New-York tribune., 1867-06-12
THE LAW md TIE SWORD.

The prCSl0cnt ana Ills tHDlnct yesterday COH-
sidcred the opinion which the Attorney Gen
eral has been directed to give OF the right OF
the District Commanders in the South to re-
move civil officers. Mr.. Johnson again and
again IN his veto messages, and in the strongest
terms, declared that the Reconstruction act
placed Z" all The people OF the Southern
Estates under the absolute dominion OF
"military rulers" and that it gave to the Gen
eral in command "thc power of an absolute
monarcl-Chat his will was TO take the place OF
all law" II now appears that the President Is
not infalliblc, and that he has two ways of in
terpreting tho law. Before the passage of the
bill. Mr. johnson made it as severe as possible
in order to make it odious; now he would
make it "a mild as possible, iii order to recon
cile il with his policy, and the Attorney-Gene-
raj has been set at work to find iiaw SUN
ciunt to Justify interference with the execution
of the law.
Thus far, no action of the military COM
mandcrs has made such an opinion practical
necessity. IL is a merely theoretical and
strained Interpretation of the law, which no
error or abuse demanded. The removals OF
civil officers in the Rebel States have been
exceptions Gov. Patton of Alabama (thOugh
he sought TO prevent rcglstiatlon), Gov.
Sharkey of Mississippi, Gov. Throckmor-
ton OF Texas, remain in Office. Every
officer able to discharge his duties,
and patriotic enough TO dccently sub
nit to the law, has been unmolcstcd, and
of all the removals there is not one that is not
fully justified Sheridan removed Abel, Mon
roe, and Heron for notorious crimes with
perfect impartalty he removed Wells
Radical, for reasons equally good. Gen. Pope,
in removing Mayor sNithers for neglect OF
duty in the case of the Mobile riots, had GER
tainiy right on his side. Sheridan surely
gave no cause for complaint when ho offered
the GosemorShip OF Louisiana to Durant, and
gave il TO Flanders; nor did Pope when he
made Horton the Mayor of Mobile. III Is rs
clear as tho day that tho intent OF the
MiiiiogB lar is RcooaSirHcijOn; hGt u 'rns not
intended TO destroy b-lf 10 build mp cirI gor-
cynmeai ia The South, and in This spirit IL has
been crccHted by each Of the District Com
nandcrg Congress did not mean TO sweep
away the civil authority in the South, and
the law may in letter, but cannot IN
spirit. bc so construed. If Mr.. johnson is pre-
pared 10 take this stand, aud 10 delay recon
struCtiOn upon the pihl ol '""bI'S7 III INV
hope of forcing it upon his own plan,
he will soon find that the people are
ready To meet him.
Who then would be- responsible for this al'
soiute tyranny, this prevention Of speedy Re
construction Slr. Stanbcry would answer,
Congress. which made the law; we, The Prcsi-
dent, who sought this strained Interpretation of
its language. Congress- the Republican party.
never intended that the military power should
utterly snpcrscde civil power in the
Southern States; il gave the District Com
mandeIs the right of control, the right of
removal and, in the absence of any provision
to the contrary, plainly did not intend to
deprive them Of the right of appointment One
of the great, self-evdcut purposes .of the Re
construction law is the maintenance and res
toration of civil authority in the Rebel States.
and that purpose will be fulfilled. Quibblng may
defeat it fol- time, but that defeat will not
obtain the success of the Presidents policy.
Should the presumed opinion of the Attorney
General be enforced it will be for n short
time only, for rs certainly rs such interference
with the law is attempted will Congress meet
in July