The Sun.
London, England, 1869-03-26 00:00:00

A MONSTER NUGGET.

The telegraph brings the intelligence that a gold nugget,
weighing not less than 2001 b. troy, has been found in Vic-
toria. It is doubtful whether so large a quantity of the
precious metal has ever been found before in one mass.
The great nugget of 1858 weighed only 1461 b. It is
noticeable that all these great lumps of gold have been
found in Australia. In 1730 a nugget, thought at that
time to be immense, was turned up in Peru, but it weighed
not more than 601 b.

ANDREW JOHNSON'S FAREWELL
ADDRESS.

Chief among the withdrawing officers is Andrew
Johnson, and his retirement is a fitting sequel
to his' term. His farewell address is like the
act of a man sealing and delivering a deed.
There is my work ; this is what I did and
do intend, and thus I endorse it. No better
proof could be given of Andrew Johnson's unfit-
ness for the high post he has held than his last
words as President to the people of the United
States. It is not the calm judgment of a ruler; it
is not the carefully and well-balanced decision and
advice of a statesman ; it is not the candid, un-
exaggerated exposition of errors committed, for use
as beacons to guide the course of his successor and
teach the people moderation and wisdom ; but the
unreserved declamation of a fierce partisan retiring
from a field of defeat still hurling defiance in the
face of bis enemies. Andrew Johnson is the Prince
of stump speakers ; he might tumble into the ring,
and challeu ge the world to compete in a border warfare
and those little know his character who suppose
they have heard the last of him. Let the person
who thinks so read this Farewell Address, and he
will learn that it is not that of a man surrendering
into the hands of the people the powers entrusted
to him, but a programme of future operations, an
appeal to a section, a chalking of the line on which
he intends to fight it out. Twice Andrew Johnson
has asserted that he could, had he willed, have made
himself supreme. To his moderation alone it is
due that he is not at this moment in the United
States what Cromwell was in Great Britain, and
his bitter enemies—the two-thirds majority in Con-
gress—either his obsequious slaves or immured in
the dungeons of Fort Lafayette. The close of the
domestic conflict found him at the head of a mil-

lion of men eager for distinction in the new field
Mexico offered for the punishment of European in-
tervention. Ilad he taken advan -age of this feeling,
as Commander-in-Chief backed by the Presidential
patronage, directing at pleasure the destinies of the
Republic, he could have secured his continuance in
its highest office. What would have been the
people's position had he yielded to the dazzling
temptation instead of disbanding the mighty hosts?
Thousands of his fellow-citizens would have fallen
and untold millions been lost ; but he, having the
good of his country only at heart, strove to re-
cement the Union, took upon himself the ungracious
task of curbing the passions of a section, of restrain-

ing revenge, of pouring balm over the desolated
States, and raising the fallen South. The bitter
conflict was waged to vindicate the Constitution
and save the Union, and these were the only ends he
desired to attain. The war was a stupendous and
deplorable mistake, neither party understanding the
other. The South saw, acknowledged, and repented
of the error, ratified the Constitutional Amend-
ments, patiently submitting to the harsh enact-
ments of a pitiless but triumphant section. Then
Andy shows, by a chapter from the History of
Rome, to what the unbridled passions of a faction
lead. Sylla, on attaining power, established mili-
tary colonies throughout Italy, deprived his oppo-
nents of the franchise, made slaves citizens, and
threw civil power into the hands of his commanders.
Iluman nature bas not changed since then, and the
ex-President intends his readers to infer that Scylla
was the embodiment of the Republican party of the
United States. They are Scylla "watered," Scylla
is the Radicals concentrated, and he was a
sanguinary tyrant, therefore they are sanguinary
tyrants ; after which argument Andy drops
straight on their heads. It has been shown
that the President is unable to prevent en-
croachments on the Constitution ; the people only
can check the two-thirds Congressional majority ;
but as the appeal to them cannot quickly be made,
" there is danger that the power which disre-
gards the Constitution will deprive them of the
right to change their rulers except by revolution."
Even the Judiciary was circumscribed when it was
feared the decision of the Supreme Court might in-
terfere with party supremacy. The Veto power,
lodged with the President, was insolently set at
nought, and much as Mr. Johnson venerates the
Constitution, he considers that this state of affairs
has developed a defect which may work its over-
throw; but let us be thankful he has discovered a re-
medy. The veto isgenerally used upon Constitutional
grounds, whereon the bill and the President'sreasons
for withholding his signature ought together to be
submitted to the Supreme Court of the United States
to decide its Constitutionality, when it should be-
come law, or be set aside, without permitting Con-
gress to re-enact and make it valid if unconstitu-
tional. Hasty and inconsiderate legislation would
correct itself, and he would not, therefore, in-
terfere with the system in force when measures so
enacted, but not involving any constitutional point,
are vetoed. But where a fundamental principle is
concerned the Constitution may be overthrown by a
two-thirds majority, unless thus amended. The
people " may easily and rapidly lose (he does not
say have lost) their liberties" by this means, when
they will be powerless to regain them. Then
Andrew Johnson, having descended into the midst
of his enemies, begins hitting out right and left. Ile
turns to the history of the majority in Congress
which has so utterly disregarded the Constitution,
and to the high officials who have boldly betrayed their
trust, broken their oaths, and undermined liberty, jus-
tice, and good government. Thee sneaks, who care-
fully and constantly turned public attention to the
past and expiated sins of the South, had crept, when
war raged, into place and power. After all danger had
vanished, then these pretended patriots appeared pro-
minently, and began to prate about the thousands of
lives and millions of treasure sacrificed on the war
with intent to foster sectional hatred, and keep
open the wounds of the war. The liberties of the
people, the righto of the President, were the objects