Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1866-04-05
FaFETTEFiLLE, TENN;
Thursday hiernipg, April 5, 1866
Congress and the Pfesi-
dent.

dent. !,
The breach between President
johnson and Congress widens ev-
cry day. The nation stands ga
King at it with mingled hope and
apprehension. |
The real point in dispute will,
before long, be SO adroitly buried
beneath a mountain Of political
side-issues, that it will require a
rare. patience and no little sagaci-
ty, indeed, to disembarrass one
self of such disturbing influences
and arrive at the naked truth.
The republicans have now the
political control of the nation,
and naturally desire to retain it.
To effect this object they seek to
elect ChiefJustice Chase, ex-Sec-
rotary of the Treasury, as the
next President. They are aware
that they cannot hope for success
in this effort against the usual
vote of the South. The South,
left free to vote, would probably
SECURE the election of almost any
conservative candidate. The re-
publican leaders on this account, in
sist upon disfranchising the South
until after the next Presidential
election, unless the principle OF
negro suffrage can be engrafted
upon the constitution of every
State lately in rebellion. Chief
Justice Chase has lately made a
tour in the South, and addressed
himself personally to the freedmen.
He is confident, therefore, of their
favor, if they can be made electors.
Indeed, with the aid of the g.
gantic powers conferred upon the
Freedmen's Bureau by the bill re-
Gently vetoed, his vote in the South,
at any rate, might have been all
that his most Jealous friends could
have expected. President John
son, in vetoing that bill, upset all
the political calculations of Chief
Justice Chase. He destroyed the
political machine that was to have
triumphantly elected that gentle
man. He trumped the best polit-
ical card held by that party!
OF course the newspaper organs
of Mr.. Chase denounce him, ira
duce him, misrepresent him and
abuse him. Of course the friends
of Mr.. Chase proclaim him trail
tor, and pour out maledictions up
on his devoted head. Of course
that portion of the republican
party which is mot welded to the
fortunes of Mr.. Chase regards "the
situation" with a different eye. 1t
pronounces the conduct of the
President consistent, conservative,
and eminently patriotic. 1t pro-
poses to sustain him even at the
risk of dissolving the republican
party ITSELF AS for the conserva-
tives, their policy is thatof "master-
ly inactivity" They rejoice over
the attitude of the President be-
cause they conceive it wise and
just. They admire his indomita-
BILE frmness in indicating the great
truths of the constitution. They
are prepared to stand up for him
boldly and manfully whenever he
may manifest, in this manner, a
n
political integrity SO far above the
dead level of partisan impulse.
This is exactly the political
condition at the present moment,
The republican party proper is
hopelessly divided in ''the house
of its friends" The radical por-
ton of it have already assumed
the mantle of secessionism. They u
originally contended for the prin-
ciple that States had a right to Sc
cede. And although they insist
ed, during the war, that States {
could not GO out, they now affirm,
o suit their new purpose, that the :