The New York herald., 1874-11-20
se.sonable Rumors-Canards in the

seasonable Rumors-Canards In tho
This is the time for ducks. and SO look out
for canards. We presume there is no better
reason for the expressive French word canard
than that stories, like ducks, fly about in wan
ton wandering fashion. The true journalist
can do nothing better than initiate the true
sportsman and shoot them as they fly. We
have observed one curious trait about the
canard, that if not true it is generally what
people would like to have true There is another
reason for the derivative, in this that nothing
is more certain than that sportsmen are never
so anxious to see the ducks as when there
are none to be seen.
| Since the election-the tidal wave. the over
own rhetoric may prefer people have been
looking toward Washington with straining
eyes. They certainly think the time has
come to see something. And in this anxious
mood, like travellers misled by the mirage, or
sportsmen lying with expectant gun in open
boat all night, they fancy they see what is too
often mere canard, foolish story on the
wing flying about until it disappears in the
waters and the mist. Everybody felt that the
President, if he were the true, manly, sensi-
BILE Ulysses Grant who made Lee captive
under the apple tree, would learn the lesson
of the November defeats, as he learned the
lessons Of Shiloh and the Wllderness-re-
trieve his mistake, reorganize his armies, dis
miss corrupt and foolish generals and
find his Phil Sheridan, his Sherman,
his Meade and his Terry in politics as. he
found them in war that he would change the
Cabinet, which was simply group Of staff
officers, not statesmen, and call to his side the
real leaders of the party-the men who had
made it party when the President was q
modest but sincere democrat. Out Of this ex-
pectation grew the belief, which became q
story and finally grew into the proportions Of
the ''highest authority" that Mr.. Washburne
had been summoned and was about to come
home and serve Grant with the friendship he
showed in the beginning of his career.
Everybody hoped this and in time believed
it. But now we learn from Washington that
it is q canard. Our correspondent tells us
that the President has not summoned Mr..
Washburne and "does not want his advice" If
our correspondent exactly reports the words
of the second Washington we are afraid the
father of his country is not in the best humor
He is not now in the position to despise the
advice of any statesman, more especially
such man as Elihu B. Washburne. Of
course, if the President wants to keep his
Cabinet like stone wall, dead, inert, express
sionless, cold, simply to butt his head against
it, as he did in the November elections, he does
not reed the advice Of Mr.. Washburne, or of
any one, unless it may be competent medical
adviser. But, although our correspondent re-
ports the Washburne story canard, is it a
canard? May there not be another canard
behind this one? Who says the President
denied this story with the sharpness of temper
indicated by our correspondent It may be
that General Babcock, Mr.. Fish or some of
the staff officers who hold Cabinet portfolios
deny it and speak "by authority" But do
they speak by authority? Do they know any,
thing about it? The President was never
prone to wear his heart upon his sleeve for
DAVIS to peck at, and we do not think he does
so now.
Still let the correspondents have their way
about it. Put it down as a canard and let it
fly. At the same time we remember that when
Frederick the Great intended to invade Silesia
he told no one of his purpose but one Minister
When Napoleon set out TO invade Belgium
before Waterloo no one knew the object of
his march. When the President means to
make his campaign we shall know it when it is
made. So the question may well arise, is this
canard a canard after all? Let US wait and
see.
Remedies for State Reputation.
A statement has recently been made and
copied in the public press that, under the