Year: 1877


man ON whom it was long supposed that
Providence had grudgingly bestowed the
gift of language for any purpose, and he
seemed quite competent to conceal his
thoughts without help from this instrument.
Until recently he passed for sphinx.
Ulysses the Silent bade fair to become as
famous for taciturnity as the great Prince
of Orange, commonly mentioned as William
the Silent. But of late the President has
adopted different method of masking his
intentions He exchanged his stubborn
taciturnity for an almost loquacious commu-
nicativeness, inviting the enterprise OF IN
terviewers and unbosoming himself Tor
publication in a manner as frank and de-
lightful ns it was unexpected. Reporters
and readers looked upon it as a proof OF
lightness of spirits in view OF his early and
welcome release from public cares; but we
begin to fear that it was adopted as sub
stitute for his former silence and more
artful device for concealing his intentions.


President Grant has been constantly
using language since tho day appointed for
the Inauguration of the Governor Of Louis
lana which put the public on false scent
He has declared, again and again. that he
would stand neutral between the two claim
ants until after Congress had acted on the
reports of the investigating committees,
merely preserving the peace, but leaning to
neither side in the political controversy.
For these judicious expressions he has re-
ceived much praise, which proves to have
been undescrved. In spite of his professions
he has suddenly given official assurance OF
his intention to support Packard and main
tain him in Office


For this extraordinary change OF front
there can be but two explanations, neither
of them creditable. One is that he never
meant what he has SO repeatedly said and
merely sought undue credit in case Packard
should succeed without federal interference.
The other possible explanation of the con-
trast between the Presidents language and
his conduct is that he has yielded to partisan
pressure against his deliberate judgment.
His true friends have reason to lament
great deterioration of character if he yields to
the urgency Of the last people who get hold
of him. 1t is stated that his order to Gen.
eral Augur was sent without consulting the
Cabinet Why did he act with so much
precipitancy in a matter of so much i'm
portance? Was it because Morton, Chandler
and Cameron bull-dozed him in some hour Of
weakness, and hurried him into sending the
despatch before more conservative advisers
should get their turn for impressing mind
of wax In matter SO important the Cabi-
net ought to have been consulted, and moth
liberate advice. But the backstairs bull
dozers seem to have been afraid to let their
proposition be calmly discussed in o. full
Cabinet meeting, and SO hurried the Presi-
dent to commit himself by an irrevocable
official act before good counsel could change
happened two years ago, when the well
known 'all-of-us" despatch was sent to
General Sheridan, and the wisest mem.
bers of the Cabinet disclaimed all knowledge
of it and publicly washed their hands of all
responsibility for it, The Cabinet would have
saved him from that mistake and also have
saved him from this fresh mistake if he had
taken their advice on a matter so important.
It is public humiliation to see the Presi-
dent profess his settled intention to do one
thing when he is himself, and then sud-
denly succumb to political bull-dozers and
do the very opposite when they get access to
him in an hour of infrmity. It. is grave
indecorum for him to abandon his pro-
claimed purpose on On important subject
without regular consultation with his re-
sponsible advisers.


The President is sensible of his flagrant
inconsistency, and begins his order to Gen.
eral Augur by saying:-"It has been the
policy of the administration to take no part
in the settlement of the question of the
rightful government in the State Of Louisi-
ana, at least not till the Congressional COM
mittees now there have made their report"
But what excuse does he offer for
his sudden abandonment of ''the pol
icy of the administration" on a
mere personal impulse without TAX
ing the advice of the Cabinet? He says
he cannot sit quietly by and see the State
government gradually taken possession of
"by illegal mcaDs." Now, the legality or
illegality of the Louisiana election is the very
thing which the committees of Congress were
sent to investigate (; and what right had he,
by mere freak Of personal caprice, to take
the decision out of their hands, or rather out
of the hands of Congress, whose judgment is
to be formed on the testimony taken by its
committees? II the question of legality can
he decided without evidence why were the
committees appointed? In advance of their
reports, in advance of any action by Con-
gress the President assumes to decide the
whole question on his own individual I'M
pressions, without even consulting his Cab
met This is an insult alike to Congress
and the Cabinet. by what title does a set
- II Al