White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1866-08-09
President Johmo.,. n......,.
bilily.

ID No" O'oaoS' !" "hi oe removed by
reading his dispatch to mnev.Gsn.,.
Il Heron Of Louisiana. This dispatch
written with the knowledge that lov,l
citizens Of the Unit,i States .we,s dvin,
from vounds received BY Rebel mob.
sssnmss the full responsibility of the deed.
The policv that prompted Mayor Monroe
AMI his followers found its inspiration in
w aabington.
This conclusion fills us With inexpress.
ible sadness. bit We cannot resist the facts:
II is dreadful thing to arraiRn the Pres-
ident Of the United States 40 being in any
possible sympathy with the unlawful
~hethiets Of blood. but when q plain fact
is to be stated the plainest words are tho
bet In the hrs, place the President rec.
sgpizss . usurpe,i power TO communicate
hi. wishes James NJ Wells !. ,be Gov.
ernor of Louisiana. and the official repre-
sentative of the State. To him the Pres.
iaeut should have spoken. But Gov.
Wells. a duly elected governor by Rebel
votes, had called this Conven,iou tossth.>
er. and the President steps over the t6ee.-
~ Of State Rights. end srnds his COM
mands to an officer of his Cabinet-his
Attorney Gsuersl-one Andrew s. Her
ron-s conspicuous Rebel in the days of
trea~op. The President directs him to
call upon Gen. Sheridan for ..suficient
force to sustain the civil authorities in
snppress,ng oil illegal or unlswfnl Assem-.
ble.." II the President really believes
that States have righta. and Governor,
of States privileges. then his course in
recognizing an officer of Gov. wells'
Cabinet as the proper authority to call
out troops ia q usurpnion. What would
have been said if Congress bad requested
Attorney General Speei to call ont the
troops anil perform ths highest executive
functions? Yet Mr.. Speed had a. mncb
right to call out the troops OF the United
States as Mr.. Heron has to take com.
mani of the troops in Louisians.
This is a small point. in our argument,
Int it shows the tendency Of the Presi.
dent. His dispatch recognizes a usurps-
tion. and proceeds to defend the masss-
ere. All "unlswful assemblies" must be
suppressed. Well. this particular assem-
bly, was suppressed -an,l very effeciually.
for its leaders were mardersd. ani those
who escaped murder are either lying in
the prison or tie hospital. According to
the President. this Convention had not
"obtainsd tho consert of the people Of tho
State" II it Mt ali entsre} into our Or.
gment. we might ask him. what right
had the President to determine this fact
Gov. Wells thonght the Convention was
legal. and a. he is Governor. what busi.
ness has President johnson with il o.
Who gives the President of the Un,ta,l
Sts,es the power to traverse the decision
of State Executive. or to decide upon
the competency of State Convention ?
Would he be authorized in sending O.
dispatch tn General Barlow. declaring
the NV York Legislature to be unlsw
iul. and calling upon Gen. Hooker to-
iispeise it's members? According TO the
Presidents own theory-the theory that
Lnnisinna is 9 sovereign State, snd her
officers competent to govern ii-be il
guilty of most flgrsnt assumption of
Executive power.
We pass beyond this theory. or indeed
any tn ,ory of Presidential prorogative.
The facts are. thn, certain Union men
conspicuous for their loyslty doring years
of war-hsve been murdered BY Rebeis.
who were conspicuous for treason 10 years
of war. The men who did the deed, nrs
enabled to show warrant fo- their crime
from the President OF the United States.
When Gov. Brownlow asked Tor troops
to compel the obedience to Executive
comm aui., and to protect the Legi.latnrs
in it's Legislative power. he was petuIsnt-
I ly refused. In Tennessee the maiori,y
y,s loyal. and ths President threw his
Influence with the minority. In Lonisi-
ana the majority was Rebel. aud the Pre-
sident not Only sustained il. but placed
in it. hands tire army o. the United States.
II it was Fight to refuse all to Brownlow
in seeing that 1.-THE law and the Consti-
triton were sustained, and thereby peace
and order" then it was wrong TO refuse
aid to Gov. We l. aud his Conventiea.
II that Convention was unlawful, thers
were remedies in the Supreme Court.
We have had dozen PeniaB Conven-
tions in the last ysar-sH nnlswful-as
organ zing war upon friendly power.
The President permitted them to assem-
hle. and sent no troops to dieperse them.
WHY make an exception Of loyal men in
Louisisna, who at the very worst. and
accepting as truth the charges Of the Pre-
s,dent. were no more illegal than the Sc
nate Of the Fsnisn Brotherhood
II ia folly to use soft phrases in speak
ing of;this appalling crime. The policy
of Andrew johnson engendered the de-
mon fury which has shed blood in the
.trsefs OF the Crescent City, His states.
m.nsbip has once more raised Rebel Gags
in New Orleans. His Construction Of
Presidential duty has led him 10 commit
An act Of direct usaspasion in Louisisns.
His oath to protect and defend the ma
ton. 6nds expression 10 the un.vensed
assassin st'on of men whose loyalty was
~ conspicuous and self-denying and sore
" tried - his own. All that We have
Rainsi by the war comes to this: that in
Louisiana an illus,rioua General of the
Union army is compsllsd 10 scceot the
orders Of. . notorious punished Rebel.
The tins has CONS for the people to speak
and let it be in toDes so. distinct and
unmis'skahle that even Andrew johnson
will not dsre to disob-y tbs wsrning.-
Nsw York TriSassl 49,. sr5
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