The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1866-08-28
Which is the Rump?

laI Which is the Ramp?
1t has become one of the political
catch words of the adherents of the
President, to style the National Rep
resentatiTes Of the people, the 'Rump
Congress, F" and to scout their authority
as the law making power of the
country. 1t is not confined to the
low politicians and ignorant dema-
gogues of the oppositionJ but we hear
the term applied by those who aspire,
to be- the National leaders of the
party; and the President inathe for.
NAL interview with the Committee of
the Philadelphia Convention, when
he delivered ga carefully prepared
speech, made under r. CIRCUMSTANCES
which he knew would attract the at
teati9n of the whole nation, refers to-
the National Legislature as the body.
which assumes to be the Congress. .
And in his speech he very plainly
charges it with usurpation and
unconstitutional legislation. All
these attacks upon and, epithets APP
piled to Congress arise from the fact
that that body has insisted that the
Southern States should not be re-
storedto the full exercise sof.repre-
sentation until they had CONFIRMED
to the changed state of affairs brought
about by the war. - That it was war
ranted in requiring at the hands of
the South these guarantees, and had
the authority to doo-it; it has only to
refer to the Presidents precedents for
all it has done. We will not amplify
on this point, but desire alFour~ read
ers to carefully examine this subject,
as discussed in clear manner by Mr..
SHELLABARGER, Of Ohio, an extract
from whose speech we publish in an
other place. ="
The President and his adherents
style Congress a 'sRump" because it
does not embrace the. Representatives
of the Southern States. Such being
the case, what epithet are we warrant
ed in applying to His Excellency, the
President2 He was elected by the same
people who elected the present Con.
gress,- and at the same time. The same
States are represented in Congress
that were represented in the Electo-
raj College, which declared him the
legally and constitutionaIly elected
Vice President. The same votes
which made him Vice President, sent
the members of the present Con-
gress to Washington City-no more
and no less Not Southern State.
not now represented in Congress, cast
vote for him. If we have a Rump
Congress, What kind of President
have We? He has not even the votes
of the people of the Northern States
to back him pas President in his
pretentious sticking for the rights of
the people. The voters of the loyal
States made him Vice President. The
hand of a rebel assassin made him
President. The difference now is, the
loyal voters are disguised with their
share in the transaction. the rebels
are entirely satisfied with the result
of their representatives act.
4 1t comes with a very bad grace from
Mr.. JOHNSON to charge Congress with
being an unconstitutional body. Time
and again has he recognized its full
authority and binding force. In his
Annual Message, in December last,
long after war had ceased, he referred
this very question of Southern repre-
sentation to Congress, as the proper
body to decide the question. And, in
all matters, he has, during the eight
months it has been in session, been
acknowledging its binding authority
as the law making department Of the
% -ils gao ral& gf lHHEt