Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1867-12-26
stanton 80 THE President - The
Republicans.

johnson ON Stanton's case-thc most
scathing OF his many able messages
and needing only n more veighty oc-
casion and subject TO mako IL state
paper Of tho first order of merit
should have an effect on poor Stanton
like the search behind the screen in
the apartment of Joseph Surface, in
the "School for Scandal II the
mans nature has any lingering rem
nant Of the sensibilitics of gcntle-
man, ho will hide his face in confu-
sion and wish to stink away from hui
man observation. Wcprint tho mes
sage in another place Despite the
sober and seasoned gravityo of its man
ner, it is as good as comedy Its eff
feet on Stanton and his Jealous Re
publican laudators, must be like that
produced on Falstatf by the exposure
OF his prodigious heroism against the
men in buclram.
1t is conceivable enough that a man
may differ vehemently with the Pres
ident, even on points where the Pres
ident is strong and right, without
having any cause to blush for his per-
sonal probily or his sense of charac-
ter. A mans honest prejudices be
they ever so violent, do not dshonor
and degrade him. But when a man
pas sas himself off for martyr and is
presently unmasked MS a hypocrite,
he is beyond the pale of charity If
Mr.. Seward should turn upon the
President and raise quarrel on the
ground that Mr.. johnson had consen-
ted to squander the public revenue in
the Russian purchase, or if Mr. Nc
Culloch should try to iasten on him
quarrel because he favors a contrac-
ton Of the currency, or Mr.. Stanbeuy
because he vetoed the Reconstruction
bill, every honest man would declare
without hesitation that these members
of the Cabinet were disgraced. But
if these scarcely supposable hypothe-
ses were facts, they would fade away
before such infamy as Stanton's. This
perfdious miscreant had the indescri-
bable impudencc to tell the President
that he was unfit to be trusted with
the appointment Of an All interim Sec
retary of War, when be himself had
not been merely an approyor, but the
author, of the policy for which the
President was condemned The re-
construction policy of Mr. Johnson,
which is "the head and front Of his
offending" was devised and put in
writing by Stanton himself, before
Mr.. Johnson became President. 1t
had the previous approval Of Mr. Lin
coin, and was accepted by Mr. John
son when he came into office. These
facts and documentary evidence TO
prove thcm are given by Mr.. Johnson
in the message, and the well driven
nail is clinched by the sworn testi-
mony Of Stanton himself. The North
Carolina proclamation, in which Pres
ident Johnsons reconstruction policy
was firstannounced, was concoction
Of Stanton's brain, aud in all its es.
sential features, the production Of his
pen.
This brazen knave and hypocrite ont
did even himselfin publicly contesting
the Presidents authority to suspend
him. lie rested his remoustrance on
the "ConeGtutioa" aud tlio iaws,~i
but was prudently tender of going in.
to particulars The word Constitu.
ton in such a connection should have
burned his pen like vitriol and red. !
dened the very paper with shame
He, rs having been a former Attor-
ney-Gcneral, was consulted by the
President respecting the constitutions
ality of the Tenure-of Office bill. and
held it to be in plain conflict with the
Constitution. lie supplied orally all
the best points in the veto of that
bill, and would have written the veto
message had it not been for a tran. |
sient physical infrmity. And vet he
had the amazing etfrontcry to plead 1
the Constitution against the act of
the President. A man capable of
this is capable Of any meanness, and |
he probably was in colusion with /
Congress at the very time that he |
was supplying the President with ar
guments ne ainst their action. The
bill was probably amended so as to
include Cabinet officers at his instiga.
tion, and his arguments against its
constitutionality were a device for
warding of suspicion This snake in
the grass was the only member Of the
Cabinet for whom The Republicans
had any tenderness, or whom they
had any motive TO keep in Office.
The skdlking basencss, the person
al and official treachery of this per-
hdious caitiff in connection with the
New Orleans riot, would alone be
TO blast his reputation as a
man of honor. In the very crisis of
the danger, before the riot occurred,
q despatch came to Washington from
General Baird asking instructions.
This despatch was concealed by Stan.
ton, and kept from tho knowledge of
the President for many DAYS after the
riot. Had the President received il
in time, the riot would have been pre-.
vented That scene of bloody vic.
ence was precisely what the Repub-
leans needed TO enable them TO carry
The elections against tho President.
II spread q sentiment of horror and
through the North whic h
gave them the elections. 1t thereby
smboldened Congress TO adopt all the
violent meaures, which, as the public
mind sobers, arc producing so mighty
> reaction As point of official da-
iy, quite apart from its noxious con