The mountain Democrat., 1864-08-06
Johnson q ForsIgn nnsmy,

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The Republican party maintains, as
sound legal doctrine, that Tennessee Is not
now q State of the United States, but is
de faeto State Of the Confederate States.
1t insists that principles Of public Law an
nounced by the Supreme Court in certain
cases of prize-that of the schooner Cren-
shaw among others-lead irresistably to
the conclusion that every citizen Of Ten
nessee is to-day an enemy Of the United
States-an alien enemy-a foreign enemy
"a belligerant enemy. It approves and
adopts the application Of those principles
by Mr.. Justice Belts in the case Of Leroy
NJ Wiley. and by Mr.. Justice Nelson in
the Federal Court for Minnesota. The
Lincoln party made these views of public
law, in respect to citizens Of Tennessee, .
part Of its creed in the circular letter Of
its Executive Committee conveBing the
Republican Convention at Baltimore, for
it expressly announced that delegates
should be received in that convention on
" from States represented in the Congress
of the United Stairs. Mr.. Whiting, law
adviser of the War Department, has been
an elaborte and most conspicuous vindi.
Gator of these theories of the enemy sta.
tus Of each and every citizen of seeded
State. And yet the Lincoln Convention
at Baltimore nominates, as its candidate
for Vice President, johnson, who, under
the call Of the Convention, could not have
been member thereof, even ifhis ap.
pointment thereto was attested by the sig
niture Of every marin the State, and who,
according to Republican law is foreign
enemy Of the Union! This is odd enough
when considered in its mere political re.
lations, but it is passing strauge when
viewed in its strictly legal aspect
In the case of Leroy M. Wiley, it was
determined by Mr.. Justice Belts, ON ap-
plication of District Attorney Smith, and
after solemn argument, that the statement
Of Wiley's counsel, in the claim filed in
court to certain shares of railroad stock
libelled for con6scation, that the claimant
was a resident of Eufala, in the State Of
Alabama, precluding Wiley from making
claim to his property, and defending it 10
a court Of justice. He could not even
have standing in court, to make proof of
his loyalty, because the admission that be
was a citizen of a seeded State, like Ala
bama or Tennessee, to come into Judi
cial tribunal of the Union for any pur-
pose.
Therefore Andrew johnson, in case Of
proceeding In a court Of the United
States to forfeit bis horse Qound in 10y.
al State), upon the allegation that it was
enemy's property, could not get into court
to prove that the horse was his property,
and that he was loyal citizen. The Re-
publican party, in order to prevent any
seeded State from being again represent.
ed in our Congress until, as a condition
precedent slave.labor is forever abolished
in such State, is compelled to assert thai
such exclusion Of johnson, is right in law
And yet these Republican gentlemen pro
pose to make Vice President of mar
who is so mnch an alien enemy that b.
cannot be permitted to pass the threshold
of loyal court Of justicel Such ia thG
craftsmanship Of Lincoln and bis parti
sansi Such is the inevitable political and
legal confusion of a war prosecuted chief
Iy in the interest of Africansl Who car
wonder that Government greenbacks are
not worth fifty cents on the dollare Con.
tinue Lincoln in power long enough. up
on such theories, and hatful of federal
notes will not buy breakfast!-N. Y,
World
THEODORE TILToN, of the New Yorh
Independent, does not think the proceed
ings Of the Baltimore Convention, in Ar
eminent degree, dign;fied or decorous. -
He was evidently not prepared, to fint
that body composed of just the ingredi
ents Of which it was made up, but sex
pected to find in it at least show Of de.
cency and intellectual independence and
manhood. The cringing and servility and
indecent adulation of the delegates TO-
wards the President, disappointed and
disgusted him. He seems to have dis
credited the assertion of the Democratic
press, that the Convention had been ar
ranged beforehand by the Administration
and would be composed of office-holder'
and shoddY contractors and their minions
and expected to find the delegates repre-
sentatives of the rank and file of his par
ty. lie was bitterly disappointed. anG
shows his chagrin in a long editorial, from
which we extract the following specimen
paragraph:
CATER the adoption of the platform, strifI
arose as to who should seize the honor of NOV.
ing the nomination of Mr.. Lincoln-a wranglC
which, to an impartial spectator, appeared liz
tie less than disgusting, and in which many
well-known men engaged, to their own dis
credit and to the confusion of the house.
good deal Of the customary and inevitable bad
taste of political conventions was exhibited
when the delegates, during the roll-Cah o.
i States, arose to announce their votes for Abra
ham Lincoln, which many were unwilling 4
do without spread eagle speech, exciting th,
impatence of the house-making series O
I grotesque performances, during (which on,
member, bent on accomplishing little speech
announced himself for Abraham Lincoln, tht
second Saviour Of the would
|
PoLITIcAL BATs.-In the fabled battle
for supremacy, between the birds Of the
air and the beasts of the field, it is related
that, during temporary suspension o.
hostillities, STANCE object made its ap
pearaDce on the battle-ground. It few
among the birds, and then run with th'
beasts, going from one side to the other
evidently at loss to know where 1t be
longed, whether it was bird or beast. =
The combatants didn't know what Il
make OF the unsightly thing. Itkept run