The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-07-18
The President and His Adviscrs-The
Nccessity OF IN Immediate Change.

Tno FHosAOons Uo0 k1An AuSAseTe-A hc
Necsssity OF IN Immediate Change.
Some of the opposition journals are assail-
ing General Grant and his Cabinet for desert
ing their posts at Washington to seek the
pleasures of the seashore OF to make stump
speeches in North Carolina. We do not be-
lieve that any reasonable man can expect or
desire that the members of the government
should shut themselves up in the White House
and the department offices during the entire
summer season, with the thermometer close
upon one hundred in the shade, and give up
the healthful recreations of the country be-
cause they happen to receive n paltry and
inadequate salary from the public Treasury.
Our political heads require change Of air and
Of scene as we'll as ordinary citizens, and when
they do possess intelligence and capacity their
proved by relaxation and amusement If we
are to require our highest government officials
to become mere drudges and to servo four
years term Of imprisonment in such an unin-
viting city as Washington we should find it
difficult to fill the federal offices even with
as good mon rs now hold them, and
the nominations would go begging instead of
being so greedily sought after. The indul-
gonce in stump oratory on the part of some
members of the Cabinet is altogether q differ
ent matter, and may be considered of ques-
tionable taste by many conservative persons;
but it is not unprecedented, and is probably
excusable at this time in consideration of the
exigencies Of the case. The opposition to the
present administration is duo moro to the
advisers Of the President than to the President
himself, and Secretaries Boutwell, and Fish,
rather than General Grant, may be regarded as
on trial before the people. 1t will be said that
the President, rs the head Of the government,
is responsible for the policy Of the administra-
ton and this is unquestionnbly true. But the
American people know that General Grant is
neither by habit, inclination nor capacity, a
politician, and that he has never been person.
ally in sympathy with the policy or principles
of his radical supporters. He was chosen as
the candidate of the republicans four years ago
from motives of expediency, and not as one
of their own stamp, and has quietly suffered
his administration to be ruled by them in
accordance with thoir views without regard to
his own wishes and convictions. Left free to
follow the promptings Of his own mind, the
President would no doubt have pursued a
different financial policy from that growing out
of the crotchety brain Of Secretary Of the
Treasury who has been for three or four years
studying political economy at the expense of
the United States, and different foreign
policy from that adopted by q Secretary of State
diplomacy should he to satisfy moneyed in
terests and crafty foreign governments. The
American people, therefore, insist upon sepa-
rating General Grant from his advisers, and
exactirg less from him than they would from q
President taken from the party ranks and well
versed in all the tricks of the politicians.
Nevertheless the unwise acts of his Cabinet
have caused all the trouble and uncertainty
Of the present campaign, and hence Secretary
Boutwell,, no doubt, feels himself in honor
bound to do all that his ability as q plausible
stump speaker will enable him to do in behalf
of his chief, although during his absence from
his post a dark cloud is gathering over the
financial sky and gold is rising with the Their
mometer.
So far as President Grant is concerned, he
has as perfect a right to smoke his cigar on
the beach at Long Branch and to enjoy the
races at Monmouth Park as Horace Greeley
has to chop down trees on the Chappaqua
farm and to regale his political visitors with
cold water from his famous spring. In the
case Of the Presidents Cabinet there could be
no possible objection to their leaving Wash
ington, provided they were never to re-
turn to the national capital rs the Presi-
Dental advisers. Secretaries Fish, Boutwell,
and their associates and the President himself
must by this time recognize the fact that the
people demand some sort of change at
Washington, and that if they cannot obtain it
as o concession they are very likely to secure it
in another way. The administration may attri-
butte the disruption Of the republican party
and the action of the democracy at Baltimore
to ON unworthy desire to obtain possession of
the spoils OF Office; but how can they clear
themselves from the suspicion that their un-
willingness to make the change insisted upon
by the country is attributable to an unworthy
desire to hold on to the spoils of office? The
cry for radical reform in the policy
of the administration in finances, in our
foreign relations, in tho treatment Of
the oppressed and outraged South, in
civil service reform, comes from those
who have no favors to ask or to expect from
the hands Of the federal government as we'll as
from place-hunters and political adventurers
and it will be as we'll for General Grant to I'M
derstand this at once. The HERALD has been
one Of the firmest supporters Of his administra-