The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-04-08

Grant resisted the appeal and how ardently
he desired to remain In the position so con-
genial to his tastes and 80 richly earned. His
objections were 0verruled, and the people
placed him at the head of the government he
had saved In the field. When the new Presi-
dent took possession Of the White House his
natural independence and honesty led him to
make choice himself, in some degree, of
his appointees and he especially insisted upon
the right to select his Cabinet officers whom
he regarded as his staff But he was entirely
ignorant of political maneuvring, and
the sharp, experienced politicians who
surrounded him exercised. of course,
great influence over his action
unknown to himself His new position was to
him an experiment. He had declared his con-
viction before his nomination Of his inability
to grapple with the grave questions that were
certain to arise in the settlement of the
country after SO long and so peculiar a strug-
gle, and had expressed his belief that states
man was more needed than soldier at the
head of the government at that time. But
when elected to the Presidency he was firm in
nation with honesty and fidelity, and he
trusted to his integrity of purpose to carry him
safely through the trial. 1t was natural that he
should make mistakes, and he did not escape
them; but they were such as he can in future
rectify and avoid, and we are confident that the
lessons Of four years experience will not be
lost upon him. There are but few men in his
position who would have succeeded as well as
he has succeeded in his first term of Office,
and the success of his administration is attri-
butable to the earnest sincerity of his patri-
otism and to the singleness of his purpose to
do his duty He purified at once, in great
degree, the Internal Revenue Department,
and If he was in some instances imposed
upon, 1t must be remembered that he was
then the President chosen by an exacting
party; that he felt under political obligations
to the men who beset and surrounded him at
the national capital, and that the nice sense of
honor taught him by his military education
rendered the idea of ingratitude revolving to
his mind. He had then no party of the people
at his back. He is now the candidate of the
people and not of political organization. He
could be nominated as we'll on the street cor
ners and the crossroads as in the Philadelphia
Convention, and would be as certainly elected
He will owe fealty in the future, not to the re-
publican party, but to the people; for the lead
ing men of that party-the men who were the
most importunate in pressing his acceptance
of the Presidency four years ago-have turned
upon him as an enemy, while the people have
taken him in their arms and are ready to raise
him again to power over the heads of all the
politicians In the Union.
The HERALD has supported and will con-
tinue to support the administration of General
Grant, but that administration must continue
to deserve the favor Of an independent
press. We recognize in the President a
pure, sincere American, jealous of the
honor Of his country and anxious to
restore to the government something of the
honesty and integrity of the early days of the
republic A similar faith on the pars of the
people has carried two States, and will, we
believe, re-elect General Grant for another
| term by an almost unanimous vote in the
Electoral College in spite of boiling conven-
tons, sore-headed grumbers and passive pol
icy coalitions. While we regard the Custom
House and French arms Investigations as mere
political intrigues, we believe that the Presi-
dent will carry out faithfully the laws against
public robbers, and will enforce honesty
in every department of the government.
We applaud him for the resolution
displayed in his prosecution Of the enormous
revenue frauds, and we recognize in the
muster of Sheridan's troopers on the Rio
Grande wise determination on the part of
the administration to follow the counsel of the
HERALD in its Mexican policy. We believe
the presence of Fighting Phil on the border
will be as effective now as it was once before,
when it induced the Emperor Napoleon to
make short work of the withdrawal of his
army from the Inflated scene of Maximilian's
transitory glory and early death. We are
confident that General Grant will pay prompt
attention to the Indian Agency corruptions,
and will apply Of his own action short and
sharp remedy to that crying evil But there
will be yet wider field of reform open to him
after the fourth Of next March. His entire
independence of politicians and Of party will
enable him to sweep away every incompetent
or suspected officer in the government service
and to make his new selections without regard
to political considerations. There is also one
other new departure that the President may
deem it proper to take at the commence
| ment of his second term. No act OF
| his life has been nobler or more self-denying
| than his resignation as General of the army
upon his election to the Presidency of the
United States. There was no real necessity
for the sacrifice, and many of his friends urged
him to retain the rank that gave him a life
position congenial to his tastes, joined with a
princely income. General Grant refused to
establish precedent that he believed might