American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1866-05-09
Circumstances Alter Gases.


new thing. They always have, and
probably, always will. Everything de-
pends on the point of view. 1t makes all
the difference in the world whether il
were my OK that gored your bull, or my
bull that gored your OK: The mere fact
of being in power or out, on the minste-
rial benches or the opposition ones, works
magical changes in political opinion and
conduct. OF these facts in the natural
history of politicians we are having
abundant illustration and to spare, just
now. Stern patriots, who denounced
Abraham Lincoln as tyrantand a usurp-
er for suspending the habeas corpus, that
intestine treason might be held in check
and seizing 'traitorous presses that it
might not be fomented. and for exerting
the dictatorial powers necessarily inher-
ent in the head of the nation. who was
at the same time ommander-in-chief of
the army and navy, in time of civil war,
have undergone a change of heart. The
scales have fallen from their eyes, and
they now see powers which Lincoln never
exercised nor claimed, and which have
not the excuse of the nation S extremity
to palliate them, to be the bulwarks of
liberty, which must be defended at all
hazards against all corners. 1t is the diff
ference of the point of view, or to use
the German neologism, of the stand
point. What was crime in Mr.. Lincoln
is virtue in Mr.. johnson, because of the
different purposes, as these authorities
conceive, of the two men.
Mr.. Lincoln's lot was cast in the time
of civil war which threatened the very
existence of the nation, and which would
have destroyed it if sharp and prompt
remedies had not been applied to mis-
chiefs which would not bido the time of
the process of peaceful governuent.-
With no unseemly haste, with all fitting
deliberation, he put forth the powers
which are reserved in every polity for its
own preservation. The times demanded
an administration of affairs the very op.
posite of that which belongs to times of
peace; but for the very same end-the
preservation of the institutions of free
dom, which give security to life and prop
erty and personal liberty. TO secure the
permanent enjoyment of these blessings
it was necessary that some of the safe.
guards which the wisdom of ages has de-
vised for their protection should be sus.
pen ded for a season. And this as a ter
ror to evil-doers only. The loyal portion
of the population not only submitted pa
tiently to this change in their condition,
they received it gladly. We were all of
us content to be arrested and put into
confinement for q time if the Govern
ment, under mistake, thought it necessary
so to entreat us. That was risk which
every man had to run, and was willing
to run, in order that the safety of society
might be secured by the confusion of its
enemies. We were content to take the
chance of trial by military commissions
ourselves, should ill.luck so order. that
parricides might also thus receive their
due reward. Had it not been so, the
necessary measures of the President could
not haue been carried out The consent
of the people was the ultimate sanction
of his action.
But the North was not absolutely unau-
imous on this point. In every city and
every village there was to be heard the
voice of lamentation and woe over the
downfall of our liberties. The freedom
of the pressswas at an end. Arbitrary
arrests had destroyed all the safeguards
of personal liberty. Martial law was
taking the place of trial by jury. The
President was despot who had usurped
all the powers of government, and had
centred ID his own person the executive,
judicial, and legislative functions of the
state. The vocabulary of abuse was ex-
hausted and a new one imagined IN order
to express the sense of these lovers of
liberty of his enornlties. With all the
power claimed for the repression of treas
enable language, there was never Chief
Magistrate so well abused as was Abra-
ham Lincoln for his assumption of un-
constitutional powers. And this was
only because of the point of view. These
egregious persons, though standing on the
Northern side of the line, had such
squint in their political optics that they
saw everything from Southern stand
point. Whatever, interferred with the
prosperous progress of the rebellion was