Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1866-11-08
AMERICAN RECONSTRUCTION.
an ENGLISH REVIEW OF THE CONTEST
BETwEEN THE CONGRESS
4. AND PRESIDENT.
From tbe London Times, Oct. %.

T.
r. AND PRESIDENT.
l. From the London Times, Oct. 3d.
All Americans agree that there never has been
| in their country such party fight as that which
will make the present autumn memorable
| Among the many advantages OF their political
system there is this observation-disclosures pontlcal war
| fare is acrimonious and almost incessant Party
men feel towards each other an antpathy and
vindictiveness which are scarcely to be conceived
by the British public. Moreover the quarrels,
though fierce not short-ived, for no sooner Is
the bitterness ofone election over than the Ditter-
ness of another begins. The politician" winch,
| in American phrase. means not SO much States
man or political leader one who deCOtes hanlSey
to the management Of party contests, the Organl-
| zing party meetings, the nomination of candl-
dates and the various arts by which success is OBJ
| tanned at the poils-neither spares his opponent
nor looks for quarter himself In the present con-
test multitude of Jealous partisans on each side
have been engaged for months on the most fierce
" fought political campaign that the country has
seen. There have been larger meetings, more
fervent oratory, more complete electoral organl-
ZatiOn and, it report speaks true larger expen-
diture of money than ever before in the memory
of man. Tie issues more nOn2entOuS than any
that have ever been placed before the republic,
with the exception of the choice between peace
and war, five years ago. The President has with
in the last few months vetoed several important
bills and OF them has been carried in spite OF
his authority, by the tWo-tllrds vote OF Congress-
He has inveIo he'd against his opponents III IAN
guaqc Of hatred and contempt which has hardly
be II exceeded by the haranGues of the widest
radicals He has gone from place to place to de-
fend lis conduct before the people, to influence
the elections by encouraging the party which sup
ports him, and denOuncing the opposition. lie
'usht, no doubt, to repay his enemies the Sc1"'-
TlLOUS lICeCtirc which their leaders had lavlshed
Oh him, and ch he seems to have felt more
deeply than should expect from man who had
been accustomed to the public lite of Tennessee.
But the radicals showed that they were not to be
awed by the person of the President, even though
he should be accompanied by II Secretary OF State
who had rendered such unparalleled services as
Mr.. Seward, and by the two most popular heroes of
the late war, General Grant and Admiral Farra-
gut. The radicals bettered the instruction which
the Pre- sident gave Them and as he had descended
to stump the country they treated him as they
would ali unpopular stump orator. The superior
iy i'll violence and nVcctlVe can hardly be adjudg-
ed either to him on his opponents, but ordinary
nCn may say and do what IA Chief Magistrate can |
not, and it is beyond a doubt that the President
has injured, it may be ruined, himself by THIS III
UdciSed tour. = The moderate men of the |
successful party and large section of the public
arc for these reasons inclined to believe til at Alr.
Johnson will far yield to Congress as to advise
the Southern States to accept the constitutional
amendment, and thus obtain their representation |
at Washington. II he persists for time lie will !
they think, be abandoned by Mr.. Seward and eve |
~ of eminence in his party, and be forced by
the renOnstranCes of the South itself to adopt
o more reasonable course.
On the other hand, the extreme section OF the
radical party for to the bitter end. They
believe that the President is desperate man, and
is ready for desperate acts. They point to the |
threatening speeches which he has delivered, and
tell the people that he will do what he has limited
at. Ii cannot be denied that there has been some
thing sinister i'll the utterances of the President |
and still more so i'll those of the electioneering or
ators on his side. The doctrine that the PIesi- |
dent is the real depository of tie national power
that he has been chosen by the people, and is |
bound to see that the rights of all citizens are |
maintained, has been asserted in manner which |
has not unnaturally reused suspicion If the Pre-
sident be the natural guardian of the constitution
under which the South claims to be represented
II Congress, which refuses to admit the South, be
acting Illegally, and ifthese twopowers be brought
into collision, ach0t means Of dec1dinJ tie dite1-
ence are to bofOund? The radical orators declare
that Mr. Johnson intends to his authority as
chief Of The regular army override by force the
decisions of Congress- They therefore demand
that he shall be impeached, and such has been
the excitement among the party so violent have
been the denuncatlOns OF It's leading men, that
very many people whose opinions may be consd-
cred sound beteve that this course will be adopt
ed, and that open will break out between the
Executive and the Legislature in few weeks |
time. The rage Of the radical party is increased
by the conduct OF the President with regard to Of
ticiat appointments. Nearly forty Years ago the {
doctrine that the spoil is to the victors was ie-
clared by General Jackson, and ever since it has
been almost matter OF course that the occupants
Of all public offices should be changed with a
change in the administrations But the party ,
which carried on the late war and brought it to a
close cannot bear that in this hour Of
its triumph 1t should be treated if it were de-
feated faction. Usually Congress is in unison with
the Presldeit Tor the same public has elected
both. II
The party Of Mr.. Sumner and General Butler
find themselves victorious in the elections and
supreme III Washington, and yet they are unable
to nominate 20 single place, or to prevent every
one Who has voted with them from being turned ,
out OF offices bestowed by MIR. Lincoln. The a.!
President regardless OF tho rising storm, is en-
gagged all day long III eXpelling radicals and in
stallnG democrats in the federal posts throughout
the Union. tie Is reSOlu to use his power to the
utmost and his acts rouse his enemies to frenzy :
Ii the PRESIDENT persist in detving Congress, his
Impeachment and deposition trO2tid be hailed 3ritt
deli }ht by scores Of expelled placenen
On the whole, we arc Inclined to join in the for
mer of the two opinions which have indica ted,
and to believe that the President will no longer
oppose the declared will of the North. Ameri- {
cans are so prone to vehemence and exaggeration l
N their political contests, that must not pre- 7
-ct their deliberate IS from the utterances of !,
the platform. The PRESIDENT has spoken violent
y and mcnaclng ~, and his phrase 8 a revolution
ary body" applied to Congress, NAV well excite
lake measures of self-dcfence. On the other =
hand, Mr. Sumner and others of the opposite :
party among whom General Butler is conspicu- q
1us, have lnveighed against Mr.. johnson in a 1
style seldom applied to the Chief OF State 1t i
must be rememDGred however that these speeches r
were made before the elections, and with the =
aVO" ed purpose of stirring up party energy to /
the utmost. They all have the character of hust-
ngs, haranSues, and must be estimated accord
nSly. The excitement will, of course, be kept "
more or less, Tor another mCnth until all the eicc-
lions are Over and till then We can hardly look
or mloer tone of i,ublic oratory. Bat when I
he electoral campaign is at end, AMI the YER {
lIt OF the country has been finally given it will
De strange II more moderate COUNCILS do not pre-
1ail
ROMANCE IN REAL LIFE G