The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-07-24
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John son and sheridan.

The telegraph informed us on Monday morn
ing that the President designed faithfully to
execute the Reconstruction bill which Congress
had passed over his veto, This was a pleas
ing assurance, but with it came an antidote.
He was prepared to bow to the inevitable, to
weld to the imperative demand Of the nation;
but he could not forgive those who had an
tioipated him in obedience to the popular will.
He was ready to carry out the law, but he
would sacrifice first the man who is the most
faithful exponent Of the law. Congress is to
be obeyed. but Sheridan must be removed.
The conquered Rebels must submit to the just
nreoantionary conditions imposed upon them
bv their conauerors, but they are to under
stand that the President is with them, heart
and hand, in their opposition; that he sym
natbizes in their Rebellion; that he has no
love for his own generals; that he will bear
them out as far as he can in every attempt to
eyade and circumvent the measure upon
which the people have resolved; and that
jealous honest, faithful, straightforward per-
formanoe of the duties which the bill imposes
upon the military commanders will be visited
with his severest displeasure.
In old times there was no more earnest
stickler for the rights of the people than
Andrew Johnson. The cardinal dogma of his
creed was that the people were the sovereigns;
that their will must dictate the national policy;
that their will must determine the conduct of
the National Government; that Presidents,
and Generals, and all subordinate officers were
created only to carry out their resolves. Has
he changed his prinoiplesY From the most
radical Of democrats has he become the most
stately of aristocrats? Does he believe that
he is no longer the creature of the people, as
he boasted himself in his memorable inaugu-
ration speech, but their divinely appointed
guide and director, whose Office 1t is to point
out to them what he deems the right way,
and force them to tread in it? There is no
man in all the United States whose conduct
the American people more heartily approve
than General Sheridan. There is no man who
has apprehended more clearly and carried out
more faithfully than he their deliberate policy
towards the unreconstructed States. There is
no. man in whose sagaeity and honesty, and
unselfsh devotion to duty and patriotism
they have more confidence than the gallant
victor of Winchester And there is no man
with whom Andrew Johnson can so ill afford
to place himself in antagOnism. ,,3
The President has lost good many friends
by his course in this Reconstruction business.
He has now an opportunity to regain them.
We do not expect him, we do not ask him, to
change his principles. We do not require that
he should modify his opinions. We only de-
mand that he shall act up to them. Time and
again he has told us that the will of the people
is the supreme law of the Republic. And what
can be clearer than that the will of the people
in the matter of Reconstruction is that the
policy of the Government shall be Sheri-
dams policy 7 What can be clearer than
that the bold and determined course OF the
distinguished soldier who has so wisely
directed affairs in New Orleans, is the course
which the people have resolved to adopt all
through the unreconstructed South! When
Congress met three weeks ago, it was to give
expression to the popular determination on
this very point. When they resolutely refused
to consider less important matters, 1t was TO
give emphasis to their conclusions on this sub
jeCt. When they passed by the Presidents
objections to their supplementary bill, they
were only 1ttering the popular verdict that
Mr.. JohnsOn's theory was not the theory upon
which the nation had resolved to act but that
Phil. Sheridan's theory was. 1t remains now
to be seen whether Mr.. Johnson will despise
the judgment of the tribunal to which he has
so often appealed; whether he will set the
United States at defiance by removing thelI
most trusty and favOrite commander, OF
whether he will do what little still lies within
him to redeem his fading name, and if not tC
achieve measure of popularity, at least to
retain some character for common sense and
consistency. But he may be sure Of one
thing: he cannot remove General Sheridan
without arousing storm of indignation which
he will never forget till his last hour.