The Portland daily press., 1866-03-09
The Popular Voice.


81 believe" said Mr. Fessenden lately, speak
ing in the Senate, II believe that the Prcsioen'
"is friend of his country, and wish TO SPEAK
"of him respectfully and kindly. But 0Aes0eT
she means ID or not, when he advances opinions
nand laws down principles which, in my Judg-
"ment. strike at the very existence Oh tlis pooy
aas mower in the Government, l cannot but
Monter NV solemn dissent from it, and call up
aoT coneress to assers its own rights and its
"own position with reference to all these ques-
.tions.n 1t was necessarily impossible for the
great body Of the American people, who have
not Mr.. Fessenden's. personal acquaintance
with President johnson, to discriminate SO.
carefully between the man and his acts. They
only saw that in his veto messag he had over
stepped the limits OF his duty and OF his priv
ilege even, to lecture Congress on the quallii-
cations Of its own members. Fully persuad-
ed as the great majority of the Northern pup
lie were, that the machinery of the Freedmen's
bureau was greatly desirable if not indispens
sable, to bring into harmonious action the
labor and capital of the South, the duty iaid
upon the President of considering and decid-
ing upon the merits of the proposed measure
was not forgotten or overlooked. however
much we regretted the loss OF what might
q have been a pledge for the peace and good Or
der of the South, we should have weighed the
-, Presidents reasons with scrupnlous care, and
agreeing or disasreeing with him, should new
ertheless have fully accorded to him the
{ right Of exercising his official prerogative &C
cording to lis honest convictions. ~.
eal But the President, inspired by some evil IL
fuence, chose to inform the Senate and House
of Representatives, that since the lately Con-
federate States had complied with his exac
tions, he regarded any further delay on the
], part of the Congress as inadmissiblei He
demanded the almission of the Southern
10 Congressmen elect, many of them VIGOROUSLY
conspicuous in the late rebellion, and not even !,
whitewashed by the thin formality of Presi-
DENTAL pardon. He made the further deliber-
alton Of Congress upon this matter of South
ern representation casus beIE, and in effect
threatened to prevent further legislation until
his requirement should be complied with
Mr.. Seward speaks of the Presidents patriot
ic rejection Of the vast powers offered him in
the vetoed bill The veriest child, who is ca
apable of comprehending the co7ordinate rela-
ton Of the executive and legislative branches
of our government, cannot fail to see that in
b this message the President assumed tone of
arbitrary dictation better BETTING the Car of
I all the Russias than an American President. Cd
rs That Congress should resent such dictation
,,os- 80 h., s,n.ctod II viii he sod aov
whom tho renresentat;v,es Of the American
q j, III; !, to,bo ~ Of
l. II oaiilad pros;5ont ~ En-,
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49, - :. 49,. 49, IA ~ ,aoant o,ooi;o,s
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i,,a dotor,;,,.,io - .,o To,th0r,, roo,,,o. -
I narseysre II the face Of al obstacles until
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