The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-03-01
The President Unchanged.

The President Unchanged.
Col. Halpine, the editor of the
New York Citizen, writes a long ac-
count of an interview he had with
President johnson, Wednesday, goth
ultimo. We extract what he reports
the President said of his own course:
Gas for myself, my convictions in
politics are things that 1 cannot
change to suit the expediencies of
this or any other moment. They have
grown with my growth, they have
strengthened with my strength, and
they are to me only less sacred, and
as MUCH to be preserved, as my reli-
gious faith. Attempts are made to
make it appear that my words, at diff
ferent times, have been inconsistent;
but were not the circumstances in
consistent, under which the appa-
rently contradictory words were
spoken or opinions given. During
the high storm of rebellion, or in the
first heat Of it's subsistence, words
were proper to be said which would
be utterly improper in time Of peace
We put broken limb in splints, to
hold it quiet. whether the patient
will or no; but to insist on holding
the splints there when the limb is
restored, or when further examina-
ton shall have proved that the
wounds, though deep, were only
fiesh-wounds, leaving the bones unin-
Jured-this would not be wise sur
gerry, but cruelty; not craftsmanship,
but barbarous usurpation.
81 am accused of usurping power,
when my whole life has been one
continual battle against the tendency
of bureaucracy or aristocracy-the
concentration Of power in the hands
of the few. I was accused of usurp-
ing power for my veto of the first
Freedmen's Bureau bill, although
that veto was a voluntary putting
away from me of patronage and
power more unlimited than was ever
previously offered to any President!
I asa tor holding all possible power
in - hands of the people perma-
nently; [ am in favor of always find
ing the minimum of power necessary
to be delegated to any officials, or
to the General Government, and
only allowing that minimum to be
given.
''But look, even at this bill of Sc
nator Sherman's, and see what it does,
or proposes doing? 1t is only less
Objectionable than the House bill, in
that it does not openly supersede the
President, representing the civil pow
er, in favor Of the General command
ing the armies of the United States.
But it violates the constitutional pro-
vision guaranteeing republican form
of government. and substitutes a
military despotism over the lately
revolted States. It disfranchises
nearly all the intelligent whites, and
gives universal suffrage to the igno-
RAM blacks, thus overriding the pro-
vision that each State shall determine
who shall be entitled to its suffrage.
1t also null;ies the constitutional
amendments, by practically declaring
the existing Governments of the
Southern States illegal, so that their
adoption of the amendments must be
without validity.
'Eyerywhere there is a tendency
to substitute the Government as the
sonrce of power, instead Of the 'peo-
pie; and it is against this tendency I
am at issue. The Sherman bill de-
MES the writ OF habeas corpus, when
ever such shall be the pleasure of an
arbitrary military commander. in
whose power to rule over them the
people of the subjugated district
shall have no voice. It also strikes
down the right Of early trial by q
civil court, and by jury of the
peers of the accused. In fact, it fun
damentally uproots all those popular
and constitutional guarantees OF free
dom which were extorted from King
John by the Barons of England in
the signature of Magma Chmla-that
basis of our common law.
''It is for the principles of our
common law and common justice,
and for the rights of the whole peo-
pie as against what is called the
Government, that am to-day CON
tending. 1t is for this l am called a
'usurper, while the fact is, it is be-
cause | will not usurp power. nor