New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-10-10
SUNDAY EDITION.
OCTOBER 10, 1885.

with himself were 50 close that trey should 10
| chosen for personal reasons a view that his
| experience in civil affairs somewhat modified.
| IL he had served third term in the Presidency
| his selections for the Cabinet would hardly have
been made because he liked the men as compan-
| ions or regarded them as personal friends. At
! this time, also, Raw Inns was constantly urging
! that Grant should have no men about him who
could possibly become his rivals. He was
always pointing TO the trouble that Chase and
! Seward and other asprants had made in Lin
ccln's Cabinet and declared that man who
would not subordinate his own ambition to that
| Of his chief should not be allowed TO enter tho
| Cabinet. Grant never replied 10 remarks Ike
| these but ne would have been no more than
human if he had remembered them. He certainly
now took no man into his Cabinet whose Pres
idcntal aspirations seemed likely TO come into
conflict with his own.
And Grant from the first, | am sure, desired
a reelection. He did not say but no man
can hold the Presidential Office and not 10
anxious for this Endorsement from the people.
| The ambition Is both proper and inevitable
and Grant entertained it, like every President
who either followed or preceded him. have,
however, no idea that he was planning for re-
election thus early and he certainly never adj
mited either at the time or aftcrward,
that such motives affected him in the selection
of Cabinet Ministers. Nevertheless, | thought
then, and think still. that he was determined
to have no rivals near the throne.
On the 9Th Of March the Cabinet appoint
mcnts were sent to the Senate. Nashburno
was to he Secretary Of State; Stewart, Secretary
Of the Treasury R0rie, Secretary OF the NAVY;
CreSyell, Postmastcr-Gcncral; Hoar. Att0r-
ney-(icneral. and Cox. Secretary Of the INTERIOR
Schotcd remained Secretary Of War. II was
soon discovered that Stewart was ineligible TO
| the post for which he had been named. Tho
law declared that no person engaged in trade
should be appointed Secretary Of the Treasury.
| Grant had been ignorant Of this provision. and
| the Senate was equally so. for the NOM
! inatiOn was confirmed unanimously. As soon,
Il ha
Grant requested that Stewart should be ex-
| emptcd bv Congress from the operation OF tho
law but this the Senate was unwilling to con-
code, and Stewards name was accordingly with
drawn Both Grant and Stewart were greatly
mortified at the result. Stewart offered TO
place his business in the hands of trustees dur
ing his entire term of office and 20 devote tho
proceeds 10 some charity or public interest. tub
this was insufficient 20 remove the scfuplcs OF
the Senate, and Grant could not delay the for
nation Of his Cabinet Stewart felt sore hc~
cause Grant gave him ND so soon. and their
friendship was never again so intimate rs 70
once had been The whole occurrence pro-
voked much harsh criticism, and it was SAID
that if Grant had consulted men of civil ex-
pcrencc and not trusted entirely TO his own
judgment and knowledge, the blunder would
never have tecn made.
George II. Boutwell, was hurTic1ly selected
fer the Treasury but as he and lIoar were both
from Massachusetts,, another change became
almost inevitable. Hoar, indeed, rrma nct
position Of Chlcf-Justicc on his retirement. b1t
the Senate refused 10 confirm him. lie nat
| urallv dislikcd to be displaced 10 make room IN
another department, and his relations with tho
President were always some hat strained. no
knew from the first that his position was IN
secure, and was never the warm friend Of the
President that rs Cabinet Minister he might
otherwise have been. At least so Grant always
thought.
AMI now. a. Wilson declined the position Of
Secretary of State and Washburne was not
10 be allowed to remain, it became necessary to
find substitute. In this emergency tram
offered the place to Hamilton Fish, Of New
York. and sent Colonel BabcOck. one Of his new
secretaries, TO that city with the proposition.
Tho offer WAS entirely uncXpcc ed by Fish.
and at first he was not inclined 10 accept II:
| He would indeed, have preferred the post or
Minister to England and 1t required some urg-
ing before he consented to enter the Cabinet
| Thus the two NEST important places IN the new
Government wee filled hy men who had nOs
been originally selected by Grant men, how
ever, who proved themselves not only the etii-
Gent public servants they had been before, hut
as faithful friends 10 their new chef rs any Oh
his earlier or later associates.
Meanwhile Bore had read the notification
| Of his aDpOintment rs Secretary Of the Navy,
and proceeded TO Washington TO thank the Pres
dent and decline the honor. | was intimate
| with him and knowing has reluctance to accept
the post met HIN ~ the station 70 do what L
could 10 change MS feeling. | represented tho
/
changes and disapponmcnts, the blnndcr about
Stewart, the uncertainty about Fish and Cox
and Hoar who had all teen taken 10y surprise.
AMI the Gl>crcdit il would bring on the new
Administration { still another Cabinet Minister
DELAYED or declined. Bore was personally verv
much attached to Grant and | urged that his
| acquescenCc under the circumstances would
lie an act OF positive friendship. lie finally
| consented TO remain in the Cabinet for a few
months. until the President could find sue
ccssOr without Increasing he public dlssai sfac-
| ton at hose frequent changes. Or course 10
! was his regard for Grant that dcclled BOric,
but he often laughingy said to me that but Tor
my urging he would not have entered tho
| Cabinet
Cox and IIoar also finally accepted the honor
| rendered but not until Tic former Gencrll-ln-
Chief discovered that he could not order en-
ncnt civilians into Office as he had been used
% send soldiers 70 a new command He was
somewhat, surprised that any one should hcsi-
tate 10 accept the position he offered, but as
matter of fact nearly every memlcr OF ms Gan
met but Rawlns had to he urged to take his
place Even if their ambition was graticf.
The snddcnncs, Of the summons found them
urprcparcd hey had their private aiialrs 10
arrange. and every man ASSUMING h Oh DO
itcal place desires some time TO fit himself prop
Crlv for his new career
Thus Washbune was supplantcd in a week
Iy Fish Stewards name was Withdrawn and
Bon wells substituted. Schofcld was followed
before The end Of the month ly Rawlins; and in
less than year Alderman SuC,ccheu iIou.
All of these changes came from Grants mex
pnriencc and from the secrecy with which no
had yelled his in eniionS, not only from he IN
d,yduals most afTcc cd. but from others who
might have predicted, or perhaps prevented
what occurred.
Finally, however, the Cabinet wa constrnc ell
and the new President began his Admlnistr.i-
ton of the Government He was the same man
who had been surrounded at Belmont and
nearly crushed ut Shiloh, who had ploided
through the marshes Of Vicksburg and fought
the weary forty days in the Wilderness. lie
had made, indeed, A false start, but 1t was mob
the first time and one rebuff never daantcd
or discouraged Grant. He remembered thai
he had overcome Johnson in politics as well -
Lee IN war, and he felt 10 unwlllmgness OF
inability to cope with his new difficulties.
IL.