Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1867-09-13
Friday, September 13, 1867.
THE POLITICAL SITUATION.
VIEWS OF SENATORS SUMNER AND WusoN ASr
GENERAL Butter


THE POLITICAL SITUATION.
WsEws OF SENATORS SUMNER AND WusoS AND |
GENERAL BurLEn
correspondent of the Boston AIperti.erI
has recently been permitted to hold nterviews
with:Senators Sumner aud Wilson aud General
Butler. and to publsi, q, length their opinion
of public men aud measures The correspond |
ent states that the report is from stenographc
notes taken at the timc, and hence may be
considered correct and reliable.
These distinguished gentlemen rpny be re-
garded fair exponents of the designs Of the
Radical party. and as may be supposed exhibit
remarkable unani,nity Of sentiment upon its
pending issues. They matter Of course,
concur in eplogizing Stanton, and in depreca
ting his removal as q national calamity; in rel
garding tho acceptance of the War Depnrt
ment by Gsnernl Grant as an ilI-advised STEP
which has enabled the President to obstruct
the reconstruction policy of Congress; and iu
looking upon the Presidents recent policy, as
furnishing new matter for Impeachment, which
they seento think forcgon, cobclusion,
that is bound to fellow at the next election. -
General Butler is evidently afraid Of coup
des;dt OH the part Of the President, and tho ugh
he doubts tho Presidents courage and capacity,
thinks ho may find these qualities in the Hon.
jeremiah Black, Buchauans AT torn ey- General.
lie thus discourscs:
ON JOHNSON.
"Well," he said. s'the stualion would be suf.
ficienuy alarming if it certain that John
son WAS acting from purpose aud plan. and not
from obstinacy and personal ilI.will. If he
could be calculated upon ne another man might
be. one would say that these acts in removing
Stanton, Sheridan, ard sSick;es were part of
plan to take control of the Government, upon
the theory that Tho legislation Of Congress
was unconst utional, and, therefore, not bin
ding upon the executive.
His course would seem 10 indicate that put.
ting Gen eral C rant into tho War Department
and exhibiting him ns obeying and carrying
cut his order, was to familarize the army to
Obedience to Jvhnsons Commands and to show
them that the highest officer must be, iii mill
tary affairs. subeervient to his will. But the
imbeciEty md wav ering of the President here.
tofors relieves the country from any pressing
belief of danger.
Johsson lacks Courage and capacity. If he
should rsorganize his Cabinet, and put at the
head Of it a man like Black. who has both
courage and capacity. then, indeed, in view Of
the belief that would be engendered hy the
probable turn of the elections in some of the
States in the fall, that Conservative reaction
had begun-then one could ensiIy predict the
probable turn of events But now we arc in
che condition of the sportsman who refused to
match his hlood horse for race with the far.
mers old white BULL because no ruap could toll
how fast lop horned bull would rum"
ON BLACK.
asked the General il he knew Mr- Bnck
personally, and what he thought Of .h,ns
Yes" he aid, II know Black. l have met
him at the bar. l knew him somewhat when
he was in .Buchanan's Cabinet. lie is man
of decided genius-erratic. bold and Of quick
perceptions, and with strong reliance upon
his own powers. - -
"He believes thoroughly in the unconslitu-
tonalily Of the war, and the consequent lille
gality of every act Of legislation growing op
of it Not doubling on these. points. lie would
haxe 10 hsstancy in following his plans Il
their logical sequence, which, would be, o
course. that Congress was an illegal body il
acts without binding force or. effect, and .tha
it was the duty Of the President to save the
Government by al exercise of Executive pow
er. and that such action be conservative, and
not revolutionary; and If he was ip The Gov
ernmenti believe he would shape,its course tc
that. END, under the full conviction that he wai
acting according to the Constitution and fol
the best intarest Of the country. This will
him, would be true conservatism. He look.
upon any other, and of course the Congressio
al reconstruction, as revolutionary, and ten
ding to despotism. :.
"Upon this accession to the Cabinet, I should
il, look for great peril to the country, because
ii there is no man so dangerous as he will be-
acting courageously In support of the wrong
under the conviction that he is IN The right"
.-~~- -remarkod here: =
"You seem TO reeafd'hin, as likely t. be th,
American -Staffordl"1 -
"Yes,'sa Bntler in. his decisive way, al
do" -.
With regard to the impea chp,ent he thu.
furnishes an explanation Of the causes which
prevented action al the last sessions of Conpre ess
aad'whieh, he. thinks. will no longer-coh,i ,iuu.
to exist. - -. =. .,...,.z.
-. d.: ON. I,rEAcnxENr. %
u.no~ asked General Buffers opinion of ,h<
.prospects of impeaehmsnt.2 .. ~! y l
= He Iephsd:,i., i. ~ .s .-,..
'"Impeschmont is sure to come. Tho same
causes which linden j, heretofore win. nov
81 tend to bring it on. When Wade sxsS made
presias1tef the Senate, eyery PresidsntfI. az, a.
psrant eew cold toward imp mpeasKfnsn,, aud III
!. course CARRIED their tails with. them AN ada
paitted its sju'ties. bus nhey, dssmsd IT,: impo.
: lite" >, -. e.s,' -,
.,'Whys" - .....,.., ~ ~, -,
. Because, il Wadslwas made President, h.
;dnightuts thepeser of, his Office to pres. him
,sslE fof tho suesessiee BY .eontrolkng tie nom
mating convention. q TnerelSss, al ..asptlener
who-aesirsd sbat Mr.. WaassshouId. poss BE- ii
slsosea sIgsaslg gsnaoved. Agsfnst impseohm.ns