Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1866-02-02
The Relations Of HE President TO las
Party.


those who DO the most talking ~ the L. ;.
Senate but when he does speak he is lis
tened to, there and throughout the country
And when last week be took occasion 90 say
"for the benefit Of the country" that there
was NJ collision between tic President and
Congress, and no likelihood Of any, he un-
doubtedly spoke by authority, and should be
believed. We copy from lis speech Is re
ported in the Globe.
can understand why gentlemen on the other
side ofthe House, and gentlemen OF the same way
Of thinking out Of this House, should be very
anxious 10 get up the idea that there is q colh-
sion Of opinion between the President and Con-
grtss We have all sorts of rumors where ";hc
wish Is father TO the thought One day We
hear that such q Cabinet minister ls 10 be turn
81 OUT or resign: another day we hear that
something else Is being done, that the President
has said this, that the President means 10 ostIa
eize people who 10 not support his policy. &c.-
all idle, ridiculous rumorS, without the slight
est foundation except the wish Of those who H.
vet them and We them currency. l under
stand the object. 1t VIII be q point for gentle
men on the other side Of the Senate, and their
friends outside, II they can make the people be-
lieye that there i or IS likely TO lie some collision
between the great party which elected the Pres
dent and the President himself / beg gentle
men not 10 fauer themselves with any such idea.
| have not, as .et, seen the slightest Indication
Of It, and l DO not expect to see It. Why, cir,
even suppose here is q difference Of opinion, 10
a certain extent, as 10 the time and manner Of
accomplishing great work, which We all de-
sire to see accomplished At the earliest possible
day, does it follow that because there is that
difference Of opinion, 10 a certain cXtent, greater
or less, therefore there is TO he collision:
know very well that gentlemen hang about the
President and the " hiie House, and very prob
ably try to persuade him, and, whispering in
his ear. (the Senate viii remember the poetic
illustration Of the serpent tempter, "squat Ike
a toad at the ear Of Eve y insnuate that those
who ought 10 be his best friends, and who are
his friends and supporters, are not doing al
they ought TO do 10 sustain him. Do they in
their secret souls pay the President the poor
compliment 10 think that be does not see through
all these suggestions Of what they dare not
openly speak, DO they think he is not man
OF sense, that he is no; a man Of fixed opinions,
that he does not know his friends; Let me say
that, n my judgment, they mistake him. SIR,
there Is no coll son; and ! say it-be my word
worth much or E;tle-f0r the benefit Of the
country, 10 add my word 10 that statement OF
fact Why? Because the President has done
nothing that his friends complain Of, and his
friends in Congress Lave done nothing that he
can complain Ct.
Sir, what was his authority; lie was Com
mauder-iu- Chief Of the Army and as such, when
the enemy ceased to exist, he hal power neces-
sarily TO control the rebellous states which
were thus reduced TO subsection. Ii was his duty
10 control them, and 10 control them as the Com
mander-in-Chief OF the Army, having the mill
tary power IN his hands, to keep order, 10 see
that there was no anarchy; and If he chose to
say 10 the confederate States OF 10 any portion
Of them, Il VIII appoint provisional governor
for you; If you choose 10 come together Ia a
certain way and make a constitution Of govern
mcnt for yourselves and take the power into
your own hands Of regulating your own domcs-
tic internal affairs, ! viii give you all the AID
can, and when you do It to ny satisfaction and
| think it is safe will then withdraw the Army,
or such portion Of It as l see fit, and leave you
10 legislate for yourselves, he dld what he had
a perfect right 10 do and what nobody has a
right to complain Of. I might have done differ
emily if l had been President, but / might prob
ably not have done 20 wisely as be did. Il Is not
for me 10 say that my opinion, had il differed
ter than his; but what / mean TO say Is that his
policy went 10 that extent, and 50 lar as he had
the power to exercise II IN a given way he czer-
cised it rightfully, and We have no occasion to
complain Of il. lie may think that these States /
are ready TO come back altogether, and 10 send
their Senator's and Representatives TO Congress. |
l do not know how that may be. l think they /.
should come in at the earliest possible moment I.
that they can come with safety. So he thinks. .
We may differ as 10 the time.
But marx me, no man IN this country, to my /
certain knowledge, has gr. alter respect for the |
Constitution or a more profund respect for the |
rights ana privileges OF the Coordinate branches
Of this Government than the President CT the .
U:ted States. His life has illustrated it and .
whatever gentlemen may think, he, in my
Judgement, would be the last man to complain
IF Congress for acting with reference 10 what is
peculiarly incumbent upon them according to
their own Judgment and sense OF proprety, 50
ong as all the branches Of the Government gree
IN this that when it can be done safely, at the
,arliest possible moment,al the States should be
-estored to their position in the Union. So long
IS that Is agreed upon. and We are all working
ogether to that end, il is not expected that my
rends here, there or elsewhere, Will quarrel
With me for differing with him 10 O. inion Is 10
he time and as 10 the manner in doing il, and
more especially shall l not think Of guarding
With him when it belongs to him to decide, ami
lot to me-
Now, cir, all this talk about the Presi leut's
il comes from the other side
( the House, from which it may properly come
nd be heard, or whether it comes from our
ide Of TIE House, from which, Ia my most re-
pectiul judgement, cannot so properly come,
d the present state Of things-amounts 10 moth
ne at all have thought that all the danger
here was in this country arising IRON any
ource would come from extremes. Some men
annoi get things just exactly according to their
ieas AID exactly IN their own time, ami other /
len want 10 be considered as knowing more
bout affairs than anybody else and they stand !
: somebody think It was my friend from
Massachusetts,. Mr.. Wilson said Yesterday, I
; a sort Of scatteration party that really DO not
fect the great issue one way or the other. Here t
re Congress doing what? What they ought to t
o, what no man can dispute their perfect right {
10, what 10 man can dispute their entire du- I
to do and that is this before taking step v
hieh Is perhaps TO affect the welfare Of this a
government in all future time, and in acting b
pom question that belongs peculiarly to them, C
le united wisdom Of the uatiCn as manifested 4
rough its agents in Congress deems II duty .
deliberate quietly, calmly and patiently upon
hat it is best to do. Do you think anybody
III quarrel with that We do not mean 10 Y
mpat conclusions; we mean TO act as fast as q
can safely but we do not mean TO be hur- !
ed beyond what our Judgement dictates as the I
cessary tine for deliberation and for action. o.
e nation Will, however, understand, and does
lderstand, that while Congress Is doing this, u
Is ANXIOUS, as the people are anxious, that a
these questions should be settled st the earli-
possible day, that We may get nd Of all this 7
itatioD, that We may be again united people, IL
tn all the stars in the f.g n,
President JoHSsoS's VIEWS on TIE CoNs-- OIL