The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-08-28

GRANT, it will be remembered. accepted
BELKNAP's resignation with regret" In-
deed, the President has always regretted
10 part officially with friends who were I'M
fortunate enough to be caught In the aot
BELKNAP was his friend. He never failed
IN pinch, like Cox OF BRIsTow, and never
made false pretence OF conscience, like
poor JEWELL. He was ready for anything
10 long as his quiet little tiaffic In post
leadership was undisturbed. lie was par
touiarly helpful in Southern affairs, and
when the "law officer" of the Govern
ment was LANDAULEr WILLIAMS. they got
Along beautifully together, and the Presi-
nent was happy. When SHERIDAN at
tempted to murder a commonwealth,
peized lite Legislature, and outlawed its
people. BELKNAP rushed of ia an ecstacy
and telegraphed him that 1.-THE President
and oil of us" were delighted with his law
less brutality. The despatch was grossly
offensive falsehood so far as 1t related to
BRIsTow and perhaps rs to JEWELL; but
that only made the impudenoe of lite fab
rication the more meritorious in the eyes
Of GRANT.
BELKNAP was very dear to GRANT and to
his party; and when he was driven from
pfiice by an unreasonable House OF Repre-
penta.ives merely for selling traderships
and fleeing soldiers, there was great dis
may In the camp. They feared they never
should look upon his like again. They
tried Father TAFT for few weeks, but as
Secretary of War he was sorry failure
He was a kindly, plant old gentleman
very grateful to GRANT for his sudden
distinction, and willing to let things go
about US they did before. But he was
evidently not the man for the place. He
felt that he would rather be excused from
turning the crank OF an outrage mill,
OF Issuing orders TO the army to
trample down the rights Of citizens In
peaceful and unresisting communities.
He was therefore summary relieved and
sent over to doze in the Department of
Justice, to be walked up occasionally for
m "opinion in justification of some adj
ministration outrage long after its COM
mission, or to make out an appointment
for a District Attorney, or prepare a par
don for whiskey thief, about which no
body had ever thought of consulting him.
n reports be true, he Is even now burning
the midnight oil over an opinion which
argues that the President may lawfully
precipitate the army upon any State in the
Union in time OF profound peace. and
without any call from it's Governor or
Legislature, provided only that his patri-
otto object be to carry an election for the
Republican party.
This, indeed. is very high degree in
Grantism to be taken by a respectable old
gentleman like Father TAFT, and the news
Of II will probably be received with no
little surprise by his neighbors in Ohio
who knew him but the other day as a rath-
or peaceahle and well-disposed citizen,
who never betrayed any marked propen-
nty TO steal or murder, or stuff ballot
boxes. But very short occupancy of the
seat Of WIILIAMs-a very brief association
with GRANT and BABCoCK, SHEPHERD and
RoBEsoN, CHANDLER and CAMERON, JOHN
PATTERSON and X ELLoGG-have sufficed to
transform the venerable Mr.. TAFT from a
decent country attorney into worthy
successor of MUNsoN PIERREPoNT. He Will
certainly give any opinion his master calls
Tor, and as that is about the only use his
master is likely to have for him, he will
doubtless be permitted to keep his present
office until our Uncle SAMUEL shows him
the door.
But he was too sleepy for the War De-
partmenr. There GRANT required a man
Of anotaer stamp. Circumstances over
which he had no control prevented the
retention OF BELKNAP: but the President
consoled himself with the reflection that
of the many loose-hngered gentlemen in
bis party, there must be one VINO would
be quite rs efficient as BELKNAP, and who
had not the present misfortune to stand
impeached or indicted He had heard
much of Mr.. Don CAMERON, ms q Ring
CHIEF and ballot-box suffer whose name
had long been terror to the good people
of Pennsylvania, and whose little finger,
II laid upon the South. Tor the purpose OF
carrying an election, would be heavier
than the loins of his impeached and in
dicted BELKNAP. Don, he was well aware,
had no more sentiment than one of the
spawned mules he sold to the Government
under the administration of his illustrious
father in 1861, or one of the Winnebago
Indians skinned by SIMON in 1868. Brought
mp at the feet of SIMON, in company with
- +iANhLl ubu hAfN, Hlb
In tho art of carrying elections by force
and fraud must necessarily DO of the high
sst order.
The Presidents isolation was growing
painful. His trusted friends were step
ping down and out on every side, each
with the nations hiss OF "thiefln in his
rear. ScHENcK, BELKNAP, SHEPHERD, VIII
LAMs, DELANo, CHEswEII, BABcocK,
carpet-baggers, brothers-in-law, Whiskey
thieves, bIibe takers an endless process
sion Of the Presidents favoritts marching
down into the shades Of historical infamy.
He had thought he would continue to the
close without loading up with SIMON CAM
ERoN. SIMON had led him on various fishing
excursions into the Nilds Of Pennsylvania,
and, between drinks and bites, poured
into his ear the tale II DoNs eXtraordl-
nary accomplishments. and stll GRANT had
remained finn. But he was in sore want OF n
ne" prop to lean upon-tha old ones being
rotten ana shaky-and in the eighth year
oi MS dlsgracoful administration he stag
kcrea up ana fell against SIMON CAMERON
"S 'ho last hope of support. SIMON al
'H'y agreed to pull him through 10