The Sun.
London, England, 1867-02-06 00:00:00

The President and the Times Correspondent

President JOHNSON has again unbosomed him-
self to the Times' Correspondent. He speaks now
in plaintive tones of the violent and unconstitutional
course taken by Congress. He asserts that " the
minority in the country was seeking to impose its
views upon the majority. If all were represented,
the scale would be turned, so the minority were
inflexible in keeping their enemies out. The people
were hoodwinked and deceived, and in the elec-
tions last autumn false issues were dexterously in-
troduced upon which the people pronounced judg-
ment, and not on the real questions at stake.
Congress was engaged in destroying the States
to which it owed existence. If the States
refused to be wiped out, which constitutinally they
could do, what remained to Congress but force, in-
volving another revolution, to which all the pro-
ceedings of Congress tended. The Executive Go-
vernment was at least endeavouring to fulfil what
was the supreme law of the land—the Constitution.
Once, the Constitution was everything. Then, when
a measure was introduced, the question asked was
—ls it constitutional ? next, Is it expedient ? Now
Congress only asks, Is it expedient ? The Consti-
tution was on the side of
.the Executive, and law,
reason, and justice. The Executive stood in the way
of Congress, and Congress was bent on destroy-
ing the Executive, and, if needs be, the Supreme
Court also. But the PRESIDENT hoped the people
would discern to what the acts of Congress tended,
and stop this revolutionary tribunal on its ruinous
course." President JOHNSON appears to be in a bad
way when he, the head of a great nation, a ruler
endowed with vast powers, finds himself in so
pitiable a position. If Congress represents the
minority only, if its acts be opposed to the Con-
stitution, to law, reason, and justice, and the people
of the United States are unable to see a question so
clear in its true light, the'n we may well be alarmed
for the Executive power in the hands of Mr. JoHN-
SON. We believe, however, if a leader of the Re-
publican party in Congress could find a faithful
correspondent of the Times, to whom be also
he could unbosom himself, and through him take
the English people, into his confidence, that matters
would be represented in quite another light. It

would be found that there are two sides to this story,
and that the question was capable of assuming a
different hue. In fact, the charges that Mr. Jong •
sort brought against Congress are exactly the
charges which Congress bring against Mr. JOHNSON.
Who is right and who wrong ? We do not pretend to
judge. Indeed, we believe neither to be right and
both to be wrong ; and it may end in the nation
wearying of these wrangling parties—taking the
law into its own hands, and sweeping the
capital clear of the contending factions. The
PRESIDENT destroyed his influence by hid violent
attacks on Congress on his celebrated tour. Con-
gress is destroying its influence by the violent
measures of retaliation it is now enacting. But,
whatever may be the judgment of the nation, We
cannot regard the mode taken by the PRESIDENT
of attacking Congress through the columns of the
Times, as other than undignified and unbecoming
one placed in his high position. We are amazed to
see the PRESIDENT condescend to discuss such ques-
tions at all with the correspondent of a foreign, or anY

other newspaper. The people of the United States
are not blind. If the position of the chief magistrate
is unfair, and Congress makes an improper use of the
powers delegated to it by the nation, this will soon
be perceived, and the position reversed. But the
limes will not help President JOHNSON ; and Avn
regret to see that gentlemen derogate from the
dignity of his office by making so unbecoming an
attack on the Leaislative power of his country.
We maintain that the people hold the balance of
power in their own hands. If the judgment of the
nation be wrong, it is still Mr. JOHNSON'S duty W
bow to its decision and to retire from the position
in dignified silence. The nation made him, and
the nation can unmake ; but of all courses, the most
unlikely, we woull have considered it possible he
could have selected, was to appeal from the judgment
of the representatives of the people to the columns
of a foreign newspaper. The position assumed by

the Times during the civil war renders this news-
paper the last to which the people of the United
States would tolerate such an appeal......Aligio-
- Times.