The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1868-01-21
7, E,DAY, JANUARY ~, 1857.


'''N'' FNNNN''NN NAaNNio NENbi1 OOSiiuCt
the action Of tie laws which it is their
du;y to enforce, and boldly defy the legis.
lNUra, Nirn statesmen arc carried away
hvrei'i IN ! tt, and the legislature enacts
laws I,r the ii, ow cd Object Of waging war
ipun Ike executive; when the law Off
& u tie government and the judiciary
iac irfln,rccd IN their judicial decisions
by private Ni.lss, or, the hopes of future
enolumcrl; vhcn corruption and lraul
NJ official ln-con luct in the admiuislra-
tiun cf governmental atftirs are suffered to
unpuni-hcl and The worst passions of
men are ptticd and iistered with govern,
rucniid petron"gc and protection, The
:lI,urs q The government seem everyday
It brcrrne more complicated. One wrong
p'o, Uk,> auotlcr. One misstcp leads the
way 10 another. Ono departure from
t'lr or Grr-v e. irsc Of legislation, or in
ninctucm 81 cur constitutional liberty,
nctUs;ia,os Lure; and We seem 10 be fast
approaching ;iat maclstrom Of uncerta.n-
" and auarcl.y in which our sister rcput-
lie, Mexico, Las long been engulphcd.
Tie unparalleled assumpti Gil, The un-
roNohcd pugnaciiy ard the ineXcusaLle
Ub,tinary ui lr sideht johnson IN at
Tempting IL ignore Congress in the work
T reconstruction and 10 enforce lis own
ncthu6s at all .;.zzaids, is, no doubt, Il
great FRO, .ca'i,n 10 Congress. And yet
We had hoped better things Of that body
than measures Of retaliation and such OK
traordinary legislation as has been the or
.u.r vi the day Tor II few days past.
On Monday Of last week the Senate
refused, 50 TO Il. 10 concur with the
i'resid, nj in tile suspension Of Secretary
stanton, and the next morning quietly and
without ceremony, Mr.. Stanton retu ned
his old place at the war office. aud
Gen Grant went back TO the army office
Assuming prev nous legislation 10 be cor.
stltniiunul and " isc, uir.cr the Tenure OF
,ii:c act, the Senate could, Consistently
al leusi, reln,talc the displaced Secretary.
lind yet 1t Is an act vi injustice to Mir
Johl,,on, however ccL,,mpiiblc his course
nlty have been, 10 insist upon the retcn
a. L..
aid Tor whose actions he alone IL respun-
chile, one with whom 1t is impossible Tor
hun 10 have any personal sympathy Or
even liberation. And this is not the
worst feature Of this legislation. 1hc
noic -piti, and ',ttr, VI the constitution
l. to give the Pres dent degree of liberty
in the choice q lis subordinates, and il
Is III least, questionable whether the leg,
i-Ialire department of the government has
any constitutional or moral right to legis.
late other wise, II il were true that the
"tcnure Of cticc act" is no violation of
tlc constitution, it is still contrary to all
precedent, subESTslve Of the principles
i.cuguized ever since the establishment
oFthc government. 1t is clearly reyou-
''nnary. The government is not what it
ever has been. One condition, and one
only, Will justly such extraordinary leg
'si'dion. If Congress has reason TO sup.
pjsc that the government is in actual dan.
CT OF usuTpation Or overthrow, they are
justified i'll exceeding their powers TO pre-
ven, it. But the evidence should be con
c'u>lyc. The Tendency Of excess in one
department is to pro, oke excess in the
-oILeis, and there Is Il possibility of crca.
Ing Jar ger where none exists. Again,
how Is the retention Ul Mr.. Stanton in the
Va. o!ii.c to avert any Calamity which
Inay depending! lie is already 4 mere
CIPHER, ignored by the President, without
sniiy and without power. 1t is TO be
ped that he will have the good scLse to
retire from lis awkward position, and that
tengrcsa will forget its desire to ''check,
mate Mr. JOHNSON, in its desire to take
MISC measures lor the restoration of the
,tr'" 11llity and assurance which belongs
10 times Of peace.
----- -- Pr
NE NEw EECoNsrUo TON BIIL Which
rss''d-tle House ard which is likely to
sl,ediIy pass the Senate, abolishcs all the
t'nte governments of The South and places
1he Whole retellious region under the
command Of the general Of the army un-
iii they are properly reconstructed with
'aet"piable' constitutions and ready for
'admis'ion to the Union. Gen Grant will
dislike 10 accept this fearful responsibility