Year: 1866

In connection with the general and all alb
sorbing issue of Southern reconstruction, the
events of each such succeeding day point to an
inevitable and early reconstruction Of the
Cabinet With each succeeding day the ne
cessity in this direction dsvolving upon Presi-
dent johnson becomes more urgent and more
apparent. The time is not far Off when, If the
dissenting members Of the present Cabinet
shall have failed to take the initiative, the
President will be constrained, in the vindica-
ton of his Southern policy, to begin the work
Of removal His indulgence towards the sub
ordinates of his administration whose sympa-
thies and influence are employed against him
cannot be much farther extended. Every con-
sideration of dignity and decorum on their
part, however, suggests, or ought to suggest, to
them the alternative of voluntarily retiring
from the service of an official chief whose
leading measures of Southern restoration they
cannot actively support


We refer especially to Mr.. Stanton, the Sec
retary of War, Mr.. Harlan, the Secretary Of the
Interior, and Mr.. Speed, the Attorney General.
These gentlemen should remember that the
war of the Union against Southern rebellion
and its work of destruction are at an end, and
that the duties of peace, reunion and restora-
ton are now the order of the day. But, as it
appears, they hold fast to the theory of Thad-
deus Stevens: that the lately rebellious States
are not now in the condition of States of the
Union, relieved Of ruinous rebel conspiracy,
but are rather as provinces wrested from
foreign Power, disarmed, but still hostile to the
general government, and unfit to be trusted with
q representation in either house of Congress.
This issue between Thaddeus Stevens and the
President admib of no compromise. The
policy Of the one or the other must prevail,
and the conflict must 20 on till the radicals or
the administration shall have been supplanted.


The action of the two Houses Of Congress
upon the veto Of the Civil Rights bill must in
evitably result in widening the breach between
the President and the radicals and in strength
ening the administration with the people. We
dare say that the bill, passed originally, like
the Fresdmen's Bureau bill, by more than q
two-thirds majority in each House, will fail
Of two-thirds in the one or the other, under the
powerful objections Of the veto. In any event.
the President in his reply to the New Jersey
delegation on Wednesday last has declared
that he Is too old to retrace his steps, and that
he shall take no step backward. The day,
therefore, is near at hand when the duty of
reorganizing his Cabinet will admit of no
further delay Unquestiouably he does not
wish, If he can avoid IT, to make any Cabinet
removals for differences of opinion upon ques-
tions Of public policy; but the unity Of the
Cabinet Is the first essential TO q successful
administration. In this view men who stand
as obstructions must give way to principles
and measures or be displaced, whatever may
be their ministerial abilities or their claims on
the score Of public services. Messrs Stanton,
Harlan and Speed represent the radical party
the Cabinet The antagonism between that
ipariy and the President on the Civil Rights
bill is too broad and comprehensive to jus tify
any presumption of a reconciliation. The
only course remaining to the radical members
Of the Cabinet indicated, consistent with
patriotism and proper self-respect, is grace
fully to retire, and to leave the President free


to reorganizc his ministerial household in &C


cordancc with his general policy. As matters
now stand the presence Of Messrs. Stanton,
Harlan and Speed in the Cabinet is incompati-
BILE with the great object of harmony in the
administration, and they ought to retire.


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