The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1866-04-11
A Brief Review.

After the storm comes q calm and the
mariner adjusts his compass and takes his
haar...--- Ia l..,.fn.,4.. 10 ,E.l. and .on- q
gitude, aud then sails on or a sale har0or.
Tie storm OF Presidential Indignation IS
passed, and the two Yetoes are before the
country. The OLD ship OF State l. still al
sea. and the crew have lost confidence IN |
the helmsman. Let us look at his record. 7
and see how bis action in the past compass F
e with his present position. In bis veto .
OF the Freedmen's Bureau Bill. be distinct /,
" denies the power Of Congress TO legislate 4
for States thatremained without representa- .
ton in that body That be held different
views less than a year ago is indicated in the
following telegram TO Gen. Sharkey Of Mis-
sissippi, directed by the President through
Secretary seward VIZ:
WASHINGTON July p 1855
WI Ssarkey Pr5riaonal Coz A,sFissppt
Your telegrma O IL DIST has been received. Inc
Pr lent sees 10 reason % interfere win Hcllral
slocumis proceedings. Tie Government u me state
will be provisional Only until the civil althoIll ie7
ALI he restored vIrH APPROvkL % toSGREss
Meanwhile military authorities cannot Dc ~llhdra"n
y II Seward
subsequently, and only two months lat
er his opInion on this subject was still more
decided. Gov. Marvin Of Florida, who vas
acting in that capacity by appointment oi
the President, forwarded a copy Of ms
proclamation to the people OF that state, oil
which the last clause read as follows:
q .I,ff Of
State Government, uuder Constitution which guar
antees and secures liberty 70 all the inhabitants alike
without distinction " color, there VIII 10 ION -l e
st any impefment n the way o. restoring me state
- IL proper consttltolal relations 20 tie Govern
nent fine united States, whereby its people VI.
b. entitled to protection by tie intel states against
luv-sion, insalk etion and domestic violence"
Upon the receipt Of THIS proclamation,
the President Sep, -, 1865 sent message
10 Gov. Marvin through Secretary Seward,
as follows:
Washington. talt IS Is0J
.SiR. Your t1c3 lenry letter o. tne 2stA 1iI--
with tic aceompauy4us proli siniton- nas been re-
ce.vel ana Submitted O. sle President lie steps ~
which 10 refers toward rcorgsnziug the Fer-feat
o. r. ria seem be- iu the main. ll1icuis ana good
results for them may be hoped Tor. The presunp
fiau a. much tie proclamation refers. however ia
favor " Insurgents ~L0 may wish o. Ftt--l-Li VINO
rr have .finei s,r but not received their par-ons
f. cot entirely approved. AnapplcAtolz ior pal'ous
will be duly considered. nd vii be- disposed o. as
sJoa a. may b. pr.cii,aol- < mas. Ao.s.s' o. a..
i1p1fi1n ~ fers , BE- sur ect o. ne DsetH0n ~ Ton
grlss
have the honor 10 be your t1ceiieuey ooediont
: amt -lA AL II 't"ale-
.uis Ike nancv wurrsH HaRvlS Provisional Gov
eruor of Tie state % Florida
There were repeated and explicit declar-
atoms on the part Of the President, that
Congress had the right to restore the in
surrectionarv states to their old position in
the Union. Again, IN his message to Con
gress. at the commencement OF the session,
he repeated these declarations, IN plain
terms leaving the future legislation on these
subjects to Congress. The conversion Of
the President to different views. and q pO-
sition OF an'agonism 10 Congress, has been
Congress on the people have changed from
their former convictions, but now adhere
to the views the President expresses in the
documents quoted. Ii one man changes,
why should the nation follow his lead much
less his dictation.
His change upon the subject OF yet0es Is
not less remarkable. Unfortunately he has
left behind him a senatorial record, and 1t
is impossible 10 burn all the copies OF the
Congressional Gio5e where his speeches are
recorded. When President Buchanan in
1850 exercised the veto upon the Home
stead bill, Andrew Johnson made Il power
ful speech against the veto, and thus ex-
pressed himself:
81 have always a great respect for aman
who fills the place of President of the Uni
ted States, irrespective OF party, and it
would be very natural Tor me TO have more
respect for President OF my own party than
for any one Of opposite politics. But does
the fact Oi the Presidents speaking change
the nature and character ofgreat principles
and truths Does il make wrong right, VI
right wrong: Ii there is a great tunda-
mental principle in this measure, connected
with government ami The great cause OF hn-
mainly, the tact IDaJ he y ilnAOids has sign
AZURE does not change my opinion; but II
there were forty Presidents with forty as
sstants, to write out VetOes, L would stand
by this bill, and give il the sanction OF my
vote and support.
4 am constrained to say that look up
on this objection To the bill as a mere Quib-
bic on the part of the President, as being
hardpressed for some excuse in Withholding
his approval of the measure; aud his allu-
sion to foreigners in this connection looks
more like the al caJtdndum of the mere
politician and demagOgue than grave and
sound reason 10 be offered by the President
of the United States IN n veto message"
Snch was the position of Andrew Johnson
of a veto by the President OF his own party.
Ii will be found in the Globe of June % 1860
To use his own words, does the exercise
Of the veto power make wrong right or
right wrong" lie says d" JHere rere for
IL Presidents ruth forty ASSISTANTS to icrste
out rsf0eS ] lrOuld Stand 5g tie ball. " Shall
he deny to Congress the exercise of the
same right that he claimed while Senator
and if they believe that there Is q great
fundamental principle in the Civil Rights
Bill just passed 10y a vote of % to y in the
Senate, and 100 to 80 in the House-twO
thirds of the Senate and three tourths ofthe
House-shall they refuse it their support be
cause he withholds his signature. That
they viii support Is against the veto is the
confident expectation Of their constituents.
They have not been converted into a dis
loyal body, or a Rump Congress, as assert
ed by the FreePreSS, World, Chicago Times.
and other papers of the Copperhead
stripe nor do we believe they are to be
sweryed a hairs breadth from the plain du-
ty before them, the passage Of the bill over
the veto Of Johnson