Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-02-01
THE IMPENDING COUP D. ETAT.

tional powers by the. Radicals IN Con-
gress, when brought by Conservatives,
are met with derision and mockery by
the guilty parties and their allies out
side of Congress. The utmost that
Conservative journals can do is to make
an exposure Of the dangerous character
of Radical measures, which by the force
of an overwhelming party majority, the
Radicals are able to carry without Afford
ing an opportunity to their opponents to
express their views for the benefit of the
country. In the New York Times of
the oath, we find a communication on
the subject of the meditated usurpation
of supreme powers by Congress, which
is remarkable, coming from a Republi-
can source, and unfolding the conspi-
racy of the party to which the writer be-
longs. The Times deems the views of
the writer of such Importance, that 1t
gives conspicuous insertion to the com
munication in its editorial columns,
printing it in loaded minion. We direct
attention to the article, asking for it pc
rusal by all who have any wish to see
Constitutional Government preserved.
To the Editor of the New York Times:
When constitutional government is IN
peril there is always warning of the i'm.
pending danger. A coup d etdt is looked
for, and men fore-warned feel yet as
though they were not fore-armed. The
blow is struck not by an open enemy; 1t
comes from quarter in which power
has been constitutionally placed for the
preservation of the very Government,
the destruction of which is compassed.
The safeguards of constitutional liberty
are swept away in the pretended interests
of the nation, bat really because they
stand in the way of the man or the party
in power. They fear that their power
and constitutional government cannot
exist together and therefore they destroy
constitutional government. Is such
trihe to stand in the way of their great
purposes2 This, as we all remember,
was the way in which Louis Napoleon,
President of the French Republic,
usurped power and made himself Empe-
ror. He was made President because
he had persuaded q majority of the
French people that he of all men was
best fitted to preserve, defend and pro.
tect the Constitutional Government OF
the French Republic. He made himself
the autocrat of France and destroyed Its
Constitutional Government by sweeping
a coordinate branch of that Govern
ment out of his path, in the coup defat
of the I'd of December. For this kind OF
political usurpation we have to use
French name Our language, framed
by people in whose cradle were the
seeds of public liberty, and which ad-
vanced steadily to constitutional govern
ment from the time it left the Scandi-
navian forests, happily furnishes us with
no word or phrase expressive oil just this
action.
And vet it would seem that we have
recently developed pressing need Tor
some such phrase in our mother tongue ;
for few OF us are blind enough not to see
that there is now impending coup detdt
at Washington. 1t hangs above our
heads at this very moment, and If we do
not Law aside all party hopes and fears,
or in fact all other political considera-
tions it will fall upon us as we are gazing
upon IL with stupid and inactive appre-
hension. The power by which the ex-
;stence of constitutional government is
;u,neriled in this country has control OF
one branch only Of our Government 1t
holds that power as the representative OF
only a majority of only a part OF the ma:
tion. A large minority of the constithi
onts of the very members who at present
control the legislative branch Of our
Government are opposed to their action,
ond vet must submit, and ought to sub
nit 70 that action, so long as it Is consti-
tnt;onal Now, 1t is the one cardinal
nrinciple of constitutional government
hat within the provisions of the Consti-
trrion the rights Of minorities as well as
those of majorities shall be safe. II IS
chiefly for the protection OF minoriiIes
that constitutional government IS es!ao-
lished-that the party which, for the time
beinr. has contrel of the executive and
the legislative branches of government
nav not use its power exclusively IN Its
own interests, and in tyrGnnioal diere-
6ard of the rights Of the minority.
Therefore it is that a Constitution de-
clares what the executive and what the
legislative power may DO, and either de-
clares also that they shall not do certain
o,ber things, or that they shall do only
,Let for which they receive authority
through the Constitution If this re
straint is broken through, either BY the
executive or legislative power, eonsiitu-
tional government is at an end. Ihe
immediate object in view may be good,
but constitutional liberty is none the less
DESTROYED. and the course over its RUNS
Is made easy Tor every Chief Executive
or any legislative majority Thereafter.
No intelligent and moderately well m
- y u n-.nL Nj. nnnI. in