National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1866-10-12

war will have been not the strength
enlng of the central government,
but the weakening of the legisla-
tive, and the strengthening of the
executive functions. We recon-
mend the people of the United
States to be on their guard in this
matter, for the power of the Presi.
dency is with them now what the
power of the crown once was with
us, whea celebrated resolution
declared that it had increased. was
increasing, and ought to be dimin-
iShcd."
The Star of this morning SAYS
Zone hardly knows whether tc
wonder more at the maudlin or the
clustering passages Of Mr.. Johnson,
most fagitious address. He de
clales in language which. considers
ing the occasion, is simply childish
that when reading aloud the pro
ceedings of that vast body of men.
distinguished for intellect and wis
dom. with every eye sutfused with
tears, he too fell into the melting
mood and could not for emotion con
tlnue. He jumps from this fearful
conclusion, under logic peculiarly
his own, to the conclusion that he
and the Philadelphia Convention
are moving under proper inspira-
ton, and that the finger of an lner-
ring Providence is in this matter
Mr.. Jefferson Davis used to say the
same with equally touching piety.
But Mr.. Jefferson Davis never did
use, and never would have used,
such language as the President EN-
ployS i'll reference to the Congress OF
| the nation
With reference to the words of the
| President, who describes himself as
standing on the broad principles OF
liberty and the Constitution, sound
! ing the tocsin of alarm when he sees
the citadel of liberty in danger, the
Star remarks that Mr.. Jefferson
Brick never eXcelled that and Elijah
Pogram would have toilcd after it in
vain. And in regard to the asser-
ton, " pronounce it a second Dee
laration of Independence" the cdi-
tor says: 1t is the custom of
highly polished journals to talk of
upsy trash" aud surely that strik-
ing epithet was never better de
served than by this prepoSterous
rhapsody OF the admired American
President. But for the
accident that Mr.. Johnson favors
views which happen to he fashion
able just now in England, his all.
dress to the representative OF the
Philadelphia Convention would have
been held up to scorn in every En-.
gllsh journal as Il sample of Ameri-
can incapacity for constitutional
government, while he himself would
have been pronounced type of
sAtlmticrowdyism, Mr..
johnson is simply one Of those men
whose notion of government is
coarse abuse of others and still
coarSer adulatiou of self. Each APP
petite oXcites the other, and the re-
suit is an intoXication of intemper-
ate and egotiStical self Will"
1t is huniliating to be in n foreign
land. and take up the morning pa
| per To read the news, and lind such
an estimate Of the Chief Magistrate
Of my country. Whether il be true
or false | have not the heart to in.
quire. The papers from which
have quoted were true TO the Uni
ted States during the var. They
upheld the cause of the Union man
fully during the darkest days of our
struggle, and such is their estimate
of the issue and of the President. /
have quoted thus freely, for it is
wise to see ourselves as others see
us, especially if they are friends,
who criticize our characters. That
the nobility of England, and the ar
istocracy, and the middlng class of
tradesmen who fawn on the nobility,
wish to see Congress ovcrtlrown,
there is not a shadow OF doubt, but,
ON the other hand, those hundreds
of thousands who met in Birming
ham fields last week. and those 9th.
er hundreds of thousands who are To
assemble III Manchester, are with
the people of the North, as represent
ed by Congress. Their battle is be
ing fought still OIL American soil.
WHAT MINISTER TO CHOOSE
DIR. John NJ. Mason, Oh leaving his
congregation in 1872, offered the
following advice as TO the selection
of apastor:
" Do not choose a vain man, who