The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-01-30

tlOn OF MS successor tnat the country Will
be disposed to attribute his occasional short
comings during the eight years he has been
in power rather to the influence of bad
advisers than to his personal impulses. He
ends as he began, in selfreliant spirit OF
superiority to party politicians All his
natural promptings carry him in this
direction, and had he possessed at
the beginning of his first term the
knowledge and experience he has since
acquired his administration would have
ranked among the most independent in
our history. His West Point education
and army associations had infused into his
mind a contempt of party politicians, and
he set out with determination to conduct
the government without their aid. He con-
suited none of the recognized party chiefs
respecting the composition of his first Cabi-
net, and took everybody by surprise when
he sent in the names for confirmation on
the 4th of March, 1869. Nobody can have
forgotten the surprise and CONSERVATION
of the republican party chiefs when Cabi-
net was announced which had been silently
made up in defiance of ordinary rules. It
was too bold nm experiment. for o President
80 new to civil affairs. The appointment
of Alexander r. Stewart for Secretary of the
Treasury had a strong appearance of fitness
and was intended to be the trump card in
the bold game of the new President ; but
when it was discovered that that seemingly
good appointment merely betrayed General
Grants ignorance of the laws and that Mr..
Stewart could not hold the Office mortify
ing check was given to his purpose of con-
Quoting the government without the aid Of
men trained to official life. The nomina-
ton of Mr.. Borie was equally unfor-
President Grants self-confidence was
thus fatally shaken during the first
months of his administration, and, as
it is the tendency Of one extreme to beget
its opposite, he not only had recourse to
politicians, but took the advice Of men who
were mere politicians and not statesmen
Most of the faults of his administration are
attributable to the failure of his first attempt
to be entirely Independent of party chiefs
and the subsequent confidence he gave to
backstairs advisers His original impulse
was not discreditable, but he lacked expert
ence to guide it. He is acting on similar
impulse now, with better qualifications for
making it effective.
No course Of conduct could be more nobly
non-partisan than that which President
Grant has pursued in the recent crisis. He
gave prompt and steady support to the
plan for referring the Presidential dispute
to proper tribunal His aid has been in
valuable in smoothing the way for the tri-
nm liant passage of the bill. 1t was i'm
portant that it should pass by such over
whelming majorities as to break down and
discourage subsequent opposition. The
Presidents early md repeated declarations
that he would sign it emboldened all its
friends and dispirited its republican adver
sarics. Had he given the taintest intima-
tons of disapproval this great measure Of
peace and justice might have been
defeated. But when the vehement re-
publicans who had determined to count
in and inaugurate Hayes ut all hazards
found that the President was not Of their
mind n sudden change came DER the spirit
of their dream. The main prop of their
hopes and endeavors was their expectation
army to secure the instalment of Hayes if
the President of the Senate should declare
him elected. When they found that the
President desired IN impartial counting of
the votes and that he would support the
Inauguration of Tilden with as much vigor
as he would that of Hayes if legal count
should give him the Office, there was o
great abatement of partisan confidence.
The splendid success of the Electoral bill
is largely due to the strong moral and
political support given it by President Grant
while it was pending in Congress- His ele-
waited patriotism and firm devotion to the
public welfare in this great crisis will
reflects unfading lustre on his name. Like
| the best men in Congress he has risen above
partisan views and has done greater service
| than any of them.
The country must not be misled by the
idea that the Presidents veto would have
amounted to nothing since the bill passed
both houses by mnjorities of more than
two-thirds. In the first place, it was
owing to the knowledge of President
Grants position that the majority for the
bill was SO large. In the next place, had
there been o two-thirds majority against his
opposition he could easily have defeated the
bill by ''masterly inactivity" 1t did not
reach him till Monday, and he might have
kept it ten days before it could become q
law. This would have carried it week be-
yond the date assigned for the beginning Of
the count and have necessitated the passage
of another bill fixing different day. The
President could have kept this supplement
tary bill another ten days before it could be-