The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-05-01
The gsw DepArtare-0e.srsi Grant
Must Mako Flank Movement.


The gsw DepArture-0e.erei Grant
Must Mako . Flank Movement.
We have sometimes regarded General Grant
as o patient and muoh-endurlng man. We
see evidences of this character in his present
attitude towards the country. His silence and
directness of purpose sometimes resemble i'm
pulse especially when he does suddenly what
no one expects him to do. When we urge
upon him that new departure which seems
necessary to the success Of his administration
in the coming canvass we feel that we appeal
to judgment in many respects formed; for
General Grant is o man of too much ability not
to see that the rising public opinion, which
has found expression in many forms and is
:.ow crystallizng at Cincinnati, requires him to
take some new step to meet and counteract it.
When the General commanded the armies of
the Potomac and set out upon his campaigns
against Richmond his favorite military ex-
pedient was to flank Lee. His march to Rich
mond was q series Of flank marches When
his army had taken position and Lee shifted
into line in front, and battle seemed inevita-
BILE with advantage Grant quietly shifted his
regiments and forced the rebel commander
back, and in time he captured the Confederate
capital He has shown this tendency in his
civil administration. When he made Mr..
Stewart Secretary of the Treasury, and the
politicians, under the lead of Mr.. Sumner, rose
In mutiny, dreading the advent Of on able and
experienced merchant disposed to manage the
Treasury upon business principles, he quietly
flanked them by Withdrawing Mr.. Stewards
name and sending that of Mr.. Boutwell,. When
the opposition to st. Domingo, famed by
Sumner and Sohurz into flame that menaced
the peace of tho party and tho safety Of the adj
ministration, became alarming Grant made
a flank march and threw the whole question
upon Congress- When Mr.. Trumbull and his
allies opened their campaign against patronage
and office-holding, and the bestowal Of Offices
like booty and prize money upon successful
army, Grant fanked them by suddenly calling
into life civil service system, more radical
and far-reaching in its effects than anything
proposed by Mr.. Trumbull. These several
acts were performed suddenly, almost, as 1t
seemed, by impulse. But upon looking over
his whole career we see that what seemed to
be impulse was really the fruit of care
full and well-considered policy. Something
Of the same character we saw in his
relations with his Cabinet. No man stood
higher, apparently, in his esteem than Judge
Hoar, then Attorney General. He was a
man Of education and experience and high
character But he made an unfortunate i'm
preston upon the members of the House
and Senate in the transaction Of the
public business. y New to official life,
impatient with the necessities and complai-
sances Of politics. 50 ungracious and offensive
the Senate, although strongly urged by the
President, declined to confirm him, he became
an encumbrance to the administration. But one
morning he was suddenly asked to resign from
place which he had no thought Of leaving
the day before In the career Of Mr.. Alderman,
his successor, we had an almost parallel case
Mr.. Alderman was appointed in the hope that
he might be peace-offering to the loyal
men in the South. The intention was good,
but Mr.. Akerman was in time found to be of
no use to any one in the North or the South
And so one day he was unexpectedly requested
to resign, and successor appointed who was
more IN harmony with the party and repre-
sentative as well of great and growing sec
ton of the country. When Mr.. Cox began to
nurse troubles and worry the President and
annoy the administration he went out of the
Cabinet as suddenly as Mr.. Alderman and Mr..
Hoar All these things seemed to be impulsive
on the part of the President. But there was no
impulse. The President was observing events as
carefully as he observed Lee when command
ing the army He saw when the time for
change had arrived, and he made flank
march.
II the President has carefully observed this
movement in Cincinnati he must see that the
time has come for flank march, for some
thing more than a march, perhaps, brillia mt
strategy and the fiercest battle ever known
in our political history. However much we
may condemn the Cincinnati movement and
despise the men who lead it, and denounce
their chicanery and intrigue, we must see
behind it public opinion which cannot be
despised. We can elect General Grant, we
uIe COILl1toIt, uShluSl uuy uchct. DUJ 10 40
so many things are necessary. He can not be
elected by default. There is no chance for
series of soul-inspiring victories, like those Of
Sherman in Georgia and Sheridan in the VAL
ley, which revived the dormant patriotism of
the people and virtually reelected Abraham
Lincoln in 1854 But there are mistakes that can
be corrected, burdens that can be removed and
victories of peace that may be achieved as
splendid as any victories of war. Above oil
things we need new foreign policy. In this
is our essential weakness. We might criticise
the Treasury management, but it happens that
Mr.. Boutwelrs clumsy handling of the debt
and the Syndicate scandals are forgotten In
the one generally acceptable and popular cir