Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1867-02-01
POLITICAL COMPLICATION.

~ DS uCHISu. tUut tIlc aLtiuuuc
assumed by the United States Court in
its recent decisions, has given new
aspect to the political situation, greatly
disturbing the progress of Liberty and
Union. Emboldened by this new ally
which johnson has developed, the
South will no doubt hang back still
more defiantly from the work of re-
construction. AID the great Union
party must now struggle against re-
doubled opposition. Or rather, the
great Loyal Nation, ffor that is what
We call the Union party,) must now
contend against yet greater odds, in it's
onward march to perfected Freedom.
We had hoped, that the work of Re-
construction was well nigh consumma-
ted; or that, at least, a few months would
find US OH the high road to happy
pacification sof our national and sec
tional relations. But that suspicious
dawnlng is greatly retarded by this
new complication Of the Supreme
Court. When the wal of rebellion coll
lapsed, the way seemed ready for an
adjustment OF affairs. But johnson the
fallen was found to stand directly
across the track, and the car of Progress
has by his means been sadly put back.
The people, however, arose in their
might, and put their veto upon the pet
ulant veto-er Of their will; so that
Johnson seemed fairly buried out of
sight, and almost utterly shern of his
power to harm. But now another foe
toifrcedom GENES forward, to give new
life to the rebellion, and to prolong still
further the struggle OF our land. The
judges take,up the cadgsl of the Presi-
dent, and. treason dreams that it's
deadly wound is healcd.'' No doubt
this will lcngthen out the contest with
oppression; but it cannot defeat the
Right. Womust buckle on the harness
for new conflict; but the revolution
cannot go backward, and Liberty must
still triumph in the end. .... -. F.. ..
The stand taken bS the majority Of
the Court has suggested the necessity
OF an enlargement Of their number by
Congress, so that the factious majority
may be overcome. But the appoint
nent Of new judges is with the Presi-
dent; and hence with Johnson yet in
his place, no relief can be found i,s this
direction. This fact is pushing on some
to the work of impeachment, in order
that we may be rid OF the presidential
hindrance.. But the probabilities are,
that we must wait two years for new
President, and SO still longer for re-
formed judiciary, and SO still longer for
a perfected and righteous re-construc-
ton. This makes slow work of our
national pacitication, q thing which we
greatly regret. But, with courageous
hearts, we mean TO work Oh for right
adjustment; and this purified nation
shall yet come forth from the furnace,
radiant with triumphant. truth.
Harpcr's Weekly has some true
thoughts on the subject las usual
which We here subjoin:
"In order to finish the rebel work
one more step is necessary, and that is
to decide that Alexander Ii. Stephens's
theory Of the continuous right of
States is correct. For such decision
preparation is making. An appeal is
coming up from the court of District
Judge Busted, Of Alabama, to the SUI
prone Court, involving the point that
Alabama is s State with all it's rights
and privileges, and consequently that
the people OF the country cannot i'm
pose any terms rs the condition of its
return to Congress. With such deci-
: sion, if it be made, falls the Emancipa.
ton Amendment which was imposed
upon the Southern Legislatures. Such
decision declares that q State or con-
spiracy of States may do precisely what
has been done in this country for the
last six years, and finding themselves
worsted, may cry All right!' and re-
sGne their places in the Government
without even nodding BY your leave
But even before such decision is
made, the President has acted upon the
Indiana opinion as abolishing all mill
tary courts in States in which open re-
bellion does not exist, and has dissolved
the court convened in Richmond to try
Watson. Meanwhile Judge Hail, of
the United States District Court of Del
aware, has released four men who were
convicted before a military court at
Charleston in December, 1865, of the
murder Of three Union soldiers detailed
asa guard. The ground of the decision
Is. that at that time the State of South
Carolina was in possession of all its civil
functions Us State.
Now these are all questions which
the people of the United States have
Aolemnly decided by the last appeal,
srd neither the Executive nov the Su-