Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1866-11-15
The President.
from the N. Y. Tribune, Of Monda,


An eminent advocate of the Boston bar
once observed. after tho loss of On impor-
tant verdict, that she had nothing to do
but to 90 into the country and experience
religion" In view of the recent elections,
the President has certainly need OF all the
philosophical consultations which he can
muster, and we are, wo confess, agreeably
surprised to find one of his organs ip this
city playing only the most resigned and
pastoral tunes. The advice which the
World gives to Mr.. johnson is really so good
that we fear for il the usual fate of sensible
admonitious. Instructed by disastrous ex-
perielce, and warned by majorties uncom
monty adverse, the President is admonish.
ed to mind his own business hereafter, and
to let Congress severely alone. No course,
we are sure. could be more prudent for if,
as the World admits, 1T would be futile for
him longer to contend with the Radicals "
the only thing for him to do las he may learn
by consulting Mr.. John Morrissey) ia to cry
"enough," and betake himself to the pri.
vate embrocaton Of his bruises. His pet
journal is right when it says that in this way
he will best consult the dignity of his Of
fce" 1t is rather late in the day for the
consultation to begin, and il is bold under
taking for the President to aspire to dignity,
whether personal or official, after the loren
| sic humiliations of his Western progress
but, as octogenarians have been taught t;
read and the chimpanzee to dine like q
| Christian, il Is possible that the President
may learn to treat his opponents with the
respect of silence, especially when they
happen to be the immediate Representatives
Of the great American people. To persist
10 a moral usurpntion after such warning
would be to defy first the whole political and
then the whole physica power Of the coun
try, saving only lean minorities and ilega
factions. The President may not be very
wise; but he is wise enough to avoid col
lision by which he would be crushed, nsflea'
are flsttened between finger and thumb, OIL
as somnolent inebriates on railways are dis
posed OF by the remorseless locomotive. |,
isnot merely that he Is numerically outvoted
declared against him upon the merits of tn,
case, and tho decision is one from which
there can be no appeal. Ii comes from
court Of final Jurisdiction.
The result OF the elections, unless thu
President shall prove incorrigibly wrong
headed, will be to force him back to his true
personal position as an executive officer -
He now learns, by rough but salutary ex
perience, that no is not the fountain Of fun
damcntal law; that, whilc he is entitled t.
his opinion Of the Amendment, his opinion
is of no more value than that Of any Other
citizen; and that, while Congress has the
right, il has also the power, to exclude from
membership Of that body all these failinl
in certain qualifications by Congress itsel
TO be determined IL may be hard for the
President to abandon his dream Of absolute
power, and to stay the hand which has in
sanely grasped at Legislative authority; bul
he must do this, or he must do worse; he
must do this, or he Tust openly defy the
laws by an assault upon the very ,existenct
Of Congress.
But lot US hope for the best Let US trus
that the advice which his newspaper ha,
given TO the President viii be cheeriully, ol
at least stoicaly, followed, and that he viii
hereafter conline his struggles to what hi
mentor calls ''candid 90. operation with
Congress on neutral questions" Private
swearing and closet wrath we do not object
to; but let US have an end Of public male
dio,ions and after. dinner philppics Lei
US mark with continually increasing salts
faction tho progress of the President il
dignity Let us witness his sublime abne
CATION OF the dear delights Of the veto 8,
shall the last days of that man be bette
than the first. hnA.