The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-05-02
MoRGANTowN, Ky, April 90.

The democracy OF Butter county,
to the number of two dozen, all told,
assembled in Convention at this
place, last Saturday, to select dele
gates to attend a Convention to be
held at Bowling Green on the LIST of
May, to nominate a candidate for
Commonwealth Attorney. J.. FL.
Bowder, a smootbe-faced lawyer of
Russelville, who is a candidate for
the small favor, was called to the
stand, and delivered a characteristic
rebel speech. He set out by saying
that there were but two parties, and
could not be but two. One, the great
Democratic party, was in favor of
law, order and the Constitution, and
the other was opposed to the Consti-
tuition. 1t may be regarded as news to
the people on your side of the river
to learn that the Union party there
and here, after a four years of bloody
war to support the Constitution and
Federal Government, are now set
down by a Kentucky political orator
rs opposed to the instrument so
much blood and treasure were ex-
pended to preserve; but Mr.. Bowden
said so, and as, during the war, he
spent a part of his time in assisting
TO edit the the Louisville Bowling
Green migratory Courier, and the
balance in Europe, beyond the reach
of the draft, or either side of the
question, he ought to know. AT all
events, he spoke as if feeling himself
possessed of the wisdom, of a Scion,
or one from whose judgment
there could be no appeal. After
this lucid definition of the issues of
the two parties, he paid his respects
to Congress, IN an u~nequivocal man
ner, for the passage of the Tenure of
Office Bill, and almost shed tears
at the realization of the fact that the
provisions of that bill pro-
hibited the ne President from
summarily hurting all who
did not adopt Z my policy from of
fee, and thereby make room for such
as fed their country, or would become
willing.tools of a captured President.
Of course, the speaker did not put the
case in just the above language, but
the above is a just construction of his
meaning, By this means, the Con-
gress Of the United States, the repre-
sentatives of the people. who, fresh
from that people, with full instruc-
tons as to their W shes, had absorbed
in or to themselves, the executive ap-
pointing power. So the speaker
thought there could scarcely be a
more dreadful state of affairs. The
absorption of power by the "Rump
English Parliament" was not more
infamous, did the days of Robe
or the French revolution furn-
ish a parallel.
His next lament was more affecting
than the first. A Military Recon-
struction Bill had passed, and in the
execution of that law the President
had been shorn of his power as Com
mander of the Army and Navy. In.
IN the generals appropria-
ton bill which contemplated the pay
ment of the expenses of the Govern
ment, was a second section which
made it the duty of the G~eneral-in-
Chief to reside at Washington. and
provided that the President should
not order him away from that place.
1t moreover provided, that the Pres
ldent should not transmit any order
to the various Commanders Of Mill
tary Districts, except through the !
hands of the General-in-Chief Thus
the President was shorn of all his
military power, and it was absolutely /,
impossible for him to use the army or i;
navy in support of my policy" or to {
aid rebels in a surreptitious manner:
it he did, it was made a high INSIDE I
meanor, for which he could, and S
would, be impeached. Had you heard !
the wall of the speaker, with all the ]
of radical hearts-which ]
you are supposed to possess-your |
sympathies would have been fully |
aroused for him. It twas indeed affect +,
to see him lay his hand on his |
heart and express his great fear tina. i
the liberty of the people he sought to |
oountry's peril, were thus endangered. ]
But, that was not all-Congress {
had-net stopped theEe-AHather act.
infamy ofwhich would make anv I,
patriot S heart beat with quick pulsa-
passed that body. The purport
should it r S5s h bass 5a ahs Ssg5sa e d SsSEs
what laws MensaIapl Ut laws
not CONSTITUTIONAL Ills Sympa-
thy for eight of those Judges, who
had thus Tem~orseiessly been shorn of
a power that might have upset all leg
restricting the civil and mill
tary power of the President, exceeded
anything before manifested. Indeed,
he surely would have she'd s.copious
gushing tears" had it not been that
time admonished him that he must
say a word for himself, and the com