The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1867-07-31
TIE PRESIDENTS VETO.

In any trialnf strength between Andrew
johnson and the people, Andrew johnson
will be overthrown Of that he NAV be
sure. Yet If there is any. man utterly blind
to the events of the day and alienated from
the spirit and purposes of his country, that
man is the President of the United States
He is as far removed from sympathy with
this nation as is the Khan of Tartary, and
further than the Emperor of Japan. In his
own land heis as a foreigner He holds the
highest office of the Union in the interestsof
Rebellion, and the whole aim of his policy
seems to be to substitute the defeat of the |
Union for the victory to which ii is entitled.
There isno man who talks more of the Un-
ion than he, and none who now does more
to prevent its peaceful reconstruction It is
his misfortune that he has forgotten the Re
bellion. Treason. to him, is neither crime
nor mistake traitors and Rebels forfeit no
rights; the secession of ten States gives to
the Government no control over their reor-
ganization; Congress, representing the loyal
people of twenty-six States. is powerless to
prevent the rule of minority of Rebels
Yet, a few years ago Andrew johnson led
the band of extreme men who demanded
that treason should he expiated by death.
who proposed the gallows as the solution of
all National difficulties and there have been
no acts as arbitrary as his when singly, and
without consultation with Congress, he took
the whole business of reconstruction on him.
self. By what miracle these extremes have
been reconciled it is useless to ask it is
enough that Andrew Johnson in the Presi-
dency of the United States, is now the worst
foe of the people who placed him there. At
peaee with the whole world, we are at war
with him. a
We. who put down the Rebellion, have
the right to dictate terms to conquered reb-
els. Who denies the right2 Not the rebels.
When they laid down their arms to Grant,
and Sherman, and Sheridan. they laid down
everything. Techically, their property,
their lives, were forfeited by the laws they
had offended; but Humanity and Christian
ity plead for them, and the noble argument
that mercy was but justice convinced their
conquerors. They had surrendered every
thing. and what did the nation take Their
lives and liberties it gave, their property it
restored, and all that it demanded was
submission to the terms which, for self-pro-
lection. it had imposed. Who denied the
right to enforce these conditions2 Andrew
johnson. He inspired with passion of new
resistance rebellion that was prostrare at our
| feet. Thefruit ofhis policy was riot, and mur-
| der, and massacre fresh hatred between the
South and North; the long and costly de-
lay of Reconstruction. The nation had re-
solved that certain things should be done,
and they have been done, but at what cost
Every step that we have taken has been over
Presidential veto; loyalty wherever it has
advanced has found Andrew johnson bar
ring the way: we have fought every battle
of the war over again with him for the enc
| my, till very WEAKNESS of the struggle has
| given us new strength. He has professed his
willingness to yield to the DEGREES of the
people, and again and again the people
have iecreed, and repeatedly he has refused
to obey. Nothing can teach him. and Con-
gress, re-assembled to prevent the nulli6ca-
tion of its laws, is again met by the petty
quibbling, the gigantic obstinacy of this
! faithless servant. His message goes further
than we thought even he would dare to GO.
| He has hitherto opposed the law now he
would defy them. If the President should un-
dertake to carry out his argment he will be-
gin new rebellion--but, like the old rebel
| lion, it will be crushed.
To the extraordinary argument which
Mr.. johnson opposes to the Supplementary
Reconstruction act, the Senate replied with
contemptuous silence. and the immediate
passage of the bill over his veto. 1t is al
most unnecessary to answer his So
phistry, though Mr.. Butler ably exposed in
the House the pretense that the legislation
of Congress in reference to Federal Courts in
| the South. and Constitutional Amendments,
admitted the power to place the rebel States
under military rule. 1t is not with the
Presidents argument, but with the spirit of
the message, that the country will take is
sue. We pass by this flimsy logic, but we
must listen to his threats. To us the EN-
phatic portions of the message are those
which Insult the people by declaring that
Congress has placed twelve millions of Amer
ican citizens under a rule than which there
has been none mure intolerant. and more espe-
cially that which refuses to execute the act.
His objections to the bill are worth nothing,
now that it has become the law. He is
bound to discharge the high duties of bis
executive office, to the letter and in the
spirit, and we need not predict what would
| be the result. should this servant Of the peo-
| pie persist in affirming . l will not" when
the nation has again we, believe for the last
time, commanded = You shall."-N z. zri.
bune. .i