The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-06-22
G Observation-Disclosures, SATURDAY, JUNE o. 1857.

remedy. Congress can impeach him, but no
other power ON earth can call him TO account
Therefore, if he should put Mr. Stanbery's
opinion in his pigeon-hole, and let the military
commanders alone, so long as their action
really hastens the end which everybody has
now in view-the speedy and satisfactory
restoration of the Southern States to their old
places in the Union--he would have nothing
to fear from any quarter. OF the wisdom of
silence and self-cOntrol there is apparently
not much in his composition; but, if there be
one particle, he has now such chance of
showing it as has never before offered ITSELF
We shall probably hear a great deal of the
danger to constitutional liberty of allowing
even an unconstitutional law to be disregarded
by military officers but the fact is that il is to
the use of arguments of this kind by persons
of influence and authority that we owe most
of the violations of constitutional forms which
have taken place during the last six years.
What is dangerous and what is not dangerous
as precedent is something ON which no two
men will agree, and about which nobody's
opinion is worth much. What is certain is
that the majority of the Northern people are
determined to have Justice done at the South
and to prevent all secessionists of high degree
and all knaves and charlatans of whatever
degree, from in any way guiding or controlling
the process of reconstruction; that it does not
particularly care whether this be done with or
without the forms of law; and that the les3
this determination is checked or resisted, the
sooner will that abnormal state of things
which is now exciting alarm pass away and
he forgotten. The real enemies of constitu-
tional government are those who, with their
'quiddits, their outlets, and their cases."
are trying to stay the execution of the national
will.
We cannot conclude without calling atten-
tion TO Mr.. Thaddeus Stevens letter, in which
he cries out for an extra session of Congress to
mend what he admits to be the defects in the
Reconstruction act exposed by Mr.. Stanbery.
There is lesson in what has happened which
Mr.. Stevens, old and experienced as he is, we
think might very well learn and that is the
mischievousness of the habit in which he
more than anyb body else INDUCES, of checking
and sitting debate on important measures. II
the Reconstruction act had been fully dis
cussed, nobody would have been the worse of
it; more time would have been given for con-
sideration, the objections of its enemies would
have brought out its defects and its friends
would have had an opportunity of perfecting
it before it passed from their hands. But in
order that an enormous majority might enjoy
the paltry pleasure of crushing a feeble and
insignificant opposition, the bill was hurried
through, and when passed it was found that it
had provided no machinery for it's own exc
cution. A supplemental bill was then passed,
and now both together, ON being taken to
pieces by an acute lawyer, are found to confer
in terms no more authority on commanding
officers in conquered territory than a COM
manding officer in Massachusetts, might very
safely and becomingly be permitted to exer-
else. The previous question: has here car
Tied its friends almost to the last ditch of alb
surdty and confusion.