Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1867-12-17


tend TO perpetuste their lease upon political
rorcr, and il received the necessary votes
the Presidents veto notwithstanding.
The oracle further insists that Mr. John
son has shown himself . "yillain" Ia the
method lac has chosen 10 cmbstrass aud
hinder the operations OF tie lsw"-meaning,
We suppose. the so-called reconstruction
scts. In al seriousness, we would Ike our
ncighbor to point on, the particular dcts
which ctiminAte Mr.. johnson in this matter
Of executing those claws Of Congress
which reduce ten States Of tbs Union
to five Military Districts, and hand them
over, people and property. life and liberty,
70 the arbitrary and irresponsible power OF
a. many military commanders. Although
Mr.. johnson thought, - I'D hundfeds o.
thousands Of citizens Of this country, thai
these acts were an outrage upon seonsusu-
tionsl government, and for the time sub
version and overthrow OF free inssitu"oes
in this country yet in pursuance Of shos'
ac.s requiring him 10 nominate command
ers from the army for those Dist, tets, he
promptly appointed Gseess's schoheld'
Sickles, Pope. Sheridan and Ord. to take
command Of those States, and assume the
despotic and arbitrary powers conferred by
those acts. The administration OF every
one Of these commanders has boon su6i-
GENTLY tyrannical. despotic and radical TO
entitlc themselves TO. and secure votes OF
thaaks from the architects Of the ruin
wrought In those States.
Up to this point We suppose the Presi-
dent did NOT "hindsr tie operation Of the
law" except in 90 far - the Irresistible
force Of his arguments brought i into con
tempt with oil right minded people In the
process Of time, however, these claws had
10 be construed, and the President, with the
advice Of tho Attorney 0sncral-an Officer
provided for BY Law to advise the Executive
in Law matters construed them 10 those
respects in which they were not perfectly
clear. and they were not clear 10 I'll respects
Tor different commanders we're giving them
different constructions. We suppose the
orders which were issued - TO the construc
ton and uniform cnforceucnt Of the claws"
gave our neighbor offence, and furnish him
OCCASION for saying the President 10 one o.
the most profound villains who has escaped
har ging." But what followed Immediately
upon the heels Of this Official constsustior
Of the acts Of Congress Why the con
struction made was 30 msnifesuy author
lied BY the terms Of tho statute that Con
gross convened Of its own uotisn. IN sstra
session. 10 prevent the :...law," q
construed, from being snfcessd, ed
for tho purpose Of making legislatip.
Interpretation Of it, own acts thereby con
Teasing that they had either changed thei,
minds As TO what the "lav" should b, d
that they were incapable Of enacsing thsi'
intentions into . statute Indeed, some o
the prominent members Of the party con
iessed that an act which bound ten sew
ereisn States in she shackles Of arbitrary
mi itasy power had been very hastily draft
ed and incorside!asciy passed. and henc.
the defec,si
The Gdset.e oracle further assures III
Mr.. johnson ought 10 have been impeached
when he issued his North Carolina psocla
nation and when hc ''pardonsd rebels be
fore conviction" In all sincerity again
and with becoming Difference TO our neigh
aor's broad views, We would ask, which il
the greater crime against our government
and individual rights, pardoning rebels b..
fore conviction or Furnishing them withou,
trial VI eonviction, The President has un-
doubleday done the first, the Gasetiss i'm
moderate pet lambs Of Congress have don,
the second. We would like sn answer tc
this question. for We entertain the opinion
that II was perfectly competent for the
President. Tin whose cfiice 10 lodged elem.
ency and forgiveness for al ofensss agains,
tbs national governmont,) to have Issued
the day the Confederate armies surrendered,
. proclamation Of universal amnesty to the
entire armies Of the South, aud a great
many enlightened aud abroad viewed peo-
pie in this county and in civilized Europe
thought he ought to have done ID. And
We have read 10 an instrument which VIC
were taught to believe the law to
tho lawmakers in this country, tina,
no person no, in the military service shall
10 deprived of his life, liberty or property
without duo process Of Law. and that NJ
person could be held 10 answer for capita
crime without being first indicted By q
grand jury, and then tried by jury of his
peers. Congress has provided otherwise.
Aud - TO the Prssidents great sin in
supp 'sing be had the power 10 appoint
Provisional 0everoosss Of The Southern
States, . great many Democrats thought
thon and still think neither Mr.. Lincoln nor
Mr.. Johnsen had such authority. But NJ.
Johnson's predecessor in office had exsrcis-
cd the power and established the precedent,
and Congress. In its earnest Loyalty aud
aealous devotion to Humanity. never
thought OF impeaching him. II osr memory
70 not greatly at fauls, this same Andrew
johnson had, under Mr. Lircoin's admins
trasion. acted - Military or Provisional
Governor Of Tennessee. through whose ap-
pc ntmens aud The machinery Get In motion
under 1t, the. present model Government,
Republican in form" with three fourths Of
shs people disirsnchissd. and .. miserable,
blood thirsty blaekeuard breaches - Clever.
nor and United States Senator elect, was
organized snd foisted upon thsss people,
We thlak he history Of thoss ttses furnish.
IS an account Of . Provisional Governor in
Louisiana; aad ws don't know but Gov.
Pierpont Arss STARTED 10 pub,ic lifs In me
Provisional Governes business. When Mr
johnson came into edo ~ suppose
/" did not occur to him, - il did
to the loyal Congress. that the Con-
s"sus'on conferred upon che person Of Mr..
Lincoln. on account Of The imuusity from
oo'os wrong with which he was clothed
. sAA -