The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-10-12

The Sensational Washington Despatch.
The startling special despatch from Wash
ington published in yesterday mornings
papers in other parts Of the country land
which The EVENING TELEGRAPH was the
first paper to authoritatively contradict), to
the effect that President johnson had pro-
pounded certain ques ions to the Attorney
General, covering the validity of the legis
latIye branch of the Government, and look
ing towards an open conflict between him
self and Congress, produced deep and wide
spread excitement, causing rise in gold,
unsettling stocks, carrying up breadstufS,
and deranging business generally. The true
cause for this excitement is to be found IN
the anxious and apprehensive state OF the
public mind con' equent upon the repre-
hensible language used by the President
towards Congress on many occasions, calling
it an "assumed" Congress, "a body hanging
on the verge OF the Government" and other
terms of similar import, as we'll as the threats
of lust such a course of conduct as that indi-
Gated in tne despatch in question, so persist
ently made by the extreme class of Demot
cratic journals, and by such incendiary fana-
tics as Montgomery Blair, in his political
stump speeches during the present campaign.
Owing to these causes, the public mind was
prepared to accepi such report as that
published yesterday almost whenever and
wherever made, upon any show what
ever of truthful authority. The par
t:cular and circumstantlal character of the
despatch was well calculated to impose on
the public, and would probably have done so
had it first made its appearance in
a journal of insignificant character. The
people were so well prepared to believe
it, that the medium of communication entered
but slightly into the account This, however
does not relieve the journal in question from
very grave responsibility in the premises
its circulation and support is very largel.
among the masses OF the people-the poore
classes, even, upon whom the first and mos
crushing effects OF rise in prices must fall
The direct tendency of its publication was t
make every necessary of life more costly-a
evil which in the aggregate weigh
heavily upon the laboring classes. The fluC
tuaJlOnS III SIOChS anu dulOLl
spectators in gold are of less account, a
pertaining to a class of society more able
sustain losses or to pay high prices. But tn
addition of gratuitous burdens to the loa
already carried by the laboring classes, is
gross wrong The whole circumstances of tn
case seem to point to speculative IL
fluences as at the bottom OF the CGndrC
1t only shows the reckIeSSneSS with whic
the anxietes and apprehensions of tn
public are played upon by designing men 70
the purposes OF gain. And it is a yer
serious reflection, and one which should il
duce thoughtfulness among men of all polit
cal parties, that the public mind shoul
have been brought into such a condition as
80 readily assume the truthfulness of a repo
SO directly pointing to execu tive usurpatic
and consequent civil war. 1t shows that v
have already travelled too far in that dire
ton, and are too accustomed to canvass I'll
probabilities of so direful catastrophe.