The New York herald., 1866-05-29


and yet we call upon Mr.. Stevens to make good
the threat which he uttered ON Saturday. It
does not matter for Whist reason he uttered it.
His wishes in regard to the Pennsylvania ap-
pointments may have been disregarded; he
may have been aggravated by the predestined
failure OF his reconstruction scheme in the Sem
ate; but, whatever his motives, he has at length
reached the logical conclusion Of the radical
programme. and we want to see the game
played out All through this quarrel the radi-
Gals have displayed the utmost consistency.
They have struck repeated blows ct the Presl-
dent; they have controlled his Cabinet; they
have dared him to change his advisers; they
have treated his vetoes contemptuously;
they have annoyed him in every possible
manner and they have abused him in
public and private upon every occasion.
To these outrages there have been merely
verbal responses from the White House.
Not until recently have radicals been re-
moved from Office and even now the Presi-
dent has commenced at The little end Of the
hydra's tail, instead Of chopping OF its heads
like Hercules. But these removals, small ss
they are, have aroused the wrath Of Mr.. Ste
vens. He has already ordered = bill to be
prepared depriving the President Of his consti-
tutional and time-honored prerogat've, and he
now proposes to impeach all the officials con-
cerned in the affair. We sincerely trust that
he will carry out his threat and talk no more
buncombe about the wonders he intends to
perform.
We assume this position p relation to this
quarrel and state Sur Sur views thus fraGas.ly and
unreservedly because it is evident that the
people are heartily tired of having the govern
ment disgraced at home ana abroad by so vio-
lent feud. What respect can anybody enter
tain for country whose executive and legisla-
tive departments are openly and bitterly hostile!
When the radicals declare that the President
il . iasitor and the President asserts that Con-
gress is led by rebels, It is time that some soiu-
Mon Of the d.flculty should be discovered.
We have fought four years for the Union we
have sacrificed thousands Of lives and millions
Of money for the Union our gallant armies
under General Grant triumphed over the
Southern rebellion In order to restore the
Union, but we are now more disunited than
ever. This is somebody's fault somebody is
to blame for II and the people insist upon q
settlement Of the dispute as to whether the
President or Congress Is responsible. From
neither the President nor Congress can they OBJ
tain any satisfactory response. Thus far the
President has the best of the argument but the
worst Of the quarrel. He talks as though he
were right; but the radicals act as though
representatives ought TO be admitted to Con.
grcss; but the radicals keep them out. He in
sists that the South ought to be governed like
the rest Of the nation but the radicals keep
the South under the dominion of The bayonet
and the Freedmen's Bureau He issues orders
and by command or ihe radicals his own Cabi-
net officers disregard these orders. In the
meantime here we are with half country,
heavy taxes. . deprecated currency and the
extremists of both parties oaly restrained from
meditating revolutionary proceedings by the
certainty that General Grant, who is acceptable
to all parties, will be our next President But
the next Presidency is still long way of and
this quarrel cannot continue until then with
out foarfally inJuring the country. When
Congressman is permitted to accuse the Presi.
dent of treason, the Secretaries Of malfeasance
in Office and honorable Senators of apostacy,
without being once called to order for his vio-
lations OF parliamentary rules and without
vote Of censure being passed upon him, the
most Indifferent must be reused TO an apprc-
citation Of the dangers Of the situation. Such
outbreaks are perilous to the public peace,
indicative Of an animosity that cannot be too
promptly checked. The remedy which Mr..
Stevens himself proposes Is severe one; but
II is much better than doing nothing. If the
President win take no decided step, IL he will
not change his Cabinet and call our leading
generals and admirals into his councils, Il re-
mains for the radicals to force matters to an
issue, just as they have always taken the initia-
tive. We know precisely how the scheme of
Mr.. Stevens will end; we know that the
President win be sustained both by Con-
gress and the people. And II Is for this very
reason and because we hope that this now
attack will cause the President to act aud thus |
expose the weakness and puuisr the pcrndy Of
these malcontents that We eagerly second the |
proposal of Mr.. Stevens and pray that he may
be young enough "within a week" to make |
good his threats and boasts.
THE OPERATIONS OF THE EXCISE LAw.-Thcre |
are two conspicuous features in the operations
of the Excise law that must attract observation.
One is the humorous side Of the question, as
presented by the many shin, resorted to in order
to avoid its obligations, and the other is the