The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-06-12

struction act. That act was passed in def
ance of the President. He came into his Office
with the settlement of the war upon his hands.
Instead of taking the advice of Congress by
calling an extra session, or even the counsel
of statesmen who might be presumed to speak
the opinions Of the party dominant in Con-
gTess, he created policy of his own. It was
offensive to the nation. II proposed to saori-
fee the loyal men of the South to the spirit of
rebellion. 1t would have surrendered to
Davis more than Lee yielded TO Grant. Still
II was policy" Mr.. Seward supported il
in bis reckless, gladstone way. Mr.. MoCul-
loch went out of his way to be its persistent
minister. MIR. Stanton oountersigned the
orders which sent Terry and Saxton into dis
grace, and conferred honors upon Fullerton
and Custar. Afew persons like Dix, created
by Almighty God apparently for no other pur-
pose than to hold office, and gifted with a
ravenous instinct ofpower, supported the Pre-
sident. Then came the wholesale removals
from Office. Intrepid Republicans were
stricken down by hundreds for daring to be-
lieve in the teachings of Lincoln; men were
rewarded for betraying their party, and even
in foreign Courts spies and informers were
permitted to wander and collect gossip for our
Secretary of State. All the powers of the Pre-
sidential office-its terrors and its blandish-
ments-were used for the purpose of insuring
the success of the ''policy.'
NOAAj hAoL OdAlo vi ~ Inc IfeSlOeQL met
with disastrous and humiliating defeat. His
'policy" was overruled. The creatures he
placed in office as reward of treachery were
driven out. Nay, more, the great Office which
he held, and whose patronage he welded with
more than the imperial will of Jackson, was
cut, and trimmed, and shorn of the greater
part of its strength. 1t would no longer be a
menace to free people. His "States' were
overturned. The Reconstruction law was
passed, and it's duties assigned to generals of
the army. This was well understood. The
President opposed it furiously. He threw his
vetoes before Congress step by step. So reclS-
lessly was this done, that at one time it was
almost certain that he would be impeached,
or that his powers under this act would be
assigned to General Grant. Mr.. Stevens de-
sired this, and a large party followed him.
We believe this would have been done but for
the assurance that any law Congress would
pass the President would execute ia letter and
spirit. This assurance-or, rather, this we'll
founded belief-did everything to decide Con-
gress. If it had not existed, the President
would most probably have been removed.
This was the situation when Congress adj
journed. Suspicious of his Excellency, not
altogether trusting his sincerity, its members
provided for a summer session. But the Presi-
dent has done so well, he has obeyed the law
so faithfully, that impeachment has died, the
summer session will scarcely be held, and we
find ourselves quietly drifting into an era OF
good feeling. Reconstruction progresses. I'm
partial suffrage has been established in the
South. The various problems that sorely tried
our statesmen are being gradually solved by
events. With suffrage to the slave we have
had amnesty to the Rebel. Even the great
chief of the Rebels has been released from
prison and permitted to go to Canada, with but
trivial expression of dissent Mr.. Chase
presides over Southern court, and the pro-
cess of habeaS corpus has been resumed. The
freedmen are gradually becoming freemen.
Citizenship sits easily upon them. The coun-
try is at rest, and, considering the question
of political reconstruction settled, addresses
itself to the finances and tariffs. Our political
sky is serene, with the exception of a little
cloud that steals over it, scarcely larger than
a mans hand.
We know the President must be sorely
tempted to use whatever power he may pos
sess to oppose measure which he assailed SO
vindictively last winter. That is well under
stood. The country appreciates the fidelity
with which he performs his most unwelcome
work. But he must perform it. His admin
istration will not be permitted to interfere with
reconstruction by removing the generals who
have the confidence of the country, and ap-
pointing men in whom it has no confidence.
Let the President but attempt this-let him
oppose his executive prerogative to the opera
tlons OF the Military bill, and in day this era
of good feeling will become a season of rage
and hate-this little cloud will cover the
heavens with blacl1ness.
The country is intensely earnest on this sub
ject. Let Sheridan or Sickles, for instance,
be removed, and a summer session of Congress
will be inevitable. With a summer session
the President ssfunctions will most assuredly
be so limited that it will not be in his power
ever after to remove any General Command
ing. All the bitterness that prevailed last
year will be renewed, hundred questions
will suffer, and the work of national pacifca
tion be stopped merely that the President and
Congress may have another controversy. Sucl
a controversy can have but one result-for the
people feel with Congress, and will sustain it
The danger is that the wise and temperate
measure of last session, under which the coun
try is doing so well, will be succeeded by
measure less wise and temperate Everything
is doing well. We entreat the President anC
his Cabinet, for their own sakes, as well al
for the sake of the country, to let well enough
alone.
The New Department OF Education.
Et-osn fJo Tos-IH