Year: 1868

ment besides the Premier. A triiling riot at
Manchester was the only thing in the shape of
a disturbance which occurred, and that was
promptly quelled by the police.


President Grants Kitchen Cabinet--A Row


About the Larder.


A very curious controversy is going on
between the republican city journals of the
radical and conservative stripes upon the
subject of the rations, perquisites and pickings
Of General Grants kitchen cabinet 1t is
made to take the shape of discussion on the
propriety of raising the Presidents salary from
twenty five thousand dollars year to one
hundred thousand dollars, but is in fact a
question of well filled or meagre larder at
the White House of fine soups, rich French
gravies, made dishes, game, imported wines
and other delcacies for the hungry Bohemians
and adventurers who aspire to become mem
bers of the kitchen cabinet under the next
administration, or of mutton stew, bread and
cheese, lager and hard whiskey, such as form
their ordinary fare. The radical organ takes
the economical side, and is averse to any
increase in the expenditures Of the White
House or any Improvement of the larder until
after resumption of specie payments, which,
under our present financial management, is
equivalent to ry.indefnite postponement of
the subject. The conservative organ, on the
other hand, demands liberal appropriation for
the new administration, and complains that
without it the representative individuals"
who smell around the Presidential kitchen, and
whom Grant as private gentleman would
never invite to his table, will be kept upon
short rations, and will be unable to get as good
a dinner at the White House as thousands of
our we'll to do citizens eat every day of their
lives. 1t pleads the cause Of the kitchen cabi-
net with as much earnestness as if Seward were
already engaged to remain as chief cook and
master Of the scullery, and as if the whiskey
ring were destined to continue to hold posses
sion of the government departments and to
block up the passages and crowd the domestic
Offices Of the White House for another four
years.


The uneasy politicians-who, as they can
make nothing at all out Of Grant, are looking
anxiously around endeavoring to ascertain the
direction of the wind from flying straws-are
disposed to attach political significance to this
controversy. The conservatives are to get the
loaves and fishes, they say, or what would
they care about the whiteness of the loaf or the
quality Of the fish? The radicals are to be
as to the supply of the larder. We are not dis
posed to accept this view of the matter as the
correct one. The conservative republican
organ in this city has not stood very well with
Its party Of late. It's attempt to lead over
large portion Of the republican organization to
copperheadism and Andrew johnson through
the medium of the arm-in-arm convention in
the city of Brotherly Love proved bad failure,
and hence was an objectionable offence in the
eyes of the party. Its championship Of the
notorious whiskey rings is not likely to help
its fortunes with General Grant, and as it has
great faith in the almighty dollar 1t probably
labors under the belief that its advocacy of the
increase of the Presidential salary to one hun
dred thousand dollars year will, like charity,
cover multitude Of sins. The radical organ
ist, on the other hand, Is known to subsist
upon bran bread, cold water, strawberries Gin
season) and great moral ideas, and hence can
see no good reason why others, who have bet
ter appetites and stronger digestions, should
crowd the White House kitchen and eat sump-
tuous dinners at the expense Of the public. He
suggests, with great deal Of force, too, that
to leave the regular Cabinet officers to
s'vegetate on eight thousand dollars year"
and to serve out to their hungry fol-
lowers ga monthly dole of diplomatic bread
and cheese" while the kitchen Cabinet was
revelling in luxuries, would create heart
burning that might seriously interfere with the
digestive organs. The advocates of retrench-
ment find an ally as usual In the oopperhead
democracy, who, being shut out of the larder,
and without prospect of even smelling the
savory dishes Of the Presidential feasts, COM
mence combination with radicalism against
Grant, beginning with the domestic economy
Of the White House kitchen.


The whole batch Of these philosophers will
find themselves as much disappointed In their
hopes to take charge of General Grants plates,
dishes and soup kettles as the politicians have
been in their efforts to obtain control of his
person. Since he told the Washington toadies
that they might celebrate as much as they
pleased, but that they must not bother him, and
directed the destruction Of all Office seekers
letters unopened, the politicians have been in
spired with wholesome dread Of approaching
him. Washburne, 1t is true, made an attempt
to talk with him upon the subject Of the Cabi-
net before he turned his back upon Washington
and the heads Of departments, but was met
with the reply-'T am not elected President
yet and shall not be till the cleo
toral vote is counted;' but with this
exception the politicians seem to have
,;vor him nm in deapair While he WAS In