The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1866-10-20 00:00:00

AM ERICA.

Tho Ilninla that is bciii,4ld.tyed not in A
is one id deep intere.it beyoroll jt.i OWII 1.01111i1.1-
rie TllOllOl tie ore mini:Tons politield
divisionl, there are but two gre it parties ia the
coootry. the Democrats and the Republicans.
With our notion" of government three two words
appear to represent innell the same thing, but
we must bear in mind that America is a 11.111111.
lie, and consequently tho term may well la! Ap-
plied to what may be called the Constitutional
party, of which Mr. Lincoln was a ilistingnishA
representative and supporter. It fad,
hia election to the :residency
c to the determinatiou of the St
:States to d.maod tiecenslee.

Of late yeur; the Dentorratie party has been
very weak it Congress. The Republicans hive
alniost monopolised all the ports; trilitery or
civil, and the chief Om of the ltepublldafi party
has boon to lower the power and hint:fence of
the Demnerats in Congress, or in other words
10 lessen the mpresentative power of the South.
Ont of this struggle has arisen a decided antag-
onism between the President and the Congress.
On the ono hand Congress has decided for what
is called a constitutional amendment, which
among other things declares that Where rlbgroes
are not allowed to vote they are not to he coun-
ted, for electoral purposes, by the white popu-
lation • representation being in proportion to
population. On the other hand the President,
who maintains that the Southern States never
had any right to secede, maintains also that
Congress has no right to impose ionditions on
these States in reference to their representatives.
For a year past this antagonism between Prbsi.
dent and Congress has been Increasing in inten-
sity, and the former has availed himself of •
poser which he unfortunately possesses, that of
dismissing the partisans of Congress from the
Oise& which they held, and filling every possible
poet with Democrats. For some time peat
has been war to the knife, and the President has
made no secret of it. In anticipation of the
elections which have now connueaced he made a
presidential tour, everywhere trying to excite
a 3 people against the ( 0 igross and gain their
support for the Democratic party. It is gene- ,
'rally admitted that in this he has failed. But,
be this as it may, the elections which are now
being earned on bid fair to give the death. blow
to President Johnson's would-be dictatorship.
The most important State in the Union in res-
pect to these elections, is Pennsylvania. "As
goes Pennsylvania, so goes the Union," is • po-
litical motto, which to a great extent is doubtless
true. It is important therefore that the Repub-
licans have carried the Pennsylvania elections.
This, however, is bat one scene in a great drama
which wiU breathed with anxiety at home.
At prowled There is reason to hope that the
policy which prevailed in the battle-field daring
the late** VII also prevail in Conr•row
that /be esswahrp will not effendi to alictuthern
Dictator; but American rOllll4ll lire so oomph-
noted, and the actdal tatlile has progressed so
little that We can but wait and watch.