The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-03-14
The ProsidentY supplementary an
More Explicit Inaugural.

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as supplementary to and more explicit than
his inaugural ON the 4th of March. Here we
have, in the neatest and most concise form
and Invested of all surplusage of words or
State formality, the opinion and policy Of
General Grant on the prominent public ques-
tons of the day. Every one felt desire to
know if there is to be a reconstruction or
material change in the Cabinet especially in
view of Mr.. Boutwell, leaving the Treasury
Department in consequence of being elected
to the United States Senate to know if there
would be any change in the financial policy of
| the government through the retirement of Mr..
Boutwell,; to learn the views of the Executive
as to Cuban affairs and the prospect of peace
or trouble with Spain to ascertain what the
policy will be toward ST. Domingo, the SANTANA
Bay Company and Hayt; to learn if the
President will make journey through the
Southern States to speak words of peace and
encouragement to the people there; to know
what course is to be pursued in the Louisiana
difficulty, and to understand how the Mormon
and the Modoc Indian questions are to be dis
posed Of; and the President has spoken
frankly on all these subjects His 4th Of
March Inaugural was very good, but it
was characterized by that generalization
which all such official and formal docu-
ments have. There was the difference between
his expressions then and those made to our
Commissioner that there is between what one
says in speaking in open meeting and to
confessor. The President is naturally disposed
IN ho rofioapt op1 ic NOT fyivay, IN Lo Cou-
fessions; but on this occasion he felt undoubt-
edly, that the medium was good one and that
he could not do better than to make clean
breast to the public through the HERALD. We
must say, however, that he adroitly probed
or interviewed our representative with as much
cleverness as he was probed. On the whole,
it was, to use the language of our CORE
| spondence s'an agreeable conversation on
public affairs" and, we may add, of unusual
importance just at this time.
Well, then, the President did not say who is
to be Secretary of the Treasury in place of Mr..
Boutwell,, for that was hardly to be expected,
and perhaps he does not know himself yet;
but he did say he twas not aware of any
public necessities requiring reconstruction
| y
direct one, though put in the diplomatic way
of asking if the impression prevailing that q
reconstruction of the Cabinet would take place
was "well founded The President reminded
his interviewer or confessor that this was a
dedicate matter" and then said that he saw
no public necessity for Cabinet reconstruc-
ton. Putting these things together, we con-
plate making any other changes in his official
family than the retirement of MIR. Boutwell,
calls for, and that, as regards the appointment
of Secretary Of the Treasury, he will take time
to maturely consider the matter This MEANS
probably, that MIR. Boutwell, will remain
where he is till sworn in as a Senator and
that Assistant Secretary Richardson will act as
Secretary till the President deliberately sur
veys the whole field OF politics and public
opinion. General Grant is eminently con-
sentative, and, not having the intuitive in
stincts Of great or an experienced statesman,
he acts cautiously in all his movements. AS far
as firm adherence to his own views will admit
he will be guided by popular sentiment.
Our Wall street men, as well as the people
generally, feel deeply interested in the finan-
cial policy of the new, or rather renewed,
administration For their information them
our Commissioner has ascertained that there
will be no change "Upon this point" the
President said, 81 wish it to be distinctly
understood that no diversion and no new
experiments in the financial policy of the
administration are contemplated, and that
consequently no disturbance in the business
affairs of the country is apprehended. Let
well enough alone is a good rule until we are
sure Of something better. No. sir; no change
is contemplated, with the retirement of Mr.
Boutwell, in the general financial policy of
the government. The system pursued has
met with the appreciation of the country, and
with that am content" Such response
would have been creditable to Talleyrand
Those who think the President is not astute
are mistaken. His reelection turned in part
upon the popular plea of liquidating the debt
and enhancing the public credit-a matter not
to be lost sight of, though the heavy taxation
and wonderful resources of the country we're
more instrumental than the Treasury Depart
ment in bringing about that result. Still the
President says only that he does not contem-
plate any change, thus leaving it to be UNDER
stood that he may be governed by circum-
stances. To say the least, his policy, like his
nature, is conservative.
Now. with regard to Cuba, the President is
merely prophetic He does not touch the
question of belligerent rights. He does not
say what the government is going to do. But
he does say that it is his impression that before
the end of the year the independence of Cuba
will be established. This expression is very
significant, while it does not commit the
government to any particular course of action.
| T ~ he no tol-a r