New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-01-09
Politicians WITHOUT POLICY.

| In one of MIR. Herbert Spencers essays
| which tell us in such q striking manner what
| we always knew, he makes some admirable
| observations upon tho indisputable fact that
nobody understands his own business; no
cobbler knows anything about the foot, no
| barber anything about the head, no chalr-
| maker anything of the human frame. In ike
| manner we are compelled to observe every
day that politicians seem to know nothing
about politics. 1t is not surprising that uen
| Grant should commit 80 fatal a bunder as
that of attempting to organize stare LegS-
| Iature at the point of the bayonet lie does
not claim to be versed in politics or law. lie
has made his ignorance in both these branches
n matter of some pride. But it does seem IN
credible that he should have been able to
infect all the politicians in his party with his
own madness in regard to this vital
matter. His Cabinet is composed OF
men pretty we'll acquainted with the
world, some Of them bred to politics from
their youth up. If sense of what is due to
constitutional law and to common equity does
not cause Mr.. Fish, Mr.. BristOw and Mr.
Jewell to protest against such outrageous per-
formances, what are we to think OF the po-
litcal sense or sagacity of such men as Co
lumbus Delano, who see themselves calmly
destroyed by dispatches like that of Gen.
Belknapf The Secretary of War may not
have known what he was doing to the repu-
tation of his colleagues when he sent that
fatuous message to Gen. Sheridan, the Presi-
I" dent and all of us thoroughly approve" but
he would hardly have dared to do 1T, II he
had not been warranted in it. 1t seems not
possible that they should be unconscious
either of the crimnality of the Presidents
act. or of the universal condemnation which
it is receiving from the country, but in any
other case, they have accepted partnership
in his folly and its consequences with dev0-
ton which has no parallel except in Oriental
legends.
Nor does there seem in Congress to be any
instinct of self-preservatiOn. Every one out
side of the Capitol saw three days ago, that
there was nothing but ruin in standing by the
President in this senseless escapade, and
nothing but credit and profit in instantly de-
nouncing it. But Washington seems to be
bad atmosphere for seeing things. Or the
whole Administration party In the two Houses
of Congress there has not yet appeared sim
gle member who recognizes that the defense
of this induty is fatal and impossible. Easy
glory awaits the ono who first attacks it, but
he does not present himself. On the contrary
our own eloquent Senator, moved by some In
sane impulse of devotion, was the first to
throw himself under the wheels of the adj
vancing destruction. When we saw Dir. Conk-
ling rising to defend this monstrOus blunder
of the President, we could hardly help ex-
claiming in Jamie Lamberts words of gener-
GUS sorrow, "There's q laddie flung away
"clean flung away" OF course Gen. Butler
did not surprise u.s. that statesman may
always be relied on to defend every bad cause
which needs his perverse ingenuity. But
great many good men were grieved to see that
Judge lockwood Hoar had nothing but q jest
to offer to the debate aroused in the House of
Representatives 10y an allusion to this inexcus-
able and dangerous wrong.
1t is not merely the politicians depending
upon the Administration who seem unaware
of the importance of this occasion. There is
an Opposition Legislature sitting at Albany.
They arc not likely to hear, in all their po-
lltical lives, a piece of news half so impOr-
tant as that of this violation of the COnstitu
ton by Gen. Grant. They should have been
first of all the State Legislatures to express
their sense of the enormity of the proceeding.
If they wanted o more particular cause and
provocation, they had it in the action of Sen
ator Conking, using his representation of the
sovereignty of New-York to defend tho viola
ton of the sovereignty of sister State in n
time of peace. But without one ord of re-
mark or protest from any quarter the Legis-
lature adjourned over until next Tuesday.
One would naturally think that men who owe
their places to popular votes, would pay some
attention to popular opinion. But the New
York Legislature is too busy looking after
the appointment of pages and clerks of COM
mittees to think about an event which prom
Uses to form an epoch in American politics.
The people are not apathetic. There is very
little difference of opinion among them. Our
| leading merchants, bankers lawyers, and CAPT
talists, without distinction of party, men who
have never scratched a Republican ticket in
| twenty years as well as those who have never
| voted one. took the pains yesterday to sign
| their names to the call for the meeting on
Monday next, which is to give voice to the
DISTINGUISHED indignation of New-York over
| this criminal attack upon law and liberty.
But the people who make their living out of
| popular currents are so filled with their own
petty affairs and passions that they cannot be
made to see that this question is an absorbing
aud final one.
TIE CURRENCY BILL.
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