, 1866-02-23

South, md inflicted morr 1astlng misery Oh
her Y hitcs than on her blacks.
[Frou, tho New York World (Copperhead).l
President johnson has nob1y sustained his
character for stcadincss Of purpose aud politi
cal courage, by the veto he suns to the Sonata,
yesterday, Of the bill for enlalging the powers
Is a document Of zach grave consequence that
interest in public affairs. We viii mol imnsir
the cogencY Of It's arguments by any attempt
at abridEtncnt. It Is due alike to the Presi-
dent, and ne subject, that his reasoning
in which he has seen 1T 10 present IT.
Ihe eopsidetauon Of most Immediate Inter
cst y the likelihood Of the veto being effective.
Gan the bill be passed By two-thitds Of both
houses over The veto, md become a law in
spie o. inc resident: We think II cannot !
out the question Is not 60 entirely free from
aoupt as 10 set the public anxiety at rest until
Ihe t5tal has been made. It was originally
passca. sS. Y each House, BY majority Of near
II all the Republicans in each House shall
adhere 70 their original vote, the veto Will be
mavailing. But Of this thcrefs no probability:
Tho blu having originated In the Senate, It
must lrst be recors1dered In tnat body: and
iaiiing 10 get tWo-thirls there, It Is dead
without any action Of tho House. Supposing
the saMe number Of Senators to vote as on
l.s nfst passage, fifteen will suffice, 10 kill It;
which requires trausfer Of only Ave votes
from the Republican to the Democratic aido.
MT. Cowan and Mr.. Ncsmith did not vote on
The original passage Of the bill but they Will
doubtless se In their places to sustain the
veto, Mr. Doolittle and Mr.. Dixon may be
rotes. OF the New York Senators, in. Ta1.
RS may, and Mr. Morgan probably WIN. be
found on the side Of the President. Some of
the other Republican Senators may lind IL
convenient to be absent. We therefore CON
slider 1t tolerab1y safe to eonclude that The veto
VIII pc susf fained, and that President johnson
VIII successfully Awnrt one Of the most mis-.
chievots and dangerous measures that ever
passed the two Houses.
Greater Interest Is felt in the efficiency of
lhis particular veto from the fact that. ii suc-
cessiul, It viii form turning point In the
policy Of the government. In any event. It
VII prove decisive test Of the power Of the
PRESIDENT to arrest unconstitutional 1egisla-
lion. Tie Republican Senators who broke
loose from the tra1nmels Of party to support
the veto, VIII have SO committed themselves
to tho policy Of the President, that they may
be relied On TO support him hereafter Ii
this veto Is sustained, It Is demonstrated that
congress Is power1ess TO Interfere uncoustltu-
tlonally with the rights OF the States and dc.
pTiye them Of the control Of their own atfalgs.
1t may continue to refuse seats to their rep
resentatiscs; but the Republican party WILL
thereby gain no practical advantage, since It
can give effect to none Of itsfavorite measures.
The credit Of composing an able state papcr
Though lan1e of this kind has its valne] is
trivial In comparison with the higher attributes
Of statesmanship exhibited by Mr.. johnson.
His steadiness and power Of Will, Ills iutre-
pldity, sagacity, and moderation, appear, on
this occasion, to conspicuous advantage He
has tad the courage TO rise above party and
vindlcate the Constitution. Inter preting It
as It has always heretofore been understood,
be hns shuwn that firm confidence in his own
Judgment which marks mind of more than
ordinary strength and stanch honesty Of
purpose which no clnmor Of an organized
Gen. Jackson's Life was veto and President
johnson has shown an honest intrepidity that
Is truly JacksonfaH, aud will be equally sns-
taincd by the people, when they come to un-
dcrstand the true merits of the question.
Neither Jefferson nor jackson, our two great
Democratic Presidents, ever asserted with
such fearless fidelity aud ringing emphasis tue
fundamental principles Of civil liberty as
President johnson has done 10 this message;
fox no occasions arose under their admin{stra.
lions calling for such vigorous defense Of all
TINT ffeemen hold dear. 1t is truly reviying,
after whnt The country has gone through Ii
the last five years, to SEQ tie ha1eas corpus,
trial by jury, and other invaluable rights SO
boldly inserted by the President Of the Uni
ted States. Some fanatic Of the Tlad. Ste.
ycns stripe snid, In the first year of the wor,
that the Constitution must be rolled up
and laid away till after its close. President
johnson has taken it down and nnrolcd 1t;
and whnt Is more, be has the good faith to
acluow ledge that 1t means What It says.