Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-08-14

or whether that government shall be
saved, whose principles they have been
educated from childhood TO believe the
only and the sacred foundation for hoer'
ty 10 any people There is no alterna'
tive but this. Passion may blind IN Suen
n case, but interest will save. May we
not then hope that tho weight OF argu-
ment for the maintenance OF the theo'
retically supreme law of this land which
is now rushing over it like torrent as
never before, and which is unanswered
except by transparent sophistry in any
quarter, and which is SO impregnable as
TO dishearten the boldest disputants from
asseiling it, will yet prevail ever public
opinion E? If not then truth is disabled
and. by the aid of mere human agencies,
is no longer invincible. We confess we
cherish hope of returning sanity because
we cannot easily believe the nobler
American manhood and virtue can have
fallen so readily and so low.
Besides, President johnson seems now
about to act ; it may be with well con-
sidered preparation and power. 1t may
he he has discovered in the signs Of the
sky the coming revolution, in sober
second thought of the people" to which,
with a spark of hope, we have adverted.
He is said to be skilled and more than
ordinarily sagacious, in reading the signs
of the times. He has dmissed the Sec
rotary of War-a step which may have
been unsafe at an. earlier moment, and
until a revolution was beginning with
power in the North. Such revolution
as will crush Radicalism out of sight is
not uncommon among the American
people. 1t may have begun already
where reason and the press has been I'M
shackled and is still free to combat error.
1t may have advanced further, and have
deeper root than we can see. There are
indications, too, that the whole Cabinet
is to be reformed Of new and better ma
terials-of men who will keep, and aid
the President in keeping the oath of the
executive head, and are not too sqeam-
ish to suppott the Constitution of the
United States for fear of being spotted
by fanatics at home. We will indulge
the hope that thedawn of liberty is near,
when we can breathe free again, under
the reign Of real republicanism. Stan
ton held his position at the dictation of
the rump Congress Without that, no
man would have ventured so to disgrace
himself as he has done by holding an
Office O gentleman could not hold and
retain sefrespect. If Grant was now
under the same control Of Congress how
could he have risked his popularity,
which he has been so long and painfully
reticent to preserve, by taking the office
from Stanton, even with the polite twad-
die of his letter. We speak without
confidence that our coDjectures are
right, and yet not without hope that they
may be so. Grant may see signs of a
coming storm and overwhelming revolu-
ton of public sentiment, to which he
now bends, to avoid the fury Of the ad-
vancing tornado. johnson may find his
hands so strengthened that he can do
now, what he supposed he could only at
tempt before, with uncertain chances of
success He may, after all, have waited
wisely and not toe long. There is rea-
son for thinking that the intellect Of the
great North and its patriotism cannot
slumber forever. There is ground to
hope that the extreme of darkness we
are in is only the precursor Of the com
ing day.