Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1868-04-01
Fer Associate Justice of the Supreme Court
B YRO N PAIN R.
THE DUTY OF CONGRESS,


the impeachment of the President We
desire Congress to make haste in this
matter for it is thing the people want
to see soon ended. The reason is obvious.
The issue is plain and simple and does
not require long time to try and desire it
The people will not be satisfied with the
Republican majority Of the Senate, if they
meekly give way to attempts to make de
lay springing from Mr.. Johnson's desire
to gain time Give Mr.. johnson fair
hearing, but the people demand that he
shall not be tolerated in the arts Of pet
tifogger, or a shyster before the highest
tribunal of the nation. Business is bust
mess, and the American people demand
that this trial shall be conducted in the
spirit Of their own dispatch. They are
convinced that Mr.. johnson can have
justice done him in speedy trial. Il he
is innocent of crime or disdemeanor, then
he ought quickly to be relieved of the
cloud of these impeachment proceedings.
We do not look for attempts at dely from
Mr.. Johnson's counsel so much as FROM
Democratic Senators. We shall be sur
prised if portion at least of Mr.. John
sons counsel are gentlemanly, and bust
ness-like in their conduct of this trial
We shall wait to see something unworthy
of a man from VIM. NJ. Evarts before
we shall believe he will be guilty
fit. We hope to see rapid work done
with impeachment. The people want it
out of the way. There is more important
business that must wait till this trial is
concluded.
But this trial finished as we have every
reason to think it will be by the dismissal
of Mr.. johnson from Office, it is the duty
of Congress to open up the south in some
wav, SO that life shall be safe there for a
union man, whether he is white or black.
It is simply wicked for the government
of the United States to allow such state
of things to exist, as there is in some Of
Southern States now. Take Alabama for
example It is at present under control
of, the military power of the United States,
and yet the government is so little re-
spected there that it cannot protect those
who are favorable to it, in any right, Or
ganized systems Of terrorism maintained
BY late rebels, and those who are under
parol as prisoners af war TOO, keep the
friends of the union from the polls and
no man dare declare himself as friend
of the Union. This state of things is
simply burning shame, and calls loudly
for redress. We arc just now working a
great ado about the right Of our citizens
as against European Governments where
it might be well to ask ourselves if we
are protecting our citizens at home. All
the insults that all the governments OF
Europe combined have heaped upon us,
neither equal in number not the heinous-
ness of their character the insults that
are now imposed upon loyal American
.citizeus BY rebels late in arms against US.
We do not know that we sympathize with
Wendell Phillips in his criticism upon
General Grant with regard to this matter,
but we do sympathize with him in the
disposition to criticise somebody for the
present state of things ought to be CALLING
to any American having the spirit of q
man In him.
Sc long as the military arm of the gov
eminent is under the control of Congress,
we demand that they use it till every
American citizen shall be as safe in any
Southern, as he is in any Northern State.
This matter attended to we demand that
CONGRESS turnssits attention to our disor~
dered finances and that they clear the
decks in some way and give US some kind
of policy tLat our industries may know
how to manage themselves. We are IN
the dark, and must remain Sc Tor weeks
to come as to whether Congress means to
paw off any portion Of the national debt
within the next few years or not We
s,nnosa that the general conclusion is,