Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1867-08-01
CHE gepnblitan.
THE PRESIDENTS VETO.

! THE PRESIDENT s. VETO.
/ In any trial of strength between Andrew
johnson and the people. Andrew johnson
will be overthrown. OF that Die yssy ht
sure Yet if there is any man utterly blind
to the events of the day and alienated
from the spirit and purposes of his coun
i Try, that man is the President Ofthe United
States He is as far removed from sympa
thy with this nation as is the Khan of I ,l-
tary, and further than the Emperor Of ia
pan. In his own land he is foreigner
/ He holds the highest Office IN the Union in
the interest of the Rebellion, and the whole
i aim of lis policy seems to be TO substitute
! the defeat Of the Union for the victory tC
(which IL is entitled. There is no man who
| talks more OF the Union than he, and none
who now does more TO preven; its peaceful
reconstruction. 1t is his misfortune that
lie has forgotten the Rebellion. Treason
to him, is neither a crime nor a mistake;
traitors and Rebels forfeit no rights; the
secession of ten States gives to the Gov
eInineat no control over their rcorcaniZa-
tion: Congress. representing tne foyal peo-
pie Of twcnty-six STATES. is pOwcaaess To
prevent the rule of a minority of Rebels
Yet. few years ago Andrew johnson led
the band of extreme men who demanded
that treason should be cxpiated by death,
who proposed the gallOws as the solution
of all national difficulties: and there have
been no acts as arbitrary as his when sing
ly, and without consultation with Con
Cress. he took the whole business of ffecOn-
struction on himself BY what miracle
these extremes have been reconciled it is
useless TO ask; il is enough that Andrew
johnson. in the Presidency of the United
States, is Trow the worst foe of the people
who sent him there. AT peace with the
whole world, we are at war with him.
We, who put down the Rebellion, have
the right to dictate terms to conquered
rebels. Who denies the right: Not the
rebels. When they laid down their arms
To- Grant and Sherman and She ridan, they
laid down everything. Techni, ally, their
property. their lives. were kFfcired Ivy the
laws llley had olfcnacs: bat humanity and
christianity plead for them. and the noble
argument that mercy was but justice con-
vinced thcis corquerers. They had sur
rendered everything and what did the ma
tion take? Their lives and liberties il gave,
their property ii restored, and all that it
demanded was submission To the terms
which, for self protection, it had imposed.
Who denied the right TO enforce these con
ditions? Andrew Johnson. lie inspired
with n passion Of new resistance Rehel-
lion that was PROSTATE at our Feet. The
fruit of his policy was riot. and murder,
and massacre; fresh h.tred between the
South and North; the ltrg and costly delay
of Reconstruction. TIE nation lad resOlyd
that certain things should he done, and
they have been done. but at what cost?-
Every step iiiat we have taken has been
over a Presidential veto: Loyalty wherever
il has advanced has found Andrew John
son barring the way: we have fought every
battle of the war over again with hi.n for
the enemy. till yery WEAKNESS OF the stru9
yle has given US new strength. He has
prOfesscd his Willingness to yield To the
DEGREES of the people, and again and again
the people have decrecd, and repeatedly
he has refused to obey. Noihing can
teach him, and Congress reassembled 10
prevent the puiifica,ion of its laws, is again
met by The petty quibbling, the gigantic
obStnacy OF this f.ithless servant. His
message goes fUr'herthan we even thought
lac dare TO 60 lie hes hitherto opposed
the laws; now he would defy them. If the
President should undertake To carry out
his argument he will begin new rebellion
but. like the old Rebellion Il will be
crushed.
To the extraordinary argument which
Mr.. Johnson opposes to the Supplemental
~ Reconstruction act, the Senate replied
with cUntemptuous silence, and the immc-
diate passage Of the bill over his veto. 1t
is almost unnecessary TO answer his evident
sophistfy, though Mr. Butler ably exposed
in the House the pretcrsc al at the legisla
tion of Congress in reference to Federal
Courts in the South. and Constitutional
Amendments, admitted the power to place
the Rebel States under military rule. II is
not with the Presidents argument, but with
the spirit of the message, that the country
viii take issue. We pass by his flimsy
logic. bat We must listen to his threats
To us the emphatic portions OF the message
are that which insults the people by de-
claring that Congress has placed twelve
millions of American citizens under rule
than which there has been none more in
tolerant, and more especially that which
refuses to execute the act. His objections
to the bill arc worth nothing, now that il
has become the law. He is bound TO dis
charge the high duties OF his executive of
fee, to- the letter and in the spirit, and we
need not predict what would he the result,
should this servant of the people persist In
affirming Il will not" when the Nation
has again. and we believe for the last time,
commanded "You shalL'-N. y. Tri-
L,f,C