The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1867-09-20
Rapid and Startling Progress Of our
Revolution.

| On we march The negro cloud still hangs
upon our political horizon and threatens the ma
ton. The radicals descend from great legisla-
ton to the petty passions of party politics, and
are bent upon absorbing in the one controlling
| idea the whole forces of the government. For
tunately, the executive power comes to the res
cue and stands between Congress and the nation
al suicide they would commit. This is clearly
shown by the mastery answer of President john
son to General Grant in the correspondence of
these officials relative to the removal of General
Sheridan. General Grant evidently felt the
force of the demand which the radical party was
making upon him to place himself right with
them, and seized the opportunity thus unwilling
| ly given him by Mr.. Johnson The latter how
ever, was not unequal to the task of parrying
| the thrust, and in his answer to General Grant
gives us the best State paper and the most ex-
act explanation ofhis position that have been is
sued from the Executive Mansion duriug his ad-
ministraion. The General, true to the instincts
OF the soldier, merges too much of military feel
ing into his remonstrance. He apparently for
| gets what we have for some time past been ad-
vocating-that the removal of Sheridan changes
no law, alters no result. To imagine that any
| one man is absolutely necessary to the preserva-
ton of our institutions or the government of any
section, is to forget the fundamental elements of
republicanism merge principles into men give
rule to the latter; ignore any innate force in
laws themselves, and march the people at
double-quick to military despotism. In this
view alone we applaud the removal of Sheridan;
for the political cry raised by the party in pow
er, shows how closely they are treadng upon
the dangerous ground we have designated. A
brave soldier, indeed, is Sheridan, and the Pres
ident pays just tribute to his worth but it
must be principle of our republcanism that
no man is absolutely essential to us. This les
son we must teach at once. Ignoring it, we
touch the border Of a dictatorship and its inevi-
table sequence.
Andrew johnson attempted at first to seize the
three branches of Government and embody their
forces in himself He failed Congress has late
ly tried to do the same. They, too, have failed.
All this shows the strength Of our Government
and the terrible strain to which it may be SUBJ
jected without breaking. 1t is useless for Com
gress TO hope that by any enactment they can
usurp all power. Their efforts to break the ex-
ecutive branch by splitting it into fragments is
in every sense illegal, and 10 be deplored by eve
ry man who seeks the general good instead of
political victory. The desire, moreover, to force
to the surface u vast negro element-untrained,
uneducated, untitled to control themselves, much
less legislate for those who have set them free
is the maddest phase of revolution which is
urged on with partisan violence which iorgets,
in its present success, that it must finally bring
reaction which will be terrible to both white and
black. The former will dry up his sympathies
for race which is forced so rapidly upwards
that sympathy now turns to disgust. The latter,
taught that it is his color that gives him merit,
will sink to the level from which, in common
with Ignorance of any color, he must slowly
march upwards. Here he too will be filled with
disgust; disgust for the white who inflated him;
disgust that he has tasted at spring he must
leave and afterwards reach by long years of toll;
disgust that after all that has been told him,
brain is the measure man. The radical party,
in forcing this black element into such promi-
nence, appear only TO elevate it the higher that
reaction may dropit the lower.
Mr.. johnson now holds in his hands the forces
that can resolve this problem of reconstruction.
II he will only rise to the demands of the occa-
sion he may restore himself to the confidence of
the North. His letter to General Grant is full of
executive power and determination that it
shall not be wrested from him. The whole COM
mon sense Of the country sustains his effort to
keep his poise despite the desire of Congress to
overturn him. Let them impeach him. He
may challenge it and win.>, Let him overturn
the clashing elements in his own Cabinet the
country will applaud. Let him drive back the
black crowd that threatens both North and
South he will receive all aid President Lin
coin issued an emancipation proclamation for the
blacks let Andrew johnson issue, by universal
amnesty, an emancipation for the white portion
of the population of the United States.-New
York Herald.