The Irish republic. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1867-18??, 1868-03-14


At such time it the duty of all good citizens to make
an honest endeavor to divest their minds of all
party passions and preudices and to think and act in
that spirit of true patriotism which consults only the
best interests of the country and the world.
Nomnay there are two parties to the contest which
has ragged in the national capital during the greater part
OF the period which has elapsed since Abraham Lincoln
died by the bullet of assassin These are, the Con-
gress, on the hand, and Andrew johnson and his
advisers the other But in point Of fact and reality
these only the visible champions of principles which
lie at the very foundation of all human government and
of interests which extend the entire length and
breadth of the United States The godlike principle
Of mans right to be Free and the deviish principle of
mans power to enslave, doing battle as ercey from
the Capitol and the White House they did between
Grant and Lee on the bloodstaned fields of Virginia
Whether the old human chatelownng interest of the
South backed up by the ignorant and unclean hordes
of the mock Democracy of the North shall rule this
American continent and make it. in the name OF Re
public buwark to all the tyrannies of the EARTH the
very stronghold and vanguard of the viest and beast
Hest that cursed mankind whether these United
States, in which the mighty problem of the worlds
destiny likely to be solved shall be controlled by
the who would rob man-whte Or black, Amer
ican Irshman German Gentle or Jew-of the liberty
which God has given him-by the men who would make
this great country real Republic, land in which the
rights of the poorest and the weakest shall be sacred
respected those of the proudes and most powerful
land in which it will be thing impossible to be- or to
have, slave-by the who believe in liberty they
believe in God-the protection, the enjoyment, the
blessing of all races and ands-are the questions at
issue.
We have been at no trouble to conceal conviction
that, up to late PERIOD Republican Congress has
far short of the Of its duty in reference to
this matter Nearly nine months ago declared openly
and plainly that it just and necessary to
remove this man johnson from the high place he dis
honored and degraded-from all power and authority in
country whose peace and prosperity he was so
lutely endeavoring to destroy We did this at time
when candor did good deal to offend, if not to
ALLEVIATE some kind and generous friends and when the
wretched and multtudinous tools OF Presidential COR
rupon which prowl, like wolves over the face Of an
afflicted land raised such howl Of hatred and
ton against they only utter when the redhot shot
of truth pierces their ruan hides There was on this
as on other important questions, amount of shly
shayng and dilydallying, the part of too many of
legislators which may have been extremely prudent
but which looked uncommony like moral cowardice.
We told that although Mr. johnson undoubtedly
guilty of high crimes and msdemeanors" the charge
lacked that defnteness" which is essential to convc-
ton. We utterly deny it. The statement is the small
bubble of lawyer 1t have little weight in
the mind of true statesman. The question was, and
u.s. was the Acting President really engaged in traitor
Gus endeavor to deprive the people of the legitimate
suits of the war, to restore disguised slavery in the
South and to crush the Of equal rights all
the land Was not every true Republican, from Maine
to California, convinced that such the fact? Then
Il was the duty of such men to have hurled him in