Year: 1876

DO Ihr as we are able 10 ulbcONer, bho OnAy
grounds for the recent food of conjectures
relating to impending changes in the Cabinet
are the expected retirement of General
Schenck from the London mission, and the
supposed evaporation of the President at
Secretary Bristow's unsparing zeal against
defrauders of the revenue. The common
estimate of President Grant is that he is
man who does not hesitate to reward
his friends and punish his enemies, and
it is hence inferred that Mr.. Pierrepont
will be rewarded with the mission to Eng
land, which will create one vacancy in the
Cabinet, and that Mr.. Bristow is doomed,
which will create another vacancy There
are also rumors that Mr.. Jewell will be
forced to resign, but they have nothing to
support them beyond vague impression that
he is unwilling to make the Post Office De-
partment political machine. The Treasury
Department and the Post Office Department
control nearly all the patronage that can be
made effective for electioneering purposes,
and neither the President nor the republican
party would be content to have them in luke
warm hands during the Presidential canvass.


If we could blot out the history of the Last
ten weeks there is no public man in the
country who would be SO universally in
dorsed as the successor of General Schenck
as Attorney General Pierrepont. He has
all the political qualifications and social
accomplishments requisite for filling that
important station with honor to himself and
credit to the country. But it would be fatal
to his reputation to have it believed that he
has attempted to earn that promotion by
complaisance to President Grant in trying to
thwart Secretary Bristow. The removal of
Mr.. Henderson Immediately after the indict-
ment of General Babcock had color
of justification, but the Attorney Generals
subsequent acts in apparent sympathy with
Babcock, and especially his surprising and
unexplained circular to the district attor-
neys, have excited in the minds of his real
friends feeling of profound regret, for
which the London mission would not
citizens of New York would be proud to
see him in a position which he is so well
fitted to adorn, but they would be unwilling
to have him present the faintest appearance
of willingness to purchase it by unworthy
compliances with the personal resentments
of the appointing power. Unless the con-
cealed facts on which Mr.. Pierrepont rests
his ultimate defence shall prove to be
complete vindication all who value his honor
as man would be unwilling to see him ac-
cept further favors from President Grant.


AS to Secretary Bristow, the country would
be sincerely sorry if he should crafty his
enemies by voluntary resignation. The
fact that his post of duty is also a
post of danger cannot release him from
his obligations to the country He must
conquer his disgusts and '-stick." If
the President undertakes to remove him
he must take care that the whole respon-
sibility be made to rest on the President
Whatever coldness or insults he may en-
counter in official quarters the people will
support him. Thus far he has faithfully
done his duty. and he must not quail
beneath the frowns of the President. While
Congress is in session he cannot be removed
without the concurrence of the Senate, and
the republicans of that body should hesi-
tate long and weigh their action we'll before
consenting to the removal of man
who has done more to redeem the charac-
ter of their party than all other officers
together He has killed off one conspicuous
democratic candidate for the Presidency and
given the republicans q virtual monopoly of
the reform cry, unless they are insane enough
to abandon it and furnish their opponents
with most effective weapon. If the Presi-
dent waits until after the adjournment of
Congress he can suspend Mr. Bristow; but
such an act would be confession that he
burst not consult the Senate and would
cover him with irretrievable disgrace. If
Mr.. Bristow refuses to resign President
Grant is the last man in the world who
should object to his contumacy. The country
has not forgotten that General Grant
himself, when he was Secretary of War,
stoutly refused to resign at the request of
President johnson, although he had taken
the Office on an explicit promise to surrender
it whenever the President desired His de-
nial of that promise raised question of We
racity between him and President Johnson,
and all the other members of the Cabinet
united in testifying that the truth was on
the side of the President We hope Secre-
tary Bristow will stand as the resolute cham
pion of official honesty and refuse to accom-
modate his enemies by Q voluntary resigna-
ton.


A MUNICIPAL D1saRAcE-Part No. 2 of
the Court of General Sessions is yet with
out court room. 1t was again adjourned
yesterday without being able to do any busi-
ness although the calendar is as heavy as
usual


RAPID TRANSIT. Now that the vaporous