The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-08-26
Rapid and startling Progress of Our Great
Revolution.

Rapid ana Startling Progress Oh o"' ~'e"S
Revolution.
On we march The negro cloud still hangs
upon our political horizon and threatens the
milton. The radicals descend from great legis-
lation to the petty passions OF party politics,
and are bent upon absorbing in the one con-
trolling idea the whole forces of the govern
ment Fortunately, the executive power comes
TO the rescue and stsnds between Congress
and the national suicide they would commit.
This is clearly shown by the mastery answer
of President Johnson to General Grant, in the
correspondence OF these officials relative to
the removal of General Sheridan, which we
publish to-day. General Grant, evidently
felt the force of the demand which the
radical party was making upon him to place
himself right with them, and seized the oppor-
tunity thus unwittingly given him by Mr..
johnson. The latter, however, was not I'M
equal to the task Of parrying the thrust, and
in his answer to General Grant gives us the
best State paper and the most exact explana-
ton Of his position that have been issued from
the Executive Mansion during his administra-
ton. The General true to the instincts of
the soldier, merges too mucho Of military
feeling into his remonstrance. He apparently
forges what we have for some time past been
advocating-that the removal OF Sheridan
changes no law, alters no result. To imagine
that any one man is absolutely necessary to
the preservation Of our Institutions or the gov
eminent Of any section, is to forget the funda-
mental elements Of republication merge
principles into men; give gVle to the latter;
ignore any innate force in 1 L.. themselves,
and march the people al double-quic... 70
military despotism. In this view alone We
applaud the removal Of Sheridan; for the
political cry raised by the party in power
shows how closely they are treading upon the
dangerous ground we have designated. A
brave soldier, indeed, Is Sheridan, and the
President pays just tribute to bis worth but
1t must be principle Of our republicanism
that no man is absolutely essential to us. This
lesson we must teach at once. Ignoring 1t, we
touch the border of dictatorship and its
inevitable sequence.
Andrew Johnson attempted at first to seize
the three branches Of government and embody
their force, in himself He failed. Congress
has lately tried to do the same. They, too,
have failed. All this shows the strength of our
government and the terrible strain to which it
may be subjected without breaking. 1t is useless
for Congress to hope that by any enactment
they can usurp ell power. Their efforts to
break the executive branch by splitting it |
into fragments is in every sense illegal, and TO
be deplored by every man who seeks the |
general good instead Of political victory. The
desire, moreover, to force to the surface vast |
negro element-untrained, uneducated unified |
to control themselves, much less legisiate for |
those who have just set them free-is the mad
aest phase Of revolution which is urged on
with partisan violence which forgets, in its
present success, that 1t must finally bring
reaction which will be terrible to both white |
and black. The former will dry up his |
Bympathies for race which is forced 90 |
rapidly upwards that sympathy now turns 70
disgust The latter, taught tina. il is his color
that gives him merit, will sink to the level from
which, in common with ignorance ofany color,
he must slowly march upwards. Here he too
will be filed with disgust; disgust for the |
white who inflated him; disgust that he has
tasted at o spring he must leave and AFTER
wards reach by long years OF toll; disgust that,
Afer all that has been told him, brain is the
measure Of the man. The radical party, In
forcing this black element into such promi- |
hence, appear only TO elevate it the higher that |
the reaction may drop ii the lower.
Mr.. johnson now holds in his hands the forces |
that can resolve this problem Of recons ruction.
If be will only rise to the demands Of the
occasion he may restore himself to The conf
dence Of the North. His letter to General |
Grant is full OF executive power and deter |
that il shall not be wrcstcd Rom him. |
The whole common sense Of the country sus. |
tains his effort to keep his poise despite the |
desire OF Congress to overturn him. Let them |
impeach him. He may challenge Il and win. |
Let him ovcrturn the clasaing elements in his |
own Cabinet; the country will applaud. Let
him drive back the black cloud that threatens |
both North and South he will receive all aid. |
President Lincoln issued an emancipation pro-
clamation for the blacks; let Andrew johnson |
issue, by universal amnesty, an emancipation |
for the white portion Of the population OF the
United States.
city PolisIcs-rts Rxciss@ess or the Confess
and Iss Saslsary Isasescss.
A most exciting contest Il just now being