The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-07-23
Ancient Landmarks.
From the World.

from The WOrtd.
President johnson is doing much to restore
the ancient landmarks of our constitutional
Government. In the despatch which he ordered
Mr.. Secretary Stanton to send, few days ago,
to General Thomas commanding at Nashville,
foIbidding him to grant the request of Governor
Brownlow, who desired to make use of Federal
troops to coerce a coordinate branch OF the
StaUe Government of Tennessee into compliance
with his political purposes, President Johnson
hindered the doing of great wrong The United
States are required by their Constitution to pro-
tect every State in the Union against invasion.
Tennessee is not invaded. They are required,
on application of the Legislature or ofthe Execu-
tive (when the Legislature cannot be convened)
to protect any state III the Union against domes-
tic violence. .....,.. a,
tennessee is suffering no domestic violence.
Her Legislature has made no application to the
United States for such projections; and II il be
said that the executive has, it is to be replied
that, according to General Thomas, he has not;
Governor Brownlow merely having applied to
him, a subordinate servant OF the Government,
or military assistance to manage members
whom he chooses to call refractory, yet who are
in no way responsible to him for their conduct,
be it what it may, but only to the Legislature OF
which they are part. And besides, the eXecu-
tive has no business to call on the United States
for help, since the Legislature was, we believe,
in session, although temporarily without
quorOm.
Governor Brownlow, therefore, blundnred in
every possible way, as such lawless aud foul
mouthed miscr6 ant might be expected to blum
der. He applied to the wrong person Tor assist
ance which even the right person had no right
20 render; he applied without the reason Tor the
application which could alone Justify 1t. 1t was
| none of his business to make the application,
had there been domestic violence" to make IL
necessary.
! Governor Brownlow's purpose was to force the
| immediate pas sage oftne Constitutional amend
| ment propos ed by the Rump Congress, for which
| purpose quorum Of the Tennessee Legislature
i refused to assemble; but whatever the occasion,
| and were the need ten times as great as the hot
headed and bad.hearted 'parson" thought it TO
be, there would still be no occasion for Federal
| interference; and the country has reason to be
thankful that Its Chief Magistrate refused to in
teIpose the weight of the Federal sword TO de-
termlne, one way or another, purely State
controversy, or to influence one way or another
the course OF purely State legislation.
We shall doubtless be told by those journals
which were glad enough to see his influence
eXerted among the Southern States in favor OF
the passage OF the last Constitutional amendment
that such was not President Johnson's nterpre-
tatlon then of the limits of Federal power over
State legislation. But the reply is, that 70 advise
is one thing; 10 constrain, another. Letters are
one thing, bayonets are another, Mr.. johnson
went TO the outermost limit of what was fitting
in his successful endeayor to procure the passage
of the last amendment in all the Southern States
| His advice was very urgent advice; 1t was reite
rated il was privately pressed and publicl,
r recorded. But II was not constraint and tn
| result has shown that in thus shaping the cas-
J OF the South, as benevolent Chiet Magstrat
!, of the whole nation might do in thus persuaC
pi ing them to accept the inevitable results OF tn
q war, and to present themselves Tor restoratio
d. to all Federal functions after having fulfilled tn
81 mpst -exacting demands which any one had the
it undertaken to prescribe as the condition OF the
J. restoration TO the Union, President johnson di
a. mob underestimate the intolerance, the fanat
a cisnb. ana the interruptions partsanship whic
s-i has nll tnpW refused them admission, and daI
Nc rlseSgh gher in its imperious and selfish demand
& BpttWeIe EhRtaA wrong, TINS Is all right, ~
s.x So deserves 10 be mentioned and signalized
u especial 81 at % time When 50 many OF the apcle
lS landIparks haze been displaced, and the publ
n lmiAa has been s3 unsettled by the general d
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wv hii iiAD Una EIalu~a@ dg aay9 llI
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a@ 10 eas.GNsssnrst iAlHagt sEg-lAl TIH THI
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