Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-09-04
THE NEW YORK PRESS ON THE PO
LITICAL SITUATION.
ROBERT OULD,
Agent of Exchange.
From the Tribune.
l.


But now where does Andrew johnson
seek his remedy? In his own arbitrary
power. He forces his Interpretation of
the law upon General Grant, and compels
Grant to submit to it. Grant has the law
behind him, Congress to lean upon, the
Presidents own Interpretation as an argu-
ment, the people to sustain him, yet he is
overruled by the Presidents tyranny
johnson has admitted that he is not to be
the Judge between himself and Congress,
admits that the laws are binding till re-
pealed, whether constitutional or not, vet
makes himselfthe Judge, and repeats at his
pleasure. He appoints and directs, though
he has announced that the law gives to the
General the ultimate control of appoint
ments He tears from Grants reluctant
hands the weapons with which Congress
armed him, and usurps all the authority
of which he solemnly proclaimed he had
been absolutely deprived.
But was Mr.. Johnson's July interpreta-
ton of the law right, so far as he declared
that Congress gave the supreme executive
power to the General? PROFESSIONALLY.
There may be verbal looseness in some of
the sections, but the law itself is plain.
Everywhere the General of the army, not
the President, is named as the officer to
whom all appeals shall be made, by whom
alone any order may be disapproved. And
TO secure by double security the meaning
which stood self-revealed and clear rs the
sun, Congress added the eleventh section,
which declares, "That all the provisions Of
this act, and the acts TO which this is sup
Elementary, shall be construed literally 10
the end that all the intents therefore may
be fully and perfectly carried out" We
regret that Gen. Grant did not maintain
the rights given to him by Congress, but
he may yet more clearly understand the
law Of which he is the executive. He has
only to assert the constitutional powers Civ
en- him by Congress, by the law maker, to
conquer for the people The President
cannot remove or suspend him. Congress,
in imposing upon him the responsibility Of
executing its laws, placed its invincible
spear in his hand, and its impenetrable
buckler on his arm.
The Journal Of Commerce.
So far as the President conforms to the
constitution and the laws, he receives the
support Of all sober. rejecting citizens.
Notwithstanding the small opinion Of writ
tSA i""of "a hANoeSA " MI Cl6Nelc duu the
extreme Radical wing that he rep
resents, there is, even among the
warmest supporters of Congress as
against the President, a certain inextin-
guishable respect for law. 1t NAV
be small-only a spark-but il is there.
securely lodged in the mind Of every sane
American citizen. When the President ex-
ercises his powers under the law, in perfect
accordance with the law, and enjoins upon
his subordinates strict conformity to the
law, as he does in his orders changing
about the district commanders, he takes
the strongest possible position. 1t is fortu-
nate for the President that he is entirely
right, and now reluctantly admitted to be
so by nearly all the Radical papers, in
claiming the power Of removing district
commanders. If he assumed in that affair
a power which was not his, but General
Grants, he would have lost the support
which he now derives from that large part
Of the community who look to the written
law as their guide in all doubtful questions.
We trust the President will profit by his
experience in this matter, and will act
hereafter with caution and hrmness, and,
above all, in a spirit Of answering obedi-
ence to the constitution and the laws.
The Evening Post.
Mr.. Johnson's recent course il, wenotice.
Persuading the country Of one thing That
Il Is not wise to attempt 20 tie the hands of
the Chief Executive, that all such at