Delaware State journal and statesman., 1866-08-24
From the Washington uhfonielsl
" MY sATRAPs AND DEFENDANTS"

The above is the phrase by which Presi-
dent johnson characterlZes the officers of
the United States Government In his
speech of Saturday there occurs the follow
ing frank and free expression of what is
passing in his mind
"lf had wanted authority, or il | had
wished to perpetuate my own power, how
easily could | have held and welded that
which was placed in my hands by the mea.
sure called the Freedmens Bureau bill
Laughter and applause. With an army
which it placed at my discretion could have
remained at the capital Of the nation, and
with fifty or sixty millions of appropriations
at my disposal with the machinery to be
unlocked by my own hands, with my satraps
and dependents in every town and village,
with the Civil Rights bill following as aux.
Hilary, laughter, and with the patronage
and other appliances Of the Government, |
could have proclaimed myself dictator "
l"Ihal' 5 true" and applause
Now who could ayeimagined that man
who has boosted all his life of his "democ.
racy, and of his humble origin, could so
soon forget that the highest officer in the
United States is but the servant of the peo-
pie; And who could have believed that the
possession of power for sixteen months
would have caused Andrew Johnson the
tailor President, to look upon himself as an
absolute mo lerch, with his ''satraps and de-
pendants ready 10 do his bidding, even if
II should be the overthrow of the Constitu-
tom The word satrap is of Persian origin.
1t is the title of Il governor OF a province in
that country and in Turkey, and the name
always implies absolute power in the sover
eign who appoints, and delegated absolutism
IN the appointee. AS the sovereign is abso
lutte over his empire, so the satrap is abso-
IN 1,ts
so despotic and cruel is the government of
satraps that the term has become, in all the
languages of Europe, perhaps, certainly in
that OF England, an epithct of reproach
which the friends of the people are wont to
hurl Mt the possessors of power The Pres-
dents association of the word with "depen-
dant, and his implication that his "satraps
aad dependents are ready TO do his bidding
/ shows that he understands its meaning, We
nave read of satraps being bow stringed by
the caprice of the Turkish monarch, while
in turn they have power to bow string the
4 people. This, then, is what the President
lhinks OF his ultimate power and il will be
/ seen that he takes great credit to himself for
I not using IT, A President whose reverence
lor the Constitution nnd love for the people
are what Mr., johnson has heretofore pro-
iessed his to be, would never look upon the
officers appointed by him as "satraps and
| utpehuants, nor would lie Imagine that
they are INSCRIPTIONS Janzaries, ready to
work his will, though it should be the en-.
slayement of his country. The President
being the witness. it has been entirely due to
his forbearance that the republican form OF
government hasnot been entirely overthrown
and monarchy established in its place.
How long lie will think this forbearance a
virtue remains to he seen; but judging from
his expressed hatred and contempt Of Con
gress, and his evident desire to throw off the
restraints which that body insists on impos-
ing on him, there is abundant reason why
the country should watch him closely Ii
is by no means clear that his arbitrary dis.
position will not prompt him, before the end
of his term, to call in requsition the latent
energies of his 'satraps and dependents, ~
and, by one bold stroke, rid himself OF the
body calling itself or assuming to be, a
Congress- -