The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-09-13
The President aud Congress-impo rtan'
Revelations from Washington.

The President and Congress-importane
Revelations from Washington.
Our Washington news this morning is more
than lively. 1t will be read by many With
alarm, by some with delight, by all with inter-
est. The storm has not yet burst, but 1t
Is brewing, and to all human appearance the
explosion, when it does take place, will be on
scale Of becoming magnidcence.
The President, it appears, has no notion
Of resigning his position. On the con-
trary, it seems he Is resolved to maintain
his ground aud fight it out to the last, what
ever the last may be. Pity he has so re-
solved. His determination does not In the
least change our opinion. It is still our
conviction-now, indeed, more than ever
that by resigning and making clear state
ment Of the case, az between him and Con-
gress, he would not only have placed himself
on high moral vantage ground, but would have
acted for his own good and the good Of the
country at large. AS he has otherwise deter
mined, both he and we must abide by the con-
sequences.
This, however, IL 70. al. The president. H hes
not only resolved not to resign, but he has re-
solved to prosecute with the utmost energy
the policy which, by the dismissal Of Stanton,
the removal Of Sheridan and Sckles, and the
amnesty proclamation, he has so vigorously
commenced. Taking bis ground on the con-
stitution, impressed with tho solemn trust re-
posed in him as President of the United States,
and retaining a lively recollection Of his in
auguration oath, he will not, even at the COM
mand of Congress, sanction a policy the only
result Of which can be that the Anglo-Saxon
element In this great and free and proud re-
public shall be put under the heel of a mean,
a weak and an ignorant race. As TO the I'M
desirableness of this result, there are many,
ourselves among the number, who are in
sympathy with President Johnson; but it is
their and our opinion that the dreaded result
would more effsctually have been avoided if
the President had voluntarily resigned, and, on
the broad and Ineligible issue Of negro su-
premacy or no negro supremacy, appealed to
the people.
The President, it will be observed from our
Washington news, looks forward to the GER
tainty of impeachment and is preparing him.
| self to meet it. 1t is not to be denied
| that the blood of the radicals is
up, and that each successive move of
the Chief Of the State is goading them into
wilder and wilder fury. To the opponents Of
the President the interval which mus. elapse
before Congress can assemble will be an inter-
val of agonizing impatience. The interval,
however, will roll past; Congress in due time
will assemble. and to dead certainty Andrew
Johnson will be impesched not, perhaps, for
high crimes and misdemeanors, but for the
simple reason that he stands obstructively in
the way Of the reconstruction plans of the
popular assembly. In such a case, we are
told, it is the determination of the President to
prorogue Congress- ON the ground that it has
become a revolutionary assembly.
II matters are allowed to advance to this
point, we shall certainly have reached an i'm
portant not to say serious, crisis In our
| national history. 1t Is easy for Mr.. johnson to
| say he will prorogue Congress; hut what If
Congress refuses to recognize bis authority {?
| Which in that case will be right-the imperious
President or the rebellious Congress? Or,
what is more important still, which will gain
the victorys If the members will not return to
by what means will Mr. Johnson compel them?
We know Of but one means. He must
have recourse to the army. He must play
the part Of q Charles the First, or OF
an Oliver Cromwell. Has he the bravery to
do SOL Surprising him to have the bravery,
would the army obey him. Would General
Grant or any other general In the United
States bare his sword for such purpose! Or
will Congress feel itself compelled in the
name of the nation, to make an appeal to the
army for protection Which will the army
obey-the President or Congress! 1t is mani
fest that in such an extremity General Grant,
or whoever should hold General Grants posi-
ton, would be master of the situation.
1t is not our opinion, however, that matters
will reach this extremity. Congress, so soon
as 1t assemblies, it is more than probable, will
proceed to the impeachment OF the President.
But the impeachment will amount to nothing
| If 1t does not at once suspend him from Office.
viii it suspend him. We do not believe it.
| Andrew johnson, then, will continue to exercise
| his functions as before He will not deem it
| necessary to put his propagation threat into
| practice. The impeachment will drag its
dreary length along for another year. For
| another twelve months Andrew Johnson will
| rule. During those twelve months he will be
| besmeared with oil manner Of slime and filth.
At the end of that period will come the Presi-
dental election. Andrew Johnson will have a
| little while longer TO exercise his brief au-
thority but his chances of reelection will be
hopelessly and forever lost
1
| Too Mach Money.