The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1866-08-27
PRESIDENTIAL COUP D,ETAT
Importance of the Fall Elections.


discusses the logic.of the Presidents
position and the effect of the coming
elections, in timely and well written
article. 1t says:
It is computed that the gain in the
approaching elections of twenty-five
districts now represented by Union
Republicans will give the johnson
party, In the next Congress, major
ity of the House of Representatives,
should the Southern delegations be
counted; and it is proposed that the
johnson members legally entitled to
seats should combine with the South
ern pretenders to seats, organize as
the House of Representatives of the
United States, and apply to the Presl-
dent for recognition. Should the
President comply, he would be i'm
peaehed by an unrecognlzed House
before an incomplete " Senate, and,
if convicted, would deny the validity
of the proceeding. The result would
be civil war, in which the
name of the Federal Government
would be on the side of the revolu-
tionists. Such is the programme
which is freely discussed by the par
tisans of the President, considered to
be high in his favor; and the scheme,
it is cOntended, is the logical result of
the position he has assumed as to the
rights of the excluded States to re-
presentation. 1t is certain that the
present Congress is as much the Con-
gress of the United States as he is
President of the United States; but
it is well known that he considers
himself to represent the whole coun-
Try, while he thinks that Congress
only represents portion of it; and
he has in his character just that COM
bination of qualities, and is placed in
Just those anomalous circumstances,
which lead men to the commission of
great political crimes. The mere hint
of the possibility of his attempt
ing coup d'etat is received by sonle
Republicans with look of incredu-
lous surprise yet what has his admin
istration been to such persons but a
succession of surprises.
But whatever view may be taken of
the Presidents designs, there can be
NO doubt that the safety, peace, inter-
est, and honor of the country depend
on the success of the Union Republi-
cans in the approaching elections.
The loyal nation must see to it that
the FortietA Congress shall be as
competent to override Executive
vetoes as the Thirty Ninth, and be
equally removed from the peril of
being expelled for one more in har-
mony with the Executive ideas. The
same earnestness, energy, patriotism,
and intelligence which gave success to
the war must now be exerted to reap
ite fruits and prevent its recurrence.
The only danger is, that In some
representative district the people may
be swindled by Probabilities and
responsibilities for when. in po-
lltical contests, any great villany
is contemplated, there are always
found some eminently respectable
men, with fixed capital of certain
eminently conservative phrases, inno-
Gently ready to furnish the wolves of
politics with abundant supplies of
sleeps clothing These dignifed
dupes are more than usually active at
the present time, and the gravity of
their speech is as edifying as its empti-
ness. Immersed in words, and with
no clear perception of things, they
mistake conspiracy for conservatism.
Their pet horror is the term "radi
cal; their ideas of heroic patriotism,
the spectacle of a great nation which
allows itself to be ruined with
decorum, rather than commit the
slightest breach of constitutional
etiquette. This insensibility to
facts, and blindness to the ten
dency of events, they call wisdom
and moderation. Behind these po-
lltical dummies are the real forces of
the johnson party, men of lnsolent
spirit, resolute will, embittered tenn
per, and inscriptions purpose, who
clearly know what they are after, and
will hesitate at no 'informality" in
the attempt to obtain it. To give
these persons political power will be
to surrender the results of the war. by
placing the Government practically in
the hands of those against whom the
war was waged. No smooth words
about the equality of the States"
the necessity of Cancellation. the
wickedness of sectional conflicts. will
alter the fact that, in refusing to sup
port Congress, the people would set a
reward opon treachery, and place a
bounty on treason. The South"
says Mr.. Hill, of Georgia, in
letter fayoring the Philadelphia
Convention, sought to save the Con
stitution out of the Union. She fail
ed Let her now bring her diminish
ed and shattered, but united and ear
nest counsels and energies to save the
Constitution in the Union. The
sort of Constitution the South sought
to save by warning against the Gov
eminent is the Constitution she now
proposes to save by administeringitl Is
this the tone of pardoned and penitent
treason2 Is this the spirit to build
9pa National Union Party?" No;