Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1866-10-05
THE MOMENT0vs ISSUE.


, ,aI" THE MOMENT0us ISSUE. 2 q.
About eighteen months ago the great
pro-slavery rebellion collapsed. We
then thought. that By this time our
peaceful, country would be settled down
in its new and better order of things,
with politics remittedto its former fit
ting place of subordination, as only a
secondary matter of minor administers
ton and commercial economy. With
the great triumphant party of the coun-
try still seated in power for the four
years more then coming, with a Re-
publican President, a highly loyal
Chief Justice, and Congress as val
liant, as able to lead on the land in its
career of Freedom, we had Il right to
expect harmonious councils, with all
tory, traitorous elements put aside in
disgrace. .,. -. 49,. w..
But, by the weakness and perfidy of
ono little (too much trusted) man, lead
ing on all the base of the land, this all
is changed. =, Instead Of a settled gov
eminent, we behold everything set
afoat ! instead of patriotic loyalty SUI
prsme, we find treason pctted and pro-
NOTED to the places of power; instead
of political quiet, we arc necesstated
again to buckle OH our armor for anoth-
er mighty and niomcntous struggle
never SO vital and so pcrilous,) for the
salvation Of the land. This new con-
test, this exciting canvass, was none of
our seeking; but being invoked 10y the
rcsurrected enemy, we are in again for
the fight, and intend to vanquish them
rs we did before, only with u burial
this time, too deep for resurrection.
When Andrew Johnson found him.
self by the deed of an assassin so sud-
denly and appropriately at the head of
the Government, with AUST conquer
ed rebellion of eleven great States and
twelve millicu population at the feet of
the nation, suing for terms, there WEB
but one course for him as Il modest, hon
est patriotic ruler, to take. That was,
Ito call together Congress immediately,
for the Adjustment of the new relations
aud momentous interests thus arising,
SO novel, SO vast, which were greatly to
affect our nation for all coming time.
Never was there, never will there he,
in all our history, more startling ne
cessity for an extra session Of Congress,
than in that very spring time of 1860.
New and vital questions of policy, gov
eminent, and law, matters without a
PRECEDENT, and requiring the greatest
skill of all our wiscst patriots to deter
mine, were sprung upon us, rs in an
instant, BY the collapse ofthe rebellion.
&c And no power but the law-making
power of the Union, the Congress of
the people, embracing the foremost
nihds from every section, was compc-
tent to meet these issues, and determine
these new questions. Who can doubt,
that had the lamentcd Lincoln been
still alive, with his wontcd modesty,
and self-forgetfulncss, and Difference to
the people, he would at once have sum-
moned together the peoples represent
tatives, to instruct him and guide him
in SO new and momentous concerns:
Who can doubt that Washington, or
any other truly patriotic, truly demo-
cratic leader, would have thus left the
-law-making in the hands of the con-
stitutionally appointed 2law-making
power? Can you believe that any 9TH
or man besides that petty autocrnt, An
drew johnson, who boasts of an abili-
ty to make himself dictator, would
have ignored the existence of any such
body as Congress, for eight long
months taking upon his mighty self
the whole management OF those new
and vast relations, appointing govern.
ors for eleven conquered States, dictat-
ing the legislation of twelve million
people, getting up and enforcing "pol-
icy" of his own for the entire ''recon-
struction" of the country, policy
which neither Congress nor the coun-
try was to be allowed ever to touch, or
criticise, or change! 30 Temporal! 0
mores!" was ever despotism like
that, tolerated, upon Gods green foot
stool, among a liberty-loving people?
80! never was it;-and never will it
be. 81.
The victorious union seemed for a
little to allow the high-handed usurpa-
ton. We kept quiet, and hoped for
better things. We trusted that it was
only needless mistake of our Presi-
dent, an ''experimcnt' as he termed it,
not to he followed up. But now, his
22d Of February TRADE, his patronage
abusing Philadelphia plot, and his cleo
pioneering, Congrcss-v ilifying, stump
ing tour, have shown to all the world,
that he meant from the first to take
the reins into his own hands, and play
the despot ii he could. Can he do it
successfully? Is Congress, and the Ju-
dietary, and every department of Gov
eminent, and the people themselves to
bow. broken and insuitcd, beneath the
feet Of a petty tyrant lil% THIS? Iet
this election answer. Let the thunder