Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-10-20
THE UsURPATIoN IN TENNESSEE.

We have repeatedly taken occasion to deplore
what has seemed to US remissness on the part of
the Republican press and speakers when called to
confront any acts of the Administration or Of its
agents which were manifestly wrong in theory and
injurious in their practical effect With here and
there exception, all the organs of the party suf-
fer themselves to be coerced into silence or acqu
escence where they do not uphold and applaud the
abuses Of Executive power and prerogative No
public sentiment in favor of holding the incum-
bents of official place to their due responsibility is
either created or fostered, for the conditions Of
its existence are rendered impossible. Dissent
from the Executive policy or acts is tolerated in
only single line of direction-that which makes
it a source of reproach to the President that he
does not in all respects keep abreast with the lead
ers Of his party in what the New York Times
calls "the blind race of radicalsm and barba-
rism"
A signal illustration Of this fact is found in the
reticence practised by our Republican contempt
raries in the matter of the usurpation attempted
to be consummated by Mr.. Andrew johnson, the
Military Governor of Tennessee, in way which
must shock every Americans sense of right, law,
and propriety. Nobody has presumed, or it is
likely aoiH presume, to justify the Ubiquitous pro-
ceeding by which he has undertaken to compass
the dsfranchisement of the great of the loyal
people of that State. But how few of the Repubi-
can press have had the manliness or the frankness
to condemn it. We stated some days ago that We
were able to speciyon two prints which had thus
honored themselves. We to-day have the satisfac-
ton of adding q third We allude to the New
buryport Herald, which shows the proper spirit
regarding it. This Republican journal says:
Andrew Johnson of Tennessee, has prescribed oatbs
to be taken before voting in that State which exclude
every body who does not endorse his party policy and will
not with him. He asks them to that they
opposed to all armisces negotiations for peace with
rebels 10 arms, SO Mr.. Benton said of the Douglas
Eebraska bill that it had stump speech in it's
belly aud that is emphaticaly true Of Johnsons voting
OATH II there any Independence left in the people Of
Tennessee they will spit upon such an edict and rampe
it beneath their feet No wonder there traitors in
where"
And to this utterance of Republican voice in
Massachusetts, we append the equally emphatic pro-
test Of the National Democrat, published at Little
Rock, in Arkansas, as the organ of Mr.. Lincoln's
civil government established at that point on the
basis Of tenth of the people Of the reconstruct
ed" State. This Administration journal says
Tbe test oath of Andrew johnson the voter to
oppose all armistces negotiations for peace until all
laws aud procamatons shall be established over all the
people Of epery State and Territory No Democrat could
take that oath and vote for Mcclellan Strip Of its
bage and il could be condensed into this sentence do
solemnly swear that will not vote for Democrat
"Now, suppose this is adopted and such course re-
coQnsed In Kentucky, where the McClelanites have
majority they might with equal propriety enforce test
oath requiring every voter to that he will oppose
all further war until armstice 10 made and negotiations
for peace have failed and fix up the oath that Re-
publican could take it without committing perjury
There is no election CHOICE in this Better burn the
ballobox and stop playing the farce of holding
alac