American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1866-09-22
The Radicals-selfshness and Des-
titution of Principle. --N-

Philadelphia On the Sd inst, denun-
Citations of the president, and threats
of impeachments tor treason, aposta-
cy and a refusal to execute the laws
of congress constitute the staple ele-
ment of many speeches. We think
it can most truthfully be said, no
man who ever filled the executive
chair was ever half as much vilitied,
slandered and grossly insulted as the
present incumbent has been by these
self appointed censors and guardians
of public morals and the decorum of
official intercourse.
Now, for the consistency of these
men. The ink had hardly dried up
on the records of congressional action
in eXpellilng Senator Bright, and in
measures taken to eXpel Senator Da-
Wis and other members of that body,
for disrespectful or abusive and in
sulting language against the late oc-
cupant of the White House { white
Hall, the name of the palace of the
StuartS, would be a suitable cogno-
men), when the Radicals, who had
protessed to feel that the Law Of de
corum towards Tie coordlnate branch
eS of government imposed upon
them The duty Of Furnishing BY c2pul-
sion those who violated 1t by any
unworthy reflections, any imputation
OF the motives, or by the use Of
wordsintended to wound the feelings
and to destroy or mar the freedom
and agrceLblcness Of official inter
course between congress and the Of
ticcls who discharged thu functions
OF government Ill those departments.
1t is we'll known, that durin" Mr.
Lincolns administration it was dan
gerOus for any person, III or out Of
congress, to speak word i'll diSpar-
agcmcnt of this idol Of ianatici and
many were punished without law,
and upon the mcreSt shadow Of ca
parte and prejudicial evidence, for
refusing to come up to the require
ments that selfish and unpriAeipled
party had prescribed.
Senator Bright, who was expelled
for too great freedom in debate, by
the free SPEECH party, was distinguish
ed for his urbanity and strict observ-
ance Of the usages of parliamentary
bodies, and for these qualifications
had been honored for number OF
years with the high Office of presi-
dent pro tempOre, of the L. S. senate.
Does the law or the constitution diff
fer now from what they We're one
short year ago! Or do these selfish
partisans claim the right to abolish
the law when it crosses their path, OF
interferes with the expression of then
feelings and sentiments
Constituencies have been deprived
of representation at the most critical
and important period of their coun.
try's history, and statesmen of high
standing and long experience in pub
lie affairs have been grossly insulted
and their most valuable privileges
taken from them for pretended viola.
tons Of the laws of decorum-laws
to be found upon no statute book, III
no history of parliamentary proceed
ings-but only in the blinded and
malignant imaginations Of men OF
yesterday, party drivc!lcrs who have
come to the surface Of the waters in
a time of great political excitement,
and now these same sanctim1aious
upstairs, these hybrids, 4 cross be-
tween the puritan and tic political
black leg and party wire worker, halt
white and half niger, a combination
OF saints and sinners, moving on har-
moniously together, each division
filled with the malice Of he'd against
better people than themselves, have
commenced anew their trade Of Sian
der, viliticatiOn and miSreprescnta-
ton of their opponents, and publish
to the world their own shame, in di-
recting the most abusive and grossly
insulting of their libellOus denuncia-
tons against the very Of1iccr-the
most exalted in the government
who, they had, under the sanction Of
official oaths during the reign of
Abraham the First, affirmed, was
protected by law from all such at
lacks.
If the utilization of President
johnson were the only instance of
the palpable violation of law and
consistency which had blackeued the
career of this mOngrel party, we
might overlook it, in consideration
of the violence which, for many years
has distinguished party movements
in America. But it is only one in {
hundred of similar acts. In fact