Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-02-28
THE SITUATION.
Comments OF the Press ON the
Congress-Jo Johnson Issue.

journals received;
From the Cincinnati Enquirer.l vi
We fail to see anything in the Tenure
Of Office law to prohibit the President
from appointing as many Secretaries OF
War as he pleases, or TO prohibit the APP
pointees from taking possession OF the
Office. The law, like the most of the
legislation of the past and present Con-
gress, is clumsy and indefinite in the ex-
treme; and the panic into which the Sec
retary and the two Houses OF Congress
were thrown by the act Of the President,
is evidence that they have no confidence
in il, and are afraid to have it brought to
a judicial examination.
The doings of the Secretary of War
show that he is both coward and fool.
Between him and General Thomas there
is question Of ofveracity, which is unfor-
tuuate for one whose reputation for truth
is so feebly supported. His holding out
his bureau, eating, sleeping and littering
in it, is the extreme of melo-dramatic
imbecility. His affidavit in Judge Car
ter's Court, praying for the arrest Of
General Thomas, is beyond measure
ridiculous, both in its matter and its
intention. The embassies from the Senate
and House of Representatives to en-
courage him to hold on to the Office are
proofs that the members of those bodies
believed him to be no better than pol
troon, who was ready TO let down under
any uncommon pressure or unforeseen
state of circumstances; that be is bully
without the one redeeming quality OF
which bully is oapable-indiference to
personal danger I -.
The case is treated by the telegraphic
reporters as if the passage Of Mr. Ste
vens resolution will impeach the Presi-
dent. Not so, by any manner of means.
The resolution is only so much harmless
thunder. Two things are essential to an
impeachment: formal testimony and
formal articles. Legally, the House of
Representatives can only conclude upon
sworn testimony to some high crime or
misdemeanor and can only act through
articles charging such crime or misde-
meanor. Mr.. johnson is not yet inn
peached; aud the very great haste of the
majority of the House in hurrying the
proceeding and trying to commit itself
is proof that it is mortally afraid that its
courage will evaporate with delay; in
which respect it probably reasons cor
rectly.
From the Pittsburg Post, 24thl
The news from Washington is csleu.
lated to excite much anxiety in the pub
lie mind. The attempt of the President
to remove Mr.. Stanton is openly resisted
by Congress; the Senate appointed a
com mittee to urge Mr.. s. to disobey the
order of his superior, and the House
precipitately got up articles of impeach-
ment, charging this exercise of the
mower of removal from Cabinet office,
which has always hitherto been an un-
disputed prerogative Of the President, as
high crime and misdemeanor. 1t is
evident that Congress means to rule SUI
preme, and to remove all distractions
that may arise in the way Of its schemes
to perpetuate power in Radical hands.
Coordinate branches of the government,
and the Constitution itself, must all be
subverted alike before the march of these
relentless u5urpers What will be the
result of the attempt to impeacb, cannot
be foreseen 1t may be merely to intimi-
date the President, and may not be
pushed to extremities, should it have tho
effect to stop his further efforts to remove
Mr.. Stanton.
From the Nashville Banner, 25th.l
This conflict betw cen radicalism and
conservatism is irreconcilable. Nothing,
we fear, but blood can settle it. The con-
hict between the President and Congress
is an incident. No matter how that ends,
the great issue will remain in all its orig
inal force. A civil war, with its battle
ground in the North, must result sooner
or latter from the effort of the one party
to ride rough-shod over the other. The
Democrats are too strong to give up all
for lost without fight, and the Radicals
are determined to give up nothing with
out fight. History, as we have often
said, does not repeat itself, but human
nature is always the same. The identi-
cal principle that lay at the bottom of
the feuds of the middle ages, arraying
Guelph and Gibiliue, White Hood and
Burgher, castle and free city, lies at the
bottom Of this dispute about reconstruc-
ton, which is monstrous sham
got up by cunning partisans for
the purpose of first concealing and
then excusing their acts of usurpation.
1t is simply the old, vapid cant dressed
in new disguise Stripped of its false
decorations, its potriotic blazonry, its
flags and its pretense, and it means
nothing more nor less than the common
lust for place and pelf, that destroyed
Flemish, Florentine and Venitian lib
erty. The people of this country must
not hope to escape the exigencies of
their system. They must pay the pen
atty of half century of repose. They
must march the devil s march toward the
end, which the nations have marched
before them. They have, like the Ro-
mans and the Greeks, shown themselves
unworthy of freedom and incapable of
preserving it. They have, on every
hand, permitted the veriest quacks to
cheat them out of their simple repub-
lican government and are even now
permitting their politicians, like dogs, to
tear each other to pieces over the poor,
dead carcass. But they are not pre-
pared for despotism; and they will not |
receive it short of an obstinate, and it
may be protracted struggle.
From the New York Tribune.l
Mr.. johnson will achieve no coup |
dstat Nature, in denying him the |
courage proportioned to his vanity, has
made him proof against great crimes
His forte lies entirely ip peccadilloes.
When Congress concludes to impeach
him for petty misdemeauors, twill Ind
many Of hem. Bot if it waits for high |
crimes, he will serve out bis term IN
feverish peacefulness and empty feints.
The T,ybune evidently regards the
movement as Of little moment and en-
deavars TO allAy apprehension By giving
II ludicfous aspect.
- a.. n " Worl1 !