The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1865-1866, 1866-05-18
The Administrations Of George
Washington and Andrew John

Sohs
We referred, in our last issue, to the
difficulties which beset the administra-
ton of tho father of his country, the
peculiar circumstances surrounding
him, and finally, the manner in which
he acted. We purpose cnumerating
Inow the peculiar troubles which en-
compassANDnEw JOHNSON. Regarding
the administrations of the two men as
parallel in many respects, and certainly
as tile most important and ereuDsa in our
history, we desire to do justice to. both.
WASHINGTON was the first President
Of the United States, after a revolution.
'Tis true, the relations between the
colonies and Great Britain were pro-
vincial--not those Of coequal States !;
yet it was an intimate relationship.
There were very many Of our people
loyalists during the war. It partoolz
of tho nature 9f a civil var; noverthe-
less, # twas revolution. So with An
DREW JOHNSON. He is the first Presi-
dent Of: the United States after long
war, and q reuoh.tion. It is ridiculous
to call it rebellion, unless the defni-
ton of the Aeretiea1 WADE is adopted,
who, in the debate on the state Of the
Union, in 1860, said to the Southern
Senators, eff you succeedj it will be
revolution; if you fail, rebellion" Sue
cess may be an evidence 6f merit, but
It is not necessarily tho criterion Of it.
There is an absolute right, and a posi-
tive wrong, irrespective of tile relative
or circ,unstantial. Revolution and
rebellion are as antipodal as the poles.
The one is change in the fundamental
principles Of, "a State-in the relations
between its classes, OF in the precedent
condition CT parties to the government.
The other is resistance to authority, for
conceived or inflicted wrongs, without
reference to principle Or change in
the future policy Of the government.
The first is lasting in its effects; the
latter is temporary and ephemcral.
The revolution Of 1858, in England,
wasHho sequence to that which bohead-
cd CHARLES the First, and placed C'RoM-
WE'LL. in power. CLARENDON persisted
in calling the last a rebellion History
has bestowed on him the expression Of
SuAHsrEAEE's Dogberry, "wTite me
down all ass" The most casual stu
dent Of English constitutional history
needs. no argument to satisfy himself
that Tic. affair of 1858 was a revolution.
Ills useless TO multiply. examples.
The; cmel,te of SHAY, in Massachu-
sets, in the year 1856, and the whis-
key rebellion in Pennsylvania, III 1794,
arc prominent instanccs>to our view Of
rebellion i'll this country, not to cnume-
RATE. many cases in Europe, sach as the
Hungarian rebellion of'49; nay, more,
thcro can be no scbcllion between e4ml
sou,r;y,atirs. The late trouble, VIC con-
tend, was revolution. You can make
it nothing else, unless you falsify his
tory, and disregard established rules Of
interpretations and construction. /
The war had scarcely ended, when, in
the dispensation Of Providence, AN
DREW JOHNSON was called toGll his pre-
Sent position, around Which difficulties
haro clustered unknown to his prcle=
cessors. The landmarks of tho past
have been well nigh swept away; now
!
ideas a1c afoat; new issues are before
the country. One section is dominant !;
the other is subjugated. Tho social
status Of the latter is entirely changed !;
its industrial resources crippled, aye,
almost ruined; its relations to the Co
rcrnment arc suspended, and anoma-
lous; tho military garrison and the
freetlman's bureau circuascribc it;
civil law is imperative; -wo are taxed,
and yet dcbarred representation. AT
the:North, the war has swept away all
parties but one; it is intolerant, if not
despotic; their finances are inflated
there is confusion in politics. The
theory Of our former system has receiv-
cd a terrible stroke, if not its death
blow. The taxes are oppressive; the
work of reintegFation is unfinished