The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1868-04-08

III
irawn from the acts or the respondent since
i has been in office, that if the people had
mi been. ns thew ever have been, true and
oval ID their Congress and themselves, such
would not have been the result Of these usur-
nations of power in the Executive. IL i IN.
iced to be seriously argued here that there
: a constitutional right in the President OF
he United Slater, Who, during his Official life,
AN never lay aside his official character, to
ienounce, malian, abuse, ridicule and con-
emn, openly and publicly. the Congress of
be United States, coordinate branch OF the
Government? 1t cannot fail to be observed
hat the President-sball | dare to say his
counsel? or are they compelled by exigencies
st their defense? have deceived themselves
Is the gravamen of the charge in this article?
Ii does not raise the question Of freedom
Of speech, but of propriety and decency OF
,peech and conduct in q high officer OF the
and Andrew johnson, tbs pri.
rate citizen. as may reverently hope and
trust he will soon be, has a full constitutional
right to think and speak what he pleases in
The manner be pleases, and where he pleases.
provided always he does not bring himself
within view of the common law cffenses Of
being q common raiier and brawler, or q
commou scold, which he may do, if . male
person Is ever liable to commit the crime.
Bat the dignity Of his station, the proprieties
Of his position, the conrtesies Of his Office, all
of which are part OF the common Law of the
land, require the President of the q. 8.
to observe that majesty of department, that
fitness OF conduct, that appropriateness OF
demeanor and those amenities of behavior,
which are 3 part of his high official functions.
He stsnds before the youth Of the country q
the exemplar Of all that Is Of worth ia an1bi-
ton; and of all that is to be sought by aspira-
lions He stands before the men Of the coun-
try as a grave magistrate, who occupies, If he
does not fill the place once honored by
Washington. Nay, far higher and Of greater
consequence, he stood before the world as
the representative Of free institutions, as Q
type Of man whom the sufrases of free PEG
Die have chosen as their chief. He should
be living evidence Of how much better, high.
err, nobler and more in the image Of God, is
the elected ruler of free people than o he,
reditary monarch, coming into power by the
accident of BIRTH and when be disappoints
ell these hopes and all these expectations,
and becomes ribald, scurrilous, blasphe mous,
bandying epithets and taunts with jeering
mob, shall be be heard TO say that such con
duct is not high misdemeanor in Office
Nay. disappointing hope, causing the cheek
to burn with shame, exposing to the taunts
and ridicule of every nation the name and
fame of the chosen institutions of thirty
millions of people, is it not the highest crime
and misdemeanor in Office, and under the cir
cumssauces, is the gravamen of these charges
The words are not alleged to be either false
or defamaiory, because it is not within the
power oe any man, however high his official
position in effec, to Islander the congress Of
the United States in the ordinary sense OF that
word 80 as to call on Congress to answer az
10 the truth Of the accusation. We do not
therefore, go into the question of truth oil
faIsi,y. We rest upon the scandal Of the
scene. We would IS soon think in the tria
of an indictment against q termagAnt as q
common seoid. of summoning witnesses te
prove that what she said wss not true. II il
tie noise and disturbance in the neighborhool
that is the offence, and not question of prov
oeafion or irritation which causes the ont
rage. At risk Of being almost offensive, bu
protesting that if SO. it is not my fault bu
tina, oil the person whose acts | am describing
let me but family picture the scenes at Cleve
land and at st. Louis.
DisGRAeEFrL sc EEEs.
1t is evening. The President Of the United
Of ar illustrious statesman, accompanied by
the head Of the army and navy, ard the Sec
rotary Of State, has arrived 10 great central
city Of the continent He has been welcomed
by the civic authorities; he has been escorted
by procession of benevolent and charitable
societies, and citizens and soldiers, to his ho'
tex he has returned thanks, in answer to the
address of the Mayor. to the citizens who
have received him; the hospitality Of the city
has provided banquet for him and bis suite,
when he is again expected to address the
chosen guests Of the city, where all things may
be conducted in decency and In order. While
he was resting, as one would have supposed
be would have wished to do. from the fatigue
% the day. noisy crowd of men and boys,
wasLed and unwashed. drunk and SOBER black
and white, assemble in the street, who make
night hideous by their howlings. Quitting
the drawing-room without the advice Of bis
friends, the President Of tho United States
rnshes forth to the balcony of the hotel, to ad-
dress THAT proves to have been mob, and
this be calls. in his answer, "it occasion on
which he is held to the high duty Of express
ing opinions Of, and concerning, the legisla-
lion OF Congress, proposed or completed, in
respect of its wisdom, exrediency, iustice.
worthiness, objects, purposes. and public and
political motives and tendencies" Observe
how, upon this fit occasion, Ike in all respects
to thai at Cleveland, when the President is
.scalled upon by the constitutional require
ments Of his office to expound the wisdom,
expediency, Justice, worthiness objects. pur.
posesand tendencies Of the acts of Congress, =
what he says, and the manner in which be
saysit. Does he speak with the gravity of q
Marshall whenexponnding constitutional Jaw?
Does be use polished sentences DR. failing in
these, which may be his misfortune, does he,
10 plain, homely words of truth and sober
ness, endearor to instruct the men and youth
before him in their duty to obey the laws and
to reverence their rulers, and to prize their
institutions Of Government? Although he
may have been mistaken in the aptness Of the
occasion for such didac.ic instruction, still
good teaching is never thrown away. He
shows, however, by his language. that he
meantto adapt himself to the occasion. He
has hardly opened his mouth, as we shall
show you, when some one in the
crowd cries, How about our British sub
jectsg' The Chief Executive, supported BY.
his Secretary of State, SO that all foreign res
lasions and diplomatic services wers ftly rep
resented, with dignity that not even his
counsel can appreciate, and with an amenity
which must have delighted, Downing street
answers, 1--WE will attend TO John Bull after
iashifesp : Sofaras ahat 10 concerned. the
mob nngraiefll RECEIVES this BIZ Of sexpres-
lsion of opinion upon the justics, wosthiness,
objects, purposes 4nd public and pnliaieal mo-
tives and tendencies" Of our relations with
,the Kingdom OF. Great Britain, as thev fell
from tho honored hps Of The President ofthe
United States, with laughter, and the more
unthlnking OF them With cheers.
Having tins disposed Of our diplomatic re-
lAtions viii the frat naval and commercial
nation on earth, the President next proceeds
10 cxpreas bis opinion IN the manaer alore-
said, and for purposes aforesaid, 70 thi3Hpisy
mob 90 thA sqbjsct of the riots upon which
his answer Gays: III Is the constitutional du-
~ Of the President y express opinions for
purposes aforesaid A voice calls out,
ssHeR OrleAns, 70 on II After graceful
exordium, the President expressed his high
opinion thai = massacre, wher Elm his pardon.
Cd and unpardoned rebel associates and
inends deliberately shot down and murdered
unaffned Union nen, without ppoyeeation.
eyea Doeie,sa minister Of the living God. 81
his banda ware raised 70 tho Princc Of Peere.
fraying, in The language Of the Great Martyr.
Father, forgive them, fcs they hnovs not
what they do = vas the result Of l4ut pxs.el
~ the Legislative depatshent Of your Cos,
sfnnent, ia the 1ords following, that 4 Is
ny II Jon VII iak~ - 4he not. s. Me-
Qsleans, and trace il back 70 IL Aourcel -
TO its immediate cause zyou vii ana
otts Who MA responsible for ID Kinna
tksf sas shed there. II Jon take ursfkr "a,
q New Orleans, md trace 4 back. 1ou Vii nj
traeu il 70 the Radical Congress. This, =
- ~.