, 1866-11-13

yhak has been approved and what rejected
by &ho popu1ar. voice. Taking It ~ admit.
ted By the general couscutof ali parties, that |
khu people In tho lato cttctfon4 hAyc pro-
nounccd for Congress and agslnst the Presi-
dent, It becomes mattst Of great interest
how far the President should bc ..ntrollcd
by ahA oppression of +publIc opinion, and In
WhAtssspect6 he Is bound, In obedience to
its command, to modify or abandon bis PRO.
posed po icy.
According to the theory Of representative
government, the Prcsident is, like al other
officers, simply the agent aud servant OF the
people. He Is chosen for the purpose Of
carrying out the policy aud executing tho
measures which the people In their sovereign
ty determine upon as w.sest and best. The
President cannot set up his opinion as
against tho.rs, refuse to be bound by their
wishes, or 10 obey their commands, without
manifest violation Of the fundamental prin.
ciples OF the Republic.
The supreme law of 4 representative Gov
crnmcnt Is the will Of the people. and to
thnt law every kuee must bow. No man Is
1T to hold Office In our country who has not
m ever present und profound sense Of hia
responsibility to tho people, and an abiding
determination at all times to yield up his
own convictions 10 their clearly expressed
determination. This defernnce to popular
opinion, this constant seeking for Its eI-
precision, and loyal submission to Its voice
when heard, formed one Of tho nobleat fca-
turcs tn the character Of Lincoln, aud fitted
him to be the model Chief Magistrate OF a
great free people. The career Of johnson,
mud the character Of the man, do not give
| full ASSURANCE that he possesses the same
great qualifications for his place. We fear
| that he had rather keep up IN obstinate
! fight with populnr opinion than yield loyally
TO itA bchests. He has reached point In
| pnblic life when only great questions Of head
| and heart can safely carry him through.
He must give up cherished plans, ackuowl-
cdge many errors, swallow avowed profcs-
sions. Abaudon great expectations, md have
his pride much humbled, If be Is to take the
wise and true course now, and II may we'll be
doubted whether he Is capable of such &C.
tiou.
There can be no doubt as to what the beat
interests Of the whole country, North and
South require. The policy to ba pursued Il
50 plainly marked out, that only somt
strange inintuation or madness could kecT
the President from adopting 1t. Whatever
may have been the reasons for the Presl
dents policy At the time OF Its first propo
sal, and granting that then his motives
were pure and pntriotic, events have thrown
30 much light upon 1t since, and revealed
SO clearly It's endless mischicfa and dangers
!. that the people cannot patiently look OF
and sec him still clinging to his blindness
and obstlpately persevering In his folly, allKt
deafto the teachings Of fact, and to their owl
; voice OF thunder In the election, that hc ehal
.. and must change. All that We hear or sec q
tho condition of things in the rebellion
Sta,es goes TO prove beyond controversy
that the policy Of fortearaucc and coucilia
4 tiop, of pardon and forgiveness was one Q
those bluudess, that Is almost II not alto
gether a ruin. However pardonabls II
. adoption was at the first, there eau be 10 CT
cuse for its longer continuance. All expert
: eucc In the South shows that 1t was mis-
take and should be abandoned. That th
, President should refuse to give 1t up In th
light of 80 many facts, and when all reason
: against 1t, shows a steadfastness aud obst
macy In wrong that may we'll move our lndle
. nation. But deaf ~ be Is to truth aud reason
!. he may nevertheless hear the voice Of authol
.. ity. The people nre bis master, and th
people have spoken. We trust that he is to
much of democrat to disobey. II he vi
not listen to reason, he mag perhaps to th
,, people. For though this is free countr,
!, and therefore man may play the fool In +
It Is also free country, and therefore ma
= may not play the autoctat in 1t.