Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-12-21
The Wrath Of Wendell Phillips About the
Failure OF Impeachment.

Philips will be read with interest by our
Radical readers. And we publish II for
their benefit. Their party has two able
heads, ,one Stevensl (about to die), and the
other Phillips, who speaks to them new.
Let them look in the glass he holds up,
and see what is there:
There can be no doubt, judging from
the record, that a majority of the loyal
people of these States, a majority of the
Republican party, and a majority Of the
House Of Representatives, consider An.
drew Johnson guilty of high crimes and
misdemednors, and deserves TO be im-
peached. The tone of tie press for a
year past, the action Of Congress itself,
and its Two extraordinary sessions, can
be explained on no other hypothesis. A
loyal Congress has been engaged in a
two years struggle with the Executive.
IL has endeavored TO strip him of one
power after another. lis whole legisla-
ton is an avowed effort to cripple an
enemy. Law after law has been passed
for this purpose over his veto. Congress
has showed by it's whole action that it
looked on the President as so much of an
antagonist that he could not be trusted
with the usual powers of his Office.
All these attempts to cripple him the
| President has contemptuonsly trodden
under foot So far as his action is con-
cerned one-half of the most important
legislation Of the Thirty,ninth and For
iieth Congresses has been waste paper
of no more practical Importance than the
resolution of any other debating club.
To crown the whole, at last, in the mes
sage which opens the present session, the
Presiden. has defied ali the power and
claims Of Congress, and threatened forci-
Bile resistance if it dared to proceed.
For two years Congress has been legis-
atng with unanimity never before
equaled, on the most vital subjects; en-
acting its laws over the Executive veto
All these laws the President disobeys,
and gives contemptuous notice that he
shall continue to disobey.
Now, either these worthy gentlemen,
who draw pay and mileage, have been
engaged in child play, or the President
has committed grave crimes. The
record is made up. No fine spun theo-
|
can alter it. No more distinct lines of
hostile array ever divided the camps Of
Grant and Lee than those which have,
avowedly, run between Congress and the
White House. 1t is too late in the day
for members to ignore these, and try
thus to conceal their defeat They
armed for battle, entered the lists, sum-
moned the nation to watch them, and
now skulk out of the field.
Sir" said the 6ercest Of Munchau-
sens, entering an editors office, - see
your journal of this morning denounces
me as thief and liar.
ut does, sir; what have you to say ?"
was the reply.
Il have to say, sir, that / wish you
good morning"
That man must have written the mi
nority report
No Congress was ever more distinctly
elected to mold tariff or settle for
eign complication than the Fortieth
Congress was elected to impeach John
son. The Thirty eighth and Thirty
ninth Congresses were no more chosen
with the understanding that the war was
to be carried on, than this one was to
impeach Andrew johnson. 1t has be-
trayed its trust. 1t has sold out in the
hope to buy an empty triumph for the
Republican name. Congress has sur
rendered to the President, proclaiming
that it is afraid to enter the lists with
him. Convinced that he is guilty and
deserves impeachment, it refuses to
impeach, on the ground that johnson
is too strong for the Republican party.
The Indian dreams that the strength
and courage of his victim pass into his
own heart and blood. On the same
principle a contemplate conqueror
makes his dupes contemplate. where
monkey is the god, what must be the
priests 2" If the lackey who bloomed
out into Democrat only after long and
fruitless efforts to make slave drivers
admit him into their society-if the
drunkard of the 4th of March-the ridi-
culous swinger. round the circle-the
bloody mobocrat Of New Orleans--the
foul mouthed demagogue of February
22d-the shameless pardon broker-the
Rip Van Winkle who wakes up in 1867
to palm eff upon US, for a message, some
of the unused manuscript of Pierce or
| Buchanan-if the coxcomb whose whole
| intellectual force consists of prejudice
which the blood of hundred fights has
washed out of every honorable soul-if
the second hand rebel who undertakes
to swagger in Davis cast off clothes
If this is the oonqueror, how shall
we ftly describe the three score Repub-
rcan Master Shadows and Andrew
J Aguecheeks, who disgrace the shameless
consistency of their Democratic brothers
in the rebel l09 of the late vote? Mr..
Senator Wilson is fond of asserting that
Congress is far ahead Of the people We
have heretofore regarded this assertion
as one Of the pleasant tales wherewlth
that gentleman is wont to amuse the
people till battle is lost-and then in
form them that he was aware all the
while of the coming defeat but know
ing of no heart except his own, stout
enough to bear the i'll news, kindly fore
bore to prophesy the evil day. But now
we adopt Mr.. Wilson's view heartily.
Congress is, indeed, far ahead Of the
people in its readiness to surrender
what drugs, what CHAINS,
What copjuratiOns and what mighty magic'
Wrought this astounding readiness, only
time will reveal. Our old Professor OF
Logic used to teach Us meyer 70 seek for
any extraordinary cause If an ordinary
one would suffice to explain q result
One need not, therefore, suspect bribes,
Executive patronage, or the intrigues Of
Presidential candidetes-which are, OF