The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-04-24

has definitely retired from the Office of Attor-
ney General, and that Mr. Delano will soon
resign the Portfolio of the Interior.
This, at the least, is the way we
read the rews. There are many rea-
sons assigned for the act, for under this
administration the old axiom has been always
observed, that few die and none resign.
Mr.. Williams has had run of ill-luck In the
Cabinet. In the Senate he stood very high,
and when his term expired he was looked
upon as man the party would delight to
honor. lie served acceptably as q member Of
the Joint High Commission. As Attorney
General he gave satisfaction until he was
named for the Supreme Bench. The
criticism and reproach, not unmixed with
envy, probably, which this sudden and
whimsical nomination excited injured
Mr. Williams. 1t was found that even
his own party would not confirm him.
lie never recovered from that blow. 1t was
cruel In the President to force him to this
test. Under more sensitive administration
Alr. Williams would have resigned, as the cen
sure of his party made his usefulness in any
tent to sit on the Bench how could he be com
petent to advise the President IN matters of
law affecting the honor and the peace Of the
country But the President who has stub
born element of fidelity about him, would not
abandon his Attorney General.
Mr.. Williams has consequently remained in
the Cabinet but his usefulness has been at
an end He has never had the respect of the
country since his defeat in the Senate This
has appeared in certain recklessness of
party devotion quite out Of keeping with an
Office almost judicial He has been the most
consistent partisan in the Cabinet When any
thing was to be done for ''the cause, when
Safe was to be dragooned into obedience or
robbed Of her sovereignty, the Attorney Gen
eral was prompt and ready. The President
has had no more obedent minister, and now
that docility is no longer required the COM
plant Williams is forced into retirement.
There have been rumors Of his seeking one
mission or the other-of his being sent te
Russia and Spain. But Mr. Williams prob
ably feels that he has more friends at home,
and that in America at least he can live with
out making explanations. We do not doubt
that when the record Of this Cabinet is made
up the Attorney General will be regarded as
an unfortunate rather than IN altogether I'M
worthy man. He always seemed to us to be
no better and no worse than his associates.
He is not as good an officer as Judge
Hoar, but he is much better than Alderman.
His partsanship was more the effect OF MS
associations and his responsibilities than from
any express desire to reduce a legal into apar-
tisan place Ii the President had insisted
upon his Attorney General attending TO law
and ignoring politics we have no doubt Mr..
Williams would have been well enough con-
tent. He would have had an easier and
more honorable position, and he would have
retired from the Office with higher fame as
lawyer than what be has earned But, unfor-
tunately for Mr.. Williams many things had
TO be done. lie WAS content to do them and
TO accept the odium of the actions. Because
OF that odium he must now retire from the
Cabinet '1or the good Of the administration. "
Dir. Delano would seem to be in the same
position. Mr.. Delano, when in Congress,
docile in the party traces. the had remained
there he would probably have turned up at
the Cincinnati Convention like ]. y. Cox, and
by this time have become q model statesman
like Carl Schurz, who, few years ago, was
Swild, crazy RADICAL" but now that he has
left his party has become an "illustrious" and
oindependent" statesman like Dorsheimer
and John Cochrane. But when Mr.. Delano
entered the Cabinet he became sturdy and
resolute party man, believing in drill and
discipline and the ''cause." II he could not
shout as Justify for the cause as the eloquent
and resounding Jewell he had a silent eff
cheney in forcing results which commended
him to the President aud the majority. At
one time he was thought of for the Treasury.
If Boutwell, could only have been excayated
out Of the Cabinet his place would have been
given to Delano. But there was good deal
of the geological formation about Boutwell,,
and he remained until by some volcanic
action IN Massachusetts, politics be was pitched
into the Sennte. But Delano had by that
time outhved his usefulness. His department
began to have an i'll name. This, We sup
pose, is because the Interior will always have
an i'll name. II is a sort Of barnyard to the
Cabinet, and IS filed with all manner of
noisome debris. There were Indian rings
and pension frauds and land grant troubles
and difficulties about patents, and it became
evident to the country that the Secretary Of the
Treasury should come from purer atmos-
phere than the Department Of the Interior. Mr.
Delano has not been as hearty in craftsmanship
since Mr. Bristows appointment to the Treas
ury. Whether he is justly judged or not fur
be it from Us 70 say. But the impression has
become general that the Interior Department
is corrupt and that Mr.. Delano has not made
himself conspicuous in arresting corruption.
W. cannnt snv how trun this IL and We nrn-