Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1867-10-24
LAND HER ii D.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 1867,
Congress and the President.


With the natural instinct with which
drowning men catch at straws, the Dem
ocratic press OF the country are claiming
that the result OF the recent elections
administer n rebuke TO Congress, and its
action upoL Lational affairs, Nogreater
mistake or willlu Misrepresentation
could be m4de, ~ we have carried very
Staff which held it's election on he Sth
instaGt nv handsome maj0ritieS, with
the exc, pllh %: Prnusy vsnia, AMI even
there We think 1t requires considerable
advancement in mathematics 10 cypher
popular Union loss, as the Vo'" Tor
Supreme Judge IS upwards of hundred
thousand less han that which gave
Gen. Gesry Il majority Of 1000 for the
gubcrnaloria, chair year before, and
even the Democratic vote cast is many
thousand less this year than 1t was last.
Where then is the victory, or where the
reputation Of Congressional action 2
Unless it be rebuke to the law making
BODY of the government for emitting
what perhaps may have been its duty in
impeachiug the executive and removing
him from the Presidential office, We fail
to see any defeat OF Republican princi-
pies and avowed doctrines.
Besides it comes with poor grace
from party which has suffered so many
defeats in the ,sst six years by both
bullet and ballot 10 talk of snubhing or
being snubbrd. When, in, 1866, An.
drew Johnson made his famous Swing
ing around the circle" eleCtOneering
tour and left the Constitution and flag
in the hands 0; his constituents snd
placed himself at issue with Congress,
before the people, we think we remem.
Der of the Democracy suffering an I'M
paralleled defeat at the polls in the loyal
States, when Congress was endorsed
and the President rebuked by over
whelmng mai0rities. To think that
Congress will construe the results Of
local elections for the selection of judges,
&c, as condemnatory Of its measures is
absurd
A lesson, however, from which Con-
gress may learn has Deen taught by the
result of these elections, and that is to
execute laws up to the radical stand
point of the popular will. Let 1t do
this else another year it may find itself
rebuked. Let it 20 fearlessly forward in
the work OF reCOnstructing and restor-
ing the rebellous States to the Union
let it perform the imperative duties i'm
posed upon it regardless OF the clamor
OF traitors and conservatives. The PEG,
pie admire pluck and decisive action,
and the moment Congress evinces firm
and united determination, they will
close up around that body and give it
frmer support than has yet been &C
corded it by them.
Notwithstanding the fruits OF the war
we are still in the midst O! great anti
slavery revolution, in which the ques-
ton is adroitly made one of caste, while
it is in reality question OF labor. The
pretended hatred OF the negro is but q
hatred Of his condition, not OF his color,
and lsboring white men who indulge In
this scorn are as much filled with that
peculiar pride as the more aristocratic
of their race, who in turn look upon them
and consider them OF no more instrisic |
worth than the despised blacks. Labor |
in the North is thoroughly emancipated |
only because the laborer has the civil !
and political rights Of any other man. |
Give these to the laborers of the South |
and, be they white or black, they will |
be as thoroughly free and independent
as they are at the North. But the
aristocracy Of the South revolts against
admitting even TO political equality their |
late slaves, while the popular voice OF
the country demands that their inalien.
able rights shall no longer be withheld
rom them. In this controversy the
President has become the avowed cham
pion OF the defeated advocates of slavery
and caste, while Congress contends for
Inc rights OF the freedman and loyal
white. Let that body, then, speedily
enact laws, and compel the executive to
enforce them, which will at once solve
he vexed question, giving to the laborer
lis Just dues, even at the expense of his
more aristocratfc neighbors, and the
resident and his party will again be re-
'uked, and peace and tranquility again
eign supreme throughout the nation.
Washington Items.