The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-08-26
watohman, What of the Night!

From me ~. Y. HeTuL0.
Revolutions do not stop. He who dares to
throw himself as barrier to stay them sinks
before their irresistible march. True genius
seizes the helm, rides on the tide, gathers and
harmonizes the contending forces, and by the
power of intellect guides events more quickly
to their resultant Will Mr.. Johnson finally
rise to the demands of the situation Can he
The next few weeks will show us. Judging,
however, from past blunders-his apparent
desire to embody in himself all political power;
to merge into unity the three branches of Gov
ernment, and call that unit Andrew Johnson;
to place himself alone as the exponent which
gives the only value to every political equa-
tion; to make the people, who have fought
for and gained the great battle of nationality,
believe that Congress does not represent them
he will fail to take fortune at the flood and re-
deem himself.
The quarrel between the President and Con-
gress is but phase in the great march of our
revolution. Congress has no more risen to
the magnitude of the problem than has Mr..
Johnson. Failing to comprehend the great
principles that underlie the reharmonizing of
the nation, they have let slip their opportuni-
ties, dallied with reconstruction, mingled it
too much with political ambitions, forgotten
that they were legislating for the country,
lowered themselves to the narrow scope of
party and have at last thrown themselves
off guard and shown the vulnerable points
IN their armor. Thus light is oreaKlng IN.
Now let the President use 1T. Let him correct
his first great error-the retention OF the old
Cabinet left by Mr.. Lincoln; let him brush
them away in a body. They were born of other
times and other wants. New issues demand
new men. Letus have them. Had Mr.. Johnson,
upon his accession to power, named a new
Cabinet and called Congress together immedi-
ately, the reconstruction of the South would
long since have been ended for he and the
people, through their Congress- would have
pulled together in common purpose. 1t is
not yet too late to restore harmony between
the forces of Government. Now, however is
the moment to strike. Let the President by
virtue of the executive right given to him by
our fundamental law, suspend the Cabinet
the Tenure of Office bill to the contrary not
Withstanding; for that is one of the Congress
sional blunders. If he has no courage to dC
this he is not equal to the OCCASION and thereby
proves that we have no hope of national har
mony until his term of Office has expired OF
Congress has impeached him. So rare an on
poItunity for man to retrieve himself haa
never occurred in our political history; ant
we now look to Mr.. Johnson to refute O
admit all that his enemies have said agans
him. We can have no reconstruction of tn
country until we have had a reconstruction G
the Cabinet for this, by its too ready in
fuence upon the President, has made him
political bat-stick for party purposes.
Besides the reconstruction of his CabinC
Mr.. johnson is master of the best method fC
the reconstruction of the South and by a si1
ole stroke of his pen may, by virtue of I'll
power which the Constitution gives him, pr
claim universal amnesty-amnesty for IL
white, who was foolish enough to run in
rebellion with the idea that he alone WI
created TO govern the country; amnesty 4
the poor ngrO % WnOIS notda SsS ouare oVer bn
amnesty for the North, which is heartily sic
of waving the bills for these Ethiopian theatl
Gals; amnesty for our commerce, our agricr
fural interests, our progress as peopl
above all things, amnesty for the brains OF OF
Ftatesmen. Let us, therefore, have ne
Cabinet and a general amnesty.