The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1868-04-11
The True state Of the Game.


A few words viii plainly trace out the
state Of the party game which is now going
on with increased rapidity st Washington.
10 60 back a little. we must remember
that the Immediate cause Of the split be-
tween Congress and the President was THAR
different plans Of restoring the Union. Both
plans were unconstitutional The Presi-
dent, fron1 having been In the beginning SIS
extreme as Congress in his rigid policy
against the South moderated his views con
sloerably, and presenting plan more expe-
dltlous and less injurious to Che South and
the nation than that Of Congress, it met the
approval Of the helpless South, not because
they considered it constitutional, but be-
cause 1t was more wise and more humane
than Its rival
Mr. Johnson's great mistake was IN not
recognizing the fact, apparent to all reflect
ing men, that this Is the military age. and
that none but military man can, for Pc
Rod at least, preside over the desanies Of
this nation. He sought to secure his own
election for the next term instead of picking
out, as he should have done, the military
man who was to succeed him, and by form
ing an alliance with that man, have tri-
umphed over Congress, This Mr. Johnson
could easily have done, aud thus have had
the whole game in his hands But be shut
his eyes aud proceeded blindly IN defiance
of the logic Of events" Most strangely,
he quietly contemplated the inroads of Con-
gress upon his own powers, made no effec-
tive changes through his authority over the
offices, and kept as bis c0unseilors his Bit
terest enemies.
Congress saw what Mr. johnson did not.
1t saw that q military man must be the next
President, it saw, as all many-headed tyr
annies do see, the absolute necessity Of a
strong military arm on which TO lean. They
and won Gen. Grant, ai1d they appeased the
aspirations Of Gen Sherman. While these
D grand movements were made, they had
completely fettered the Presidents and
when he made an effort to recover his arms
and to use his legs, he found himself entirely
helpless.
Helpless as he was, he struck weak
blow, vainly relying upon the Constitution
and laws to sustain him forgetting that 1T
q time of lawlessness the man who has no
better defense than those silent protectors
must fall Posterity may pronounce the act
which dooms a man to failthus q great
crime bat that decision is of little benefit
to the defeated, and Of no consideration
with the yiet0rs
The President might have allied himself
with the whole army had he been more wise
than ambitious Grant. sherman and all
the really able generals of the war, were
Win ltA IL MS Ot-i SiAlAt ~ -AsleeSAA AOSO@A-
struction and compose the troubles of tho
land But he neither pr0pitiated them nor
got rid Of the spies and enemies about him.
Congress has taken out of his very hands
the powerful weapons which were in them.
He falls He is torn, laeerated, aud dis
abled, by the thorns Of the tree he himself
planted and in allhuman probability is about
to be driven into retirement, with long
period for reflection Epon the sad mistakes
he has within three years committed--
Richgload DisVotcH