Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-02-28

them not TO obey his orders2 II the Tao
is on the side Of those subordinates, the
law will afford them protection and re-
dress. It is difficult TO conjecture 10
what capacity the Senate supposes iIself
to be acting. Not surely 10 the capacity
OF iav-girers, for legislation proceeds by
no such forms. The Senate cannot think
il is acting in its executive capacity, for
IL has no executive functions except to
act on the Presidents appointments, and
on treaties which he may have nego-
tiated. Nor can the Senate suppose Il
is acting in its judicial capacity, for its
only judicial function consists in the trial
of civil officers after they have been i'm
peached by the House Of Representatives.
The instructions Of the Senate to Mr..
Stanton are plain usurpation OF author
ity, an impudent intrusion into the exc
cutive department. We suppose the OBJ
ject is to gain time, while Congress can
pass some desperate act for preventing
this case going before the Supreme Court
From the Louisville Courier. 26th.l
One would suppose, to read the ac-
counts of the proceedings Of the North
ern Radicals, in connection with the
Washington imbroglio, that the nation
was on the verge Of another revolution,
and that the supporters Of the Jacobin
Congress, from the Penobscot to the
Rocky mountains, were ready to march
to Washington to prevent Andrew John
son from tearing the Constitution into
strings and throwing both Houses Of
Congress into the Potomac river II is
as well defined a case Of political hys-
terics as we have ever met with in all
our practice. The House impeaches the
President for removing from Office m an
almost universally odious and execrated,
and Immediately every Radical ia so
overcome with indignation at the action
that he gasps for breath, telegraphs to
Congress that millions Of brave hearts
are painting for hand-to-hand fight with
the usurper who has dared to defy the
laws. We imagine that by far the largest
portion of these millions of brave hearts
are painting for fight because they know
there is no fight on hand. They hurl
defiance at Andrew johnson because
they know that, as far as physical force
is concerned, he is helpless. They bully
because they know that it is safe. They
are barking dogs from whom there is no
danger of bite. If they ever belonged
to the army, and we have no idea that
many of these blow-hards ever did, they
were either drafted or pocketed big
bounty for being there, and probably de-
serted after they had secured the money.
They are clustering, cowardly bullies,
who, when the flag of General Lee was
waving in sight of the capitol, were not
80 free with their kilograms Offering to
march to the defense of the Federal city.
Then they satisfied their patriotism by
paying $500 for exemption from military
service. But now the case is different
There is now no army of fearless Con-
federates with guns in their hands ready
to contest every inch of ground to the
death. 1t is only one man they have to
meet, and they are confident of an easy
victory. We would recommend the i'm
mediate use of rdleridnd or some other
powerful anti,spasmodic. This with cold
applications to their heads may possibly
restore them to their normal condition,
when they will be able to see that it will
not require millions of painting, loyal
hearts, backed by the Grand Army of
the Republic, to keep one unarmed, un-
supported man from tearing up the
foundations of republican liberty and re.
ducing the country to anarchy or chaos.
From the Mobile Tribunel
The news from Washington is rather
lively. 1t indicates, unmistakably, what
we have known for long time, that the
United States Government is failure.
There has really been no constitutional
government ct Washington since the
Southern members of Congress withdrew
in 1861. That act broke up the Govern.
ment, and the effort Of the Northern
members to form new one has proved
most disastrous. The mob government
that they established has fallen to pieces
Of its own weight. Had those Northern
members been wise and patriotic they
would have gone home when the South
ern members left, and told their constr
tuents that the Congress to which they
had been sent was dissolved. Every
State might have taken fresh start then,
and all would have been in better con
dition than they are to-day. AS it is
" the thing is gone up" We have not
heard what disposition the Federal Off
GERS here intend to make of the property
in their hands. We shall be satisfied
with the custom house for our share when
the diviaion takes nlace