South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1867-04-19

IVcndeU Philips on tie Political Situation
Pc Pre,ilen,ial Lnpeaeh7ssat-A,,drs,c john
soh Bisseeted- The R0dicai Recons,rv-sion Pro
granme-- Gen. Grant and The Presidency.
MUscATlNE, Iowa, April 5, 1867.
Dear Standard-It is of course needless
for me to tell you of my interest in Your
labors yet do not know that have any
thing else to tell you. Thus far distant
from the centre of public affairs, I hardly
dare to risk any conjectures before your rea-
ders. !: seems to Us off here that the For
tieth Congress dares not impcach the Pres
idcnt. The patronage of the Executive has
been too strong temptation for congress
sional virtue to resist. How gratefully the
members pick up every little crumb of COM
fort that can be got from any slight show
Of Difference to their opinion on the part of
johnson? Again and again have / trem-
bled lest the two parties should fraternizc;
they yielding nine-tenths aud he yielding
nothing except gracious phrases. Still /
think we may have great trustin the stolid
obstinacy of Johnson. That is a reliance
which has never yet failed us, and the stock
seems inexhaustibie. Were he an ordina-
ry man, simply mulish, / should be tempt
ed to despair. Aittlc compliance with the
temper 81 the people, and seeming sub
missions the military law, would largely
rcinstate him in public respect and sympa-
thy. But with his sublime self-conceit,
and his entire belief that the North is real
~ with him, | think we may trust him so
as to astound the public and exasperate
Congress that in due time he will either be
imDcached or wholly crippled in his execu-
tiApowcr The Kentucky and Tennessee
mules are the finest in the world. If any
man doubts it, let him watch our history
the next five years.
Without counting, therefore, much on the
virtue or intelligence of Congress, I look
for constant progress in the right direction
Lord John Russell, you remember, talked
of the reform bill of 1881 as "fnality."
So some men seem to fancy the military
bill "finality" 1t is only halfway
house on the congressional road from lin
coin to Stevens. The train stops there to
wood and water, gets rid of some passcn-
gers and large amount of baggage, to 60
forward at an increased speed.
All our duty is to press constantly on the
nation the absolute need Of three things:
l. The exercise of the whole police power OF
the Government to hold the Southquict while the
seeds Of republicaniSm get planted.
Q. Unconstitutional amen dmcnt securing uni
versal suffrage in spite Of all State legislation
}. constitutional amendment authorizing
Congress tocStahlish common schools in any State
destitute of them at the States expense.
For these measures we must educate the
public mind. These are the soil i'm which
the seeds of good government AMI equal
rights can alone be trusted
But | think VIC must direct our care n
little further ahead Johnson is watched,
and will be impcachcI or crippled. The
the nation give the helm for the next four
years? If Democrat gets it, we shall
lose two-thirds of the fruits of the war. If
n compromiscr has it, we shall lose one-half
With radicalsm at the helm, we may save
two-thirds OF what we have earned In that
next four years the pressure from business
men for the Government to open, in some
way and on some conditions, the old chan
nels of business, will be Irresistible The
republican leaders have secured Of they do
secure) party triumph, by keeping the
South out Of the Electoral College of 1868.
will give way The next administration,
therefore, must be expected to settle this
question. The bias of that man who occu-
pies the White House then will be of i'm
mensc Importance.
Now the country is drifting into the
presidency Of Gen. Grant-a man Of whose
political IDEAS Of he has any) no man tell
US anything. The FIRST assertion Of his
friends is that be is safe man, because he
has no political ideas and will he in good
hands Alas .. our present incubus was
once in good hands Next time we want n
man with brains and heart Of his own, not
one who depends on being girdcd and guild
ed "whiihcr lac will not" Astounding
madness Republicans tell us they must
nominate Grant, else the Democrats will.
I'm these hours, when the nation aconizcs
for existence, we take man for our leader
SO lacking in principle that he will suit ei
thor party equally well Two armies in
deadly fight, one deliberately chooses for
its leader such perfect Swiss that the 9th
cr will clutch him if The first does not
Lincoln fear Of Kentucky dill us infinite
harm hope Grants love for it viii not
be allowed to do rs moro. Memphis, New
Orleans, and EaItimmcarc enough 20 show
how Grant does hismil'qry duty. DO thew
encourage us 10 trust him with any civil
ones WFyprrI Purrifrs
r." INr rourtcrfeifr-. Cluurs Utwrr. me-
tive o' Germany. who was arrested in Cincinnati
and taken tn Ncw 1ors. % ics DAYS ago. la- mad.
p detailed statement of aN h, transactions with
UHI'I- In .HniDr'Ii money and the names 0f fhc