be Gen.
GRANT-and man, whose Judgment on mat
tiers of State, is ofn consequence
The late Message reads more like an army
order than anything else, and, as such might
be acceptable, but for the closing paragraph
wherein he says: Z" have thus hastily sum
med up the operations Of the Government for
the past year, and made such suggestions MS
occur TO me to be proper for your consdera-
ton" Why should His excelency be in such
hurry? It seems TO us that he has had great
deal of leisure on his hands during this last
year, and while lettering on The beach at Long
Branch nearly all summer, or travelling in
elegant palace cars over the country, he
might havegot over his haste and given a
thought to the operations of Government
that is, always bearing in mind that it made
any sort of difference whether he did or not.
Sill, being President, it seems we ought to,
or ut least we are accustomed to have q
good deal of attention given 10 the opera
tions Of the Government. But we will not,
as we have said, make point on that,
for General GRANT said expressly in his letter
of acceptance that he would not have any poll
cy, and he has kept his word. lie has not
even had policy of insurance, and this be-
ing the case, how can we expect him TO be
interested in the operations of the Govern
ment or take time TO prepare other than
hasty summing up, with few suggestions that
had struck him at odd hours, touching the Ad-
ministraton of which he is the nominal head
Had Congress, however, known that His ex-
cellency was SO hurried, it might, without the
least detrment 20 the public veal have ad-
journed over n few days. or weeks, or months,
TO enable our President not TO be hasty 1t
sounds rather odd, You know, TO have the
Chief Executive, in preparing so important a
Statepaper as Message, TO say that he had
hastily or hurriedly done the work. 1t is an
Easy, oe-hand and rather gay way ofdisposing
of the businessman probably quite as good
Ms any other that has distinguished this mill
tary Administration.
The next point that impresses an American
citizen with an idea of the stupidity of the
gettcr-up of this "hastyn document is the
manner in which His Excellency touches on a
piece of business, and then turns Congress
over 10 the reports from the Departments For
further particulars he continually refers to the
small bills as theatrical testers do This is
we'll To have the President give rehash
of the topics treated of by his subordinates
were unreasonable. This again is military.
The general after campaign outlines the af-
fair, and leaves to his inferior officers to fill
in and elaborate. Something new is this to
our Government. But the novelty is pleasing.
Then, he has a high religious authority. Why
tell Of these things; "are they not chron-
eed in the book of Kings?" And are not all
things necessary for Congress to know set
forth in the reports of the Secretaries? Yea,
verify.
In this way the rough road is smoothed,
and the President, who has so little time for
vexed questions of public policy, gives it
touch and resuming his cigar and executive
leisure, preserves his temper, and through his
tempbr his digestion, and through his diges-
tion his precious life For were General GRANT
10 die Heaven alone knows what would be-
come of us; that is, il we-Fegard with favo. and
confidence the Administration organs that
now assure us that there is but one man ca
paoe of being President and conducting sue
eessfully the affairs of the Government