New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-07-20
THE PRESLDENTS TETO.

THE PRINIDENI y ' ~
I'm any trial of strength between Andrew
johnson and the people, Andrew Johnson will
be overthrow. OF that he may be sure. Yet
if there is any man utterly blind to the events
of the day and alienated from the spirit and
purposes of his country, that man Is the Pres
ident of the United States. He is as far
removed from sympathy with this nation
as is the Khan of Tartary and
further than the Emperor of Japan. In his
own land he is as foreigner. He holds the
highest Office of the Union in the interest
of Rebellion, and the whole aim of his policy
seems to he to substitute the defeat of the
Union for the victory TO which it is entitled
There is no man who talks more
of the Union than he, and none who
now does more 70 prevent its peaceful recon
structi0n. 1t is his misfortune that he has for
gotten the Rebellion. Treason, to him, Is neither
a crime nor q mistake traitors and Rebels for
felt no rights; the secession of ten States gives
10 the Government 10 control over their re-
organization Congress, representing the loyal
people of twcnty-siN States, - powercss TO
prcycnt the rule of a minority of Rebels. Yet
"A few wears ago Andrew johnson led the band
of extreme men who demanded that treason
should be expiatcd by death, who proposed
the gallows rs the solution of all National
difficulties and there have been no acts
as arbitrary as his when sngy and
without consultation with Congress, he took
the whole business of reconstruction on him
self. By what miracle these extremes have
been reconciled it is useless to ask; it is
enough that Andrew johnson, in the Presi-
| Il -
foe of the people who placed him there At
peace with the whole world, we are at war
with him.
We, who put down the Rebellion, have the
right TO dictate terms 10 conquered rebels
| Who denies the rightl Not the rebels. When
they laid down their arms 10 Grant, and Sher-
man, and Sheridan, they laid down every
thing, Technically, their property, their lives,
were forfeited by the laws they had offended ;
but Humanity and Christianity plead for them
and the noble argument that mercy was but
justice convinced their conquerOrs. They had
surrendered everything, and what did the
nation take Their lives and liberties il gave,
their property il restored, and all that it de
manded was submission To the terms which, for
self protection, it had imposed Who denied the
right to enforce these conditions7 Andrew john
son. He inspired with passion of new resistance
Rebellion that was PROSTATE at our feet. The
fruit of his policy was riot, and murder, and
massacre; fresh hatred between the South and
North. the long and costly delay of Recon
structon The nation had resolved that
certain things should he DONE and they
have been done, but at what cost
Every step that we have taken has been
over a Presidential veto; loyalty wherever it
has advanced has found Andrew johnson bar
ring the way; we have fought every battle of
the war over again with him for the enemy,
till very WEAKNESS of the struggle has given
MS new strength. He has protested his
willingness to yield TO the DEGREES of
the people, and again and again the
people have dccrccd, and repeatedly he has re-
fused to obey. Nothing can teach him, and
Congress, reassembled to prevent the nulliica-
ton Of its laws, is again met by the petty
quibbng, the gigantic obstinacy of this faith
less servant His message goes further than
We thought even he would dare to go. lie has
hitherto opposed the laws; now he would defy
them. If the President should undertake to
carry out his argument he will begin new re-
belliOn-but, like the old Rebellion, it will be
crushed
To the extraordinary argument which Mr..
Johnson opposes to the Supplementary Recon-
stIuctiOn act, the Senate replied with con-
tcmptuous silence, and the immediate passage of
the bill over his veto 1t is almost unnecessary to
answer his evident sophistry, though Mr.. Butler
ably exposed in the House the pretense that
the legislation of Congress in reference to Fed
eral Courts in the South, and Constitutional
Amendments, admitted the power to
place the Rebel States under military
rule. 1t is rot with the Presidents argument,
but with the spirit of the message, that the
country will take issue. We pass by his flimsy
logic, but we must listen to his threats. TO MS
the emphatic portions of the message are that
which insults the people by declaring that
Congress has placed twelve millions of Amer-
can citizens under rule than which
there has been none more intolerant and
more especially that which refuses to execute
the act. Ills objections 70 the bill ale wYrta