New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-11-19
and fully, or shall rule that they
need do no more than raise a reasonable doubt.
QUE CORRESPONDENCE AND OUR CRITICS.

dispatch from Washington giving the current
gossip in Government circles III regard to the
Cabinet which President Arthur would prob
ably select, and calling especial attention to the
fact that all the names mentioned were OF
men identified with the Third Term move
ment of last year. Since then, the statements
contained in that letter have been amply
confirmed from many different quarters. Every
paper in this city has had letter from
Washington reiterating with more or less ac-
curacy the rumors to which we had called the
public notice, and the Associated Press has at
last repeated them as the common talk OF
Washington.
IL is hard to see how any rational beng
could object TO a newspapers printing news so
important as this. But a snail portion OF the
noople and press Of this country appear to
live for no other purpose than to object
to what THE TRIBUNE does, and they have
found an apparently ineXhaustible subject
in this innocent letter. To begin WITH 1t
has been attributed to Mr.. Blaine, which we
accent rs an undescryed but still grateful
compliment to our correspondent, and pass on
II basncxt been characterized rs an assault upon
the President. Even those Stalwart sheetswhich
daily and weekly clamOr that the Cabinet
must be COMPOSED of " the Presidents friends "
find if atrocious that THE TRIBUNE should
inform them that their wish is to be gratitied
1t is useless to reason with these people. If
any good Republicans fear that THE
TRIBUNE is disposed to make diicul-
ties for President Arthur, it is a pleas
ure to inform them that their fears are VAIN
We propose TO give his Administration a cordial
though sclf-rcSpccting support; and when we
hear a rumor, which seems well-founded oil IN
intention on his part to take a course of action
which we are unable to approve we shall not
hesitate i'm his interest rs well rs that of the
public, to make known the views of TIE
TRIBUNE in regard to It. So far rs the ap-
pointncnt of his Cabinet is concerned we
recognize his full legal, constitutional right to
select such Ministers rs he chooses. At the
same time VIC claim our legal right to say
what we think proper of his selections We
do not claim to be withou. prejudice but the
prejudice is in the Presidents favor. We do
not ask him to make such Cabinet rs Gar
field did, or as Hayes did that would be I'M
possible. We do not even say that
Cabinet composed from top to bottom of
statesmen classified a. Grant men" would
be undcserying the confidence of the country
or the support of tie Republican party. We
shall wait TO see who its members are before
condemnng even such Cabinet rs that But
q Cabinet of ghosts and advcnturcrs, some OF
whose names have been filling the Washing
ton dispatches for week past, would suit
neither Republican newspapers nor Republican
voters. There Is nothing disrespcctful or dis
loyal in saying this much beforehand, and per-
haps it max not be necessary 20 say anything
more.
Among the people who did not like the
letter in TIE TRIBUNE, if we may judge from
several reported interviews, was General Grant.
The letter alluded to some Of his recommen-
datous to places in the public service, with
a reserve and courtesy which seem not
to have been appreciated by him Every
body knows his freely expressed opinion of the
highest officers of the Government and his con-
viction that sweeping changes ought to be
made. and there is no reason why his
recommendations and his efforts to inlu-
cnce the new Administration should not be a
matter of publis comment The interviews
in which he is said 10 have denounced
TIE TRIBUNE with some bitterness were,
we should hope not accurately reported.
We should be sorry 10 think that the
expressions he is said to have used in
regard to the Secretary of State ever passed
his lips; and we have never thought that be
was guilty of the following language attributed
to him in reference to THE TRIBUNE: During
"thc past six weeks certain friends of The
"TRInrNE nave been to me repeatedly to ask
"my good Offices to ntcrccdc for them with
"Prcsdcnt Arthur These gentlemen said that
"selves in harmony with the President, a.
"they had been with Mr. Garfield. In case
"t this could be done, they are ready to desert
"the Half-brecd flag, and to give the Admin
"stration then most cordial aud hearty sup
"port" After few other sentences of the
same tenor, the cX-Prcsidcnt is reported
to have threatened, in case he was not
let alone, to give tho full details of
the transaction referred to. We repeat
that we do not believe General Grant
ever made use of such language, and we have
therefore, up to this time. taken no notice Of
1t. But a certain number of papers have cop
led and commented upon it, and given it an
importance which it never deserved. II may,
therefore, be Is well to say one word about
it. Believing that General Grant did not utter
it, we can therefore say without any intention
of discourtesy to him that it is wholly untrue
that there is not one word of truth in it any
where. If we believed General Grant said it,
we would request him to tell all he knows, or
thinks he knows so that it may be seen
whether in the ollice-seel,ing gang that sur
round him night and day there was really one
who pretended that he represented or could
influence this paper.
II is needless to say that THE TRIBUNE has
hitherto supported Mr.. Arthur and hopes to
support him in future upon public and not
OH private grounds; that when its Editor
desires any communication with the President