, 1866-08-21
4 PRESIDENTIAL coUp D'ETAT,
Importance OF the Fall Elections.

importance OF tAc E0A ElccGoa8e
The Atau.k Monthly for September discus-
=es the logic Of the Presidents position, and
the effect Of the coming elections, in time
Iv and well written article II saxs:
1t is computed that the gain in the ap-
preaching elections Of twenty. rive districts
now represented BY Cnion Republicans will
q majority OF the House of Representatives,
shonid the Southern delegations be counted
and it is proposed that the ohnsou nem-
bers LEGALLY entitled to ecaIs should combine
with the Southern pretenders to seats, or
ganfze As ths House q KerFesentatiyes Of
dent for recognition. Should The Pres
By an unrecognized House before
an "lncomplete" Senate. aad. il
convicted. would deny the validity
Of the proceeding, The rssGlt result would % be siril
ernncnt would be on the side of the revolu-
tionists. Such Is the programme which Is
fraelE discussed by the paEtisans Of the Pres
ident, considered TO be high in his llvor and
the scheme, it Is c0ntended. is the logical re-
suit of the position he las ASSUMED u to the
rights Of the excluded States to representa-
tiDn. II is certain that the present Congress
is as much the Congress Of tho United States
as he Is the President Of the United States;
but it is well known that he considers him
| self 10 represent the whole country, while he
! thinks that Congress only represents q por-
tion Of it; and he has IN his character just
| that combination Of qualities, and i placed
| in lust those anomalous circumstance which
lead men to the commission Of great political
crimes. The mere hint Of the possibility Of
his attempting a coup u eflf u received by
some Republicans with look Of incredulous
| surprise; get what has his administration
been to such persons but succession ofsur-
prises1
But whatever view may be taken Of the
Presidents designs, there can be no doubt
that the safety, peace, interest and honor Of
the country depend On the success OF the
Union Republicans in the approaching cleo
lions. The loyal nation must see to it that
the Fortieth Congress shall he rs competent
to override Executive vetoes Us the Thirty
ninth, and be equally removed from, the
mony with Executive ideas The ssme
earuestnces, energy, patriotism and intelii.
renee which gave euccess to the wor, must
now be excrted 70 reap its fruits and prevent
It's recurrence. The only danger i, that. in
some representative districts, the peo:
aud responsibilities for when, in political
contests, any great yil1ainy is contemplated,
I there are always found some enlincntly re
spectacle men, with fixed capital Of ceftair
: e1ninently conservative phrases, Innocent!
ready to furnish the wolves Of politics will
dfgnifled dui,es are more than usually act1r
: at the present time and the gTavity of thei
. | speech is as edifyin:- as its emptiness Im
,, Merscd in words. and with no clear perccI
: tion Of things, they mistake conspiracy fl
!, arndical; )" their ideal Of heroic patriotism
: | the spectacle OF great nation which ALLOW
itself to he ruined with dccorum, and dl'
rather than commit the slightest breach
constitutional etiquette This insensibila1
10 facts and blindness to the tendency
rvents, they call wisdom and modesatio
Behind these political dummies are tue Re
forces Of the johnson party, men of inso1e
spirit, reso1ute will, cmbIttered temper. 81
e unscrupn]ous purpose, who clearly hno
s | what they are af1cr. and will hesitate at
d | To give these persons political power will
is 10 surrender the results Of the var, By placi
> the Government practically in the hands
IS those against whom the war WAS Haged-
l. smooth words about 1.-The equality Of
n Statee,'' 1.-The necessity Of coneilisiion
d alter the fact, that, in refusing to suppt
. Congress, the people would set reward
q treachery and place 4 bounty on tEs
d son. '"The soush,' says Ar. p
l. nf George in Letter .e,,a;,, i;aseaing
!, Constitution out Of the Union- She fail.
e Let her now bring her diminished and sh
e | tered, but united and earnest counsels a
e energies to save the Constitution IN I
e Union-'' The eart Of Constitution the Sou
II sought to save by warning ayainst the G.
l. ernment is the Constitution which she nj
'e proposes to favc by administering it!
It this the tone Of par1oned aud penitent T.
1t son2 Is this the spirit TO build up !"
g. tional Union Party? No; but It is
= tone and spirit now fashionable in the
d tented rebel States, and will not be chang
II until the autumn elections shall have prov
,e that they hare as little to expect from
n next Congress as from the present, and Il
they must give securities for their tut,
OF conduct before they can be relieved from
Ut nenalties incurred by their past.