Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1867-10-08
Col. Ward n. LamOn.


of President johnson. Although Repub
Eean, Col. j.. repudiates the radical rump,
aud ranges himself along with the President
in his efforts to restore the Government to its
constitutional basis. We give the letter in
full, that our readers may see the position
assumed by one who has been recognized as
a leader of the Republican party, aud who
enjoyed the confidence of Mr.. Lincoln to 4
greater extent perhaps than any other man ::
WAsHINGroN CRY, Sept. 10, 1867.
To Msssrs. p ". BrOURing, Dr. Charles
Wells, N. C.. !teCenS, j. r. BdrthoEOlc,
d. f. Guy, Samuel F0lcLer and Others,
Committee, dc:
GENTLEMEN: have received your invita-
ton to be present and address mass meeting
of the friends of President johnson on the
2lstinstant. If my professional engagements
for that day did not prevent, should certainly
be with you, aud add my voice to swell the
prayer of the people for an economical and
constitutional administration of the Govern
men:.
n good citizen can no more adhere to the
dominating faction IN Congress, at this crit
ical moment in our cOuntrys affairs, than he
could have given laid aud comfort" to the
public enemy IN the late war. The claim that
any partisan majority in the National Legisla-
ture represents the people at large in a closer
and more direct manner than the President
is false in fact and theory Representatives
are elected by single districts, and Senators by
State Legislatures. The latter often plot.
bargain, and buy the way to their seats, while
the former are fOated in on petty local ques-
tons, or little trades in county politics. On
the contrary, the President is chosen by the
whole people, voting on the same day, and is
essentially and solely tier representative ,Meir
Tribune, armed with their veto, and charged
especially to preserve, protect and defend"
their Constitution. They, "he people," or
dained and established it as 1.-THE supreme law
of the land" Mr. johnson is not the first
President who has had to look to the hottest
part of the oath, and shield the sacred instru
ment against the assaults of a fierce faction.
which claimed to represent the country An
old neighbor of his, sprung from the loins of
the people, like himself, fought this same bat
tie over many years ago. The victorious is.
sue Oh that occasion amply demonstrated the
wisdom ofour fathers in making the President,
by organic law, the peculiar representative Of
the whole people to check the iollies, and res
train that license of Congress, to which de-
Lucrative assemblies are always subject
If by any fault of his own, or by the hap
less failure of the people to come to his aid.
Andrew johnson should go down in this terri
bic conflict, forced upon him, what would be
the inevitable result to the country? He
will be impeachcd. The phrase goes that he
will be p~"iShed LctoIe trial; but that is not
the word. The triumphant faction will simp-
" wreak terrible and cowardly revenge upon
him. lie will be declared suspended. deposed
perhaps murdered. \ reyoIutionist will
assume his Office. Ienceforth the election
OF the President is taken out of the hands of
the people, and lodged with Congress. That
body can make and unmake Presidents in a
day or an hour. Will it be said that CONGRESS
will not set up such precedent, because the
Radicals cannot always expect to possess this
power! 1t they succeed now, they intend.
by force and fraud, to hold that power. nj
least until this generation has passed away.
The present is merely desperate struggle to
that end. COntessedly acting outside the
Constitution, claiming the right to disiranchise
the people or exclude the representatives Of
any State which may not agree with them
and holding in the hollow of their hands the
ten ''rotteu boroughs of the South" to return
Radical Congressman, white or black. as they
may dictate, they Will possess the power to
accomplish any purpose, however revolutions
W..
form OF government still unchanged, ,citlout
a usurpcr in the Presidential chair. are not
the Representatives of Kentucky aud the de-
trauded Senators Of New Jersey and Mary
land to say nothing of the ten Southern States.
driven from the seats to which they were elect
ed And, further, will the five monarchs
then be Withdrawn from one-third Of our
common country, and our free system of
government extended TO the unfortunate PEG
pie! On the contrary, We may expect that
they will make them despOts in name. show
and parade, as well as in fact.
They may put crowns on their heads. and
sceptres, in thei hands, and set them 70 doine,
deeds OF tyranny beside which the past will
appear as innocent pastimc. We will, then.
present to the world a spectacle even more
singular than we do now. We shall have
parent State, pretended free, republican.
constitutional Government located at Wash.
InSton, with five outlying dcspotsms. blight
ing Its territory, plundering and decimating
Its people. Can such monsters be born of a
Tree, popular government But you NAV saw
the Radicals will withdraw the viceroys 50
soon as the negroes are put in possession of
those States, and the whites are sufficiently
ground beneath the black heels. Not omen
ton here that this would be very unpleasant
to the great Union majorit;cs" which Mr..
Greeley and others always claimed in those
States, do not believe that such purpose
exists. Military, despotic, unlimited power
IS never abandoned, except upon compulsion.
Despotism is delicious to the despot, and when
people are freed from his power they achieve
1t by their own good swords in the mean
time, it would be cruel pleasantly to compare
condition Of those States with that of Ireland
Hungary, Gambia, or any other people on the
globe. They produce but half what their in
dustFies ought to make now, but when the
negro and the soldier contend over entirely
ruined and PROSTATE country, they will pro
duce nothing. SThe great staples will disap-
pear from our commerce. We have said the
North must carry the debt of the war with
out aid from the quarter where we had right