Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1866-10-19
THE CONSTITUTIONAL QUESTION:
From he London Time. Sept. Is.

Two years ago, when the American civil
war though nearing It's end, was stillraging
with undiminished fury, the majority of the
Northern reopIe raised to the second place
in the Union q man who was universally
looked upon as the incarnarnation Of the
patriotic spirit The federal cause had no
more single-minded candidate, no more ac-
tive and resolute champion than Andrew
Johnson 3 y He was nominated for
the post of Vice President amid the gener-
al applause Of the zealots Of the Republcan
party and his success was taken as remark
able proof Of Northern determination. lit
may be that if those who proposed and
elected him had known that he was soon to
take the highest Office in the State they
would have hesitated before they chose one
in whose character energy approaching al
most to violence was the principal feature.
But when the assassin weapon deprived
the republic of its late chief, and it was
known that Andrew johnson was President
of the United States, there was, perhaps,
not one among these millions who anticipa-
ted the policy which has since revealed itself
On the contrary, a thrill Of anxiety passed
through the moderate men of the victorious
party-those whose opinions were represent
ed by Mr. Lincoln and Mr. Seward. When
one of these lay dead, and it was thought
scarcely possible that the other should sur
vive, men feared to see the hlgh-handed
Governor of Tennessee invested with pow
er almost supreme. Only the tieTcest adyo-
Gates of punishment and confscahon for the
prostrate South were inclined to rejoice that
the genial Lincoln had found q stern and re-
lentless successor.
This is the man against whom the tide Of
Northern opinion isevcry day setting stron-
ger. President j Johnson Is no longer ralled
against in the South, put the Republicans
Of New England and the West have hardly
any terms harsh enough to express their
detestation of him. Three tourths OF the
men whose suffrages gave him his present
position are now his bitter opponents. On
the other hand he Is. or rather was until a
few weeks ago, the hope OF those whose re-
belliOu he had denounced and so boldly
striven against. Yet there is no reason to
suppose that the President has changed his
creed, nor Is he one to allow the possession
of Office to modify his conduct To an at
tentiye observer he is the same Andrew
johnson who carried matters with so high
q hand against the rebels, and ifthese were
to rise again he would show himself as IN
snaring as ever. The truth seems 10 be
that he belongs to a party which has a set
tied doctrine with regard to the rights OF
American States and citizens, and that he
maintains that doctrine without regard to the
circumstances Of the time or the changes OF
public opinion The doctrine Is the con
stitution as it was the theory that though
a State has no right to leave the Union, and
may be coerced if it attempts to do SO yet
there is no federal authority, not even IN
Congress itself. to interfere with the internal
affairs of any State, and that when State
acknowledges tn: Federal Government 1t IS
entitled to all its former rights. But 1t
ought to be evident to any American states
man. as It is 10 obseryant foreigners, that
one of the chief results of the past war Is
the great increase Of the power Of Congress
and a general modification Of the relations
of theStates to each other and to the Fed
eral Government. Before the war the most
remarkable feature Of the American pollty
was the weakness Of the central authority.
The constitution is unchau-el 80 the letter
but its spirit and practice are no longer the
same. Amid the conyulsions Of four years
a controlling force was necessary Tor the
safety of the republic and Congress assum-
cd a power which is not likely again TO be
seriously disputed. The Union precisely as
it was can hardly exist again. In all lmpor-
tant matters Congress will be practically
almost as supreme as the British Parlia-
ment. North and South, the Atlantic
States and the West, viii probably have in
turn to bow to the colossal authority derived
from the entire Union. At present it is
the turn of the South, and whatever may
be the letter of the constitution, or the CLOS
ses which lawyers may put upon it, 1t Is
certain that Congress must in the end have
its own way.
If, then, the forthcoming elections result
in the defeat of the Presidential policy, j.
will be useless for the Chief Magistrate and
his advisers to go further in opposing what
Is manifestly the viii Of the majority o.
Americans.