New-York tribune., 1874-11-11
THE PRESIDENTS LAST BID.

| II is impossible to take in all at once the
full extent of character like the Presidents.
He is so free from any convictions on subjects
of government and the national welfare that
there is no fOrecastiDg anything he may do.
He is capable of doing right from the most
ignOble motives, or of doing wrong from no
motives at all. What he did yesterday is no
indication of what he will do tomorrow. for
he seems as destitute of memory as he is of
Imagination. He has accustomed himself to
think so exclusively of his own immediate
advantage that every change of the political
situation induces him to reconstruct his
political principles and his knowledge of the
field of politics, their tendencies and pros
poets, is so vague and so narrow that his
notions of expedency are as whimsical as the
Inconsistencies to which they give rise.
So long as he shut himself up in silence and
left his intentions to conjecture, there was
some opportunity for his supporters to make
out case for him. Every one naturally de-
sires to think well of the President, and to
give him little more than full credit when
ever it is possible. When last Spring he
emerged from the mystery in which his finan
cial views had been shrOuded and vetoed the
Initiation bill, no one grudged him the hearty
praise he everywhere received for this salu-
tary act. He had only to stand by the posi-
ton then assumed to end his administration
with certain degree of credit But it now
seems that the late elections have effected
complete change in what he regards as his
opinions in respect to the currency. and he
hastens to let the country know what it has
to expect from him. The organ of the
Administration in NewYork yesterday made
a statement of his position which we have
no doubt is perfectly authentic, and if any
thing was wanting to the mastery portrait
of the President drawn by Senator Sumner, it
is now furnished in this sketch from an official
hand. We print this singular piece of uncOn-
scious invective in another column. No enemy
could have dared to accuse the President of
such imbecile dishonesty as his dOcile organ
innocently sets forth. 1t says: The present
" Republican Administration. since the elec-
" ton of last week, feel relieved from all
"obligations to force hard money on the
country" 1t then gives sketch of the
Presidents action in favor of hard money, its
motives and result. He recommended return
to specie payments urged by the financial
"people of New-York" The organ makes
haste to exculpate him from any suspicion
of having done this from principle. He was
made to believe that this was the popular
sentiment" So this was the reason which
induced him to veto initiation after having
prepared message in its favor. He thus took
issue "wth score of his best friends in
Congress from the West" who believed such
a policy unpopular They decided, however,
not 10 oppose him but keep the party together.
The result betrays the organ into burst of
pathetic reproach against the anti-infationists.
"The veto was sustained, and the President
"was warmly congratulated in certain quar-
ters where he was not supported last Tues
day."
That is to say, tie President favored specie
payments because he thought the hard money
men, who elected him 10 1872, could be in
duced to vote for him in 1876, if he would
pretend to be on their side They have not
sustained him this year, he thinks, and there
is no longer any reason why he should not
try to strike up bargain with the infationists
The inspired organ goes on to say: 1t is
row sufficiently clear to the. Republican
"hdal'nistration that tko C.1L,ry was not