The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-03-08
ANDREW JOHNSON.

men. Far more numerous are the instances where
ambitious men have wadsd through slaughter
to throne, and shut the gates OF mercy on man
kind" This grand, noble, and very exceptional at
titude has been occupied by the President, al
most ever since his elevation to his present high
position. The Freedman's Bureau Bill, we believe,
was the first legislative act Of the 39th Congress,
vetoed by the President; and yet this same bill
proposed to confer great power and very extensive
patronage upon the Executive. This seK-abnega-
ton and entire disinterestedness was exempihed
in still more remarkable manner in the history
Of the recent Reconstruction Act On the one
hand, Mr. JOHNSON saw power, absolute and ire
sponsible, conferred upon him, such as no mon
arch in England has possessed in five hundred
years The other, in he refused to aflx his
signature to the BILL he knew perfectly well that it
would become law, g his objections to the con-
trary. Notwithstanding and moreover, had the
impeachment hanging in te7Torem over him.
Had he loved power, regardless OF the means by
which it is attained, he would have signed the bill.
Had he merely consulted his ease, he would have
yielded to the demands Of Congress- To such
course, it is said he solicited also by many Of
his friends. But no neither Theory of faction,
the SANDER and abuse of selfish and unprincip1ed
politicians, nor yet the threats and even dangers
threatening persistence in his policy, could make
him swerve one iota from the course he had de-
iberately adopted the course Of right and jus
tice, the course Indicated by the Constitution of
his country So, ,Ha s4-. t'~ni'-
Congress, by it's recent action offered the Presi-
dent power in the Southern States falling short in
nothing of that welded by GEraHB KHAN, the
Sultan Of Turkey, the Gar OF Russia, or any other
/ absolute monarch, of whom history gives record.
Yet this offer Of illimitab,e power he magnani-
nj 0r,on
or RoBEspRRRE and his felow-leaders in the
French Revolution. It was not thus that either
the first or the second NAPOLEON acted, upon less
temptation than was here presented to Mr.. JoHN-
SON. ta. s
History can show no precedent for .such noble
act. The strife between legislatures and execu-
tives has always been Of contrary character. The
King, Emperor, Prssident Governor: or by what
ever other title he may hold the chief executive
office Of the State has ever. been disposed to tres
pass upon the liberties of his subjects, orthe peo-
pie, and Of the principal functions Of legisla-
tive assemblies certainly their chief sendeaHur-
has always been to repress such intrin cement.
@ hs Il nsnf ss GssR esesksEsd EksE SdwePs y
Gear, and he declines to WELD such sway over nine
millions Of defenceless people.
:! When this. refusal of Mr.. JOHNSON is considered
IN connection with the threats about his impeach=
nent and removal from Office and the. initiatory
steps already taken to institute such paosecution
then his position becomes one of sublir,ity. A
cotemporary draws the following parallel: saThe
oonspirators who near the foot Of PoMPEY's statue
thrust their daggers to the heart Of the ambitions
CESAR, thus punished him for too ready an ac-
ceptance Of the purple Of royalty. But Congress
proposes to immolate the President because he
will not become, with his five ibrigadier subordi-
mates, despot over the ten Southern States - .
The message Of the President, accompanying
his veto OF the Reconstruction BIZ, is the most
searching and thorough in its exposition Of the
heinous cruelty contemplated by Congress- agair1st
the Southern States. It holds up the frames Of
this law to the exeeration of all mankind: for he
shows clearly and incontestably that the entire
measure Is neither more nor less than the wanton
exercise Of reckless power on the part Of an un-
generous conqueror, over apeople defeated and at
shis mercy. s s-s T.
1t Is as yet uncertain what the new Congress- will
do in regard to the impeachment, but the probaa-
biites are an on The side Of its vigorous prosecu-
ton. Generals BuTLER and LOGAN, both aInbi-
tious Of the Radical leadership, are pressing this
question. Mr.: WADE, the new President Of the
Senate, is understood to favor the impeachment,
not perhaps altogether uninfuenced by certain re-
versionary honors and dgnities, to be his il case
Of Mr JoHNsoN's deposition, perhaps IN the event;
even Of his mere trial.
r Mr.. JOHNSON, thus far, has proven to the world
that he shirks not responsibility, and cannot be
inttimdated "a. M. s',