Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1867-02-06
AUTOCRATIC vs.. DEMOCRATIC
RULE.

spirit Of the Constitution, because Con
gress has determined 10 assume aud use
those dormant powers expressly confled
to it by the Constitution, but hitherto not
used, Undoubtedly the purpose of this
ou,cry is 20 sustain the President in his
gross offences against Congress and pop
ular sovereignty. 1t is natural enough
for an Executive who denies TO Congress
all power Of legislation, not only in re-
gard to the reconstruction % the conquer
ed States, but to almost all political mat
iers where his own views differs from the
the people representatives,, to treat as a
revolution the overruIlng of his numer-
Gus ve;oes and the announcement of his
arbitrary acts. The mystery is AS to the
process by which he has been able 10 in
iucc two Republican Justices of the Su
prcme Ccar, to assist him in this move
ment. While tie people and their rep
reseutatves are firm and clear in their
views and policy on this question, there
seems TO be some evil influence at at work
destroy the faith o! cur Senator's and ST.
preme Judges.
We have >hown so fully aud at length
the exact authority under wnica Cone,ess
is acting, that i. is not necessary 10 repeat
it here. II is suii,cie, to call attention
to the general principles involved in the
ease, which fortunately are Of so much
importance as to commend themselves to
the attention OF all. When these are
properly studied. no one can mistake the
course to re pursued, Tor on the one
maud we have the princi pies of govern
ment by autocracy, or the one-man power,
and on the other, Of democracy, or b
the Representatives, Of the people. As
the purpose Of the Constitution cuu!d not
possibly have been to make IN autocracy,
bat free democratic republic, it must
be obvious that mos, Of the assumptions
90 which the policy Of the present Con
grcss are he'd to be unconstitutional, viO-
len. and revolutionary, are diametricaIy
opposed to the spirit in which the Con
stitu;icn was framed
OF late years it has been universally
conceded, both in Europe and America
;hat the President Of TIE United States
wields more actual power than any consi-
tutional monarch in Europe. This was
under the mos, ordinary aud limited IN
depreciation Of the prerosati'es of the
Office. But Mr.. Johrson has stretched
h;s assumptions of power far beyond all
precedent, and seems inclined to initiate
surprise that Congress will not submit
quietly to these usurpa;;ons. Great and
perilous as were previously the attributes
Of the Presidency, he has made them
more So and in fact in his bands, they
have become most dangerous to the lib.
ert:es Of the republic To contend that
what he has done and is doing every day
IS constitutional, and that Congress is F.
grossly in error in opposing and lettering
him, is virtually to cnntcnd that the fran !
ers of the Constitution had no faith IN !
institutions, and that under /
pretext of organizing a republic they set
VI sort Of elective monarchy
1t is absolutely essential that the peo.
pie should now prove by the course OF
Congress that they always hold in their
possession the means of reciiiying Exec
utiye errors. We must prove that this
is not q government Of Executive cap.
rice aud arbitrary power. but Of law aGd
order, of democratic republican institu,
tons, Of representative legislation and
popular basis. II Mr. JohnsOu's assump
tions should be tolerated, our governments;
would in great measure lose its charac-
Ter OF republican and become artocratic.
1t is proper that We should look this plat-
ter sernly in the face, for it nearly and
dearly concers all our liberties, and must
be held to Re the most important issue Of
the day. President Johnson found him
self opposed by an adverse majority in
Congress. Instead of treating it respect.
fully and deieren;iaIy, as became The &C.
casion, he, in the most insolent and def.
ant language he could utter, insulted,
slandered aud denouaeed that majority,
and appealed to the constituents Of the
a.emGers Elections have since been
held, at which he appeared as an advocate
IN his own-behalf, backed BY all the in
fuence Of his Cabinet and the counte-
nance Of the great heroes Of the war, as
we'll rs of the whole s,Teprth OF the DEM