Delaware State journal and statesman., 1866-12-28
tFFom the Washington ohrOni,el
HON. nEVERDY JOHNSON AND THR
cHEoNICLE.

The honorable Senator from Maryland on
| Thursday took occasion to refer to an artl.
Gle which appeared In tho OArontele of the
lbth instant, In reference TO the recent de-
cision OF the Supreme Court In Millican's
case, In which he held the editor up 10 public
animadYorslon, and designated him as the
Official organ of the Senate We have
never claimed that honor. Asa Journalist.
1t is our right to speak only our own senti
ments, and these freely We think we pro.
perly appreciate our official relations with
the United States Senate as entirely distinct
from our professional occupation, and we
claim as entire Immunity from Senatorial
censure as any other person who edits a
newspaper. We have never held Mr.. John
son responsible upon the floor of the Senate
tor opinions expressed by him as attorneyin
the supreme Court, or on the other hand
expected the Senator to be merged in the
advocate II II should happen that LAWYER
johnson sometimes used his best efforts
before the Court to set aside the operations
OF law that he has aided as Senator to
pass or TO enforce law which did not re.
celve his vote, We have not thought II neces-
sHry TO call attention to that fact because
we are all aware that Mr.. johnson recog
nizes such thing as a legal conscience, and
declared false swearing no perjury under the
Maryland election laws. 1t is a little re
markaole, however, that the Senator should
deem 1t his duty TO stand up and defend the
Supreme Court from attacks at the hands Of
a journalist who is without any other power
than that Of influencing public opinion
through the columns of his Newspaper, when
he has allowed the highest officers of the
government to go unrebuked for very gross
and vulgar stacks upon the body of which
the Senator 10 himself a member Mr.
Johnson Is only an attorney in the Supreme
Court, hut as Senator he is one of the
oody that enacts the laws by which that
court, as well as the people, are governed
Yet whom the President Of the United States
denounced the Congress OF the United States
as an illegal and unconstitutional body, Il"
| as "a body hanging upon the verge OF the
government, calling itself and assuming to
be Congress- but In reality only Congress
OF part OF the States," and "a dictatorial
domiueerlng faction outside of the Govern.
ment, we did not find the honorable Sena.
tor publicly anywhere protesting against
such language, nor has he arisen since the
resssembling Of Congress to protest against
u, or to brand II with the condemnation il
deserves. We are afraid that the Senator
IKE other persons, is subject to human frail.
ties, and that II makes all the difference in
the world with him, as with the balance of
mankind, Whose OK s gored." We can
positively assure the honorable Senator that
ouI lemhIks concerning the decision of the
Supreme Court wnro not intended as any
attack upon him, aui that there is no neces
sity Tor his being its defender We deem it
part OF our privilege to say whatever our
conscience shall approve regarding the acts
Of any department OF the Government
Public men take their POSITIONS with the re-
sponsibllity of public censure, and we shall
speak OF the Supreme Court as independently
and as fearlessly as we have done, and shall
continue to do, of the President. We deem
1t the duty of public Journalists to stand as
sentinels upon the watchtowers of tho Re.
public, and to sound the alarm to the people
Whenever we see sught that savors OF dan.
ger We live In the midst OF a revolutionary
epoch, when decentralization, resulting from
treachery prevails to an alarming extent;
when the people are betrayed by those whom
they have trusted, and are yet to be BETRAYED
by many more. We are In that transition
stage between one system and another which
accompanies all great revolutions; when hy.
pocrisy is organized, and the earnest and
faithful men who love principle must watch
with jealous eye every branch of the Gov.
ernment and every member OF every depart
ment We must also be excused for sayinR
that all men are mortal. and the Judges Of
the Supreme Court are men.