Year: 1869

The Death Of Secretary RawIins-The Cabi.


net Question.


The death of General Rawlins, late Secretary
of War. leaves an important vacancy In the
Cabinet. Awar democrat of the Douglas school
in his political antecedents, General Rawlins,
unlike General Logan, had not drifted into the
extremes of radicalism. On the contrary, he
Cabinet of the liberal ideas and conciliatory
policy of General Grant. From the day when
the Galena tanner took the young Galena
lawyer into his service in the army as his chief
of staff the close confidential relations estab-
lished between these two men were strength
ened to the end of their patriotic copartner-
ship. No man connected with the administra-
ton, we dare say, not excepting even General
Sherman, possessed so intimately the con-
fidence or knew 80 well the peculiar mind or
the opinions and purposes of General Grant
as his devoted friend and sagacious adviser,
Rawlins. The loss of this confidential adviser
and thoroughly devoted friend is, therefore,
serious loss to the President, and in casting
about to fill the vacancy some time may be re-
quired to reach satisfactory selection.


The Cabinet disclosures which have followed
the late Virginia and Tennessee elections are
very interesting. We have learned through
them, for instance, that Secretary of the
Treasury Boutwell, and Postmaster General
Creswell were active and earnest colaborers
in said elections in behalf of the radical
party and for the defeat of the new Southern
party of liberal republicans and progressive
democrats. We know, however, that it was
under the wing of General Grants administra-
ton and Southern policy that this new party
that inspired by these successes, the same
political elements are coming together in all the
other Southern States. We have seen, too, the
failures of the radicals of Virginia and of Ten
nessee to induce the administration to interfere
in their behalf in upsetting these late elections,
and in the official opinion of Attorney
General Hoar on the new Virginia Legis-
lature we have no doubt an opinion by
authority Of the President. And what does
this opinion signify in a broad political
/
policy in reference to these Southern
elections is to give the largest latitude
to the people concerned which the laws OF
Congress will allow, and to leave to Congress
itself the responsibility Of defeating the IF.
teenth amendment in rejecting the new anti
test oath Virginia Legislature.


Thus General Grant, in his quiet way, ha.
shown remarkable skill in the management Of
these Southern reconstruction difficulties. The
Virginia opinion Of the Attorney General de-
fines the Presidents policy. It is not the pol
icy Of Boutwell,, Creswell and the extreme rad
icals Of the republican camp, but the policy o
Grant, Rawlins, Hoar and that section of tn,
Cabinet. Strangely enough Massachusetts /,
divided and neutralzed in the Cabinet on thi
question, while Maryland, Southern State, il
Creswell, stands in bold relief in opposition
to the Presidents policy of Southern concilia
ton.


A divided Cabinet is not good hing /
Cabinet with one, two or three members in &C
dents policy, with the rest of the member
suspiciously quiet or passively Indifferent, /
not good thing. General Grant has


Cabinet Of this sort, and the occasion
suggests a fine opportunity for tn
needful work of reconstruction. 1t is probable
however, considering the amiable disposition
of General Grant, that he will overlook tn
late mischevous intermeddling of Boutwel
and Creswsl 10 Southern party politics. and