The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-01-18


The new Reconstruction BILL which Is to be
passed on Monday next by the House Of Repre-
sentatives, and which is doubtless destined
soon to become law over the Presidents
veto, provides =
SECTION !. That the existing provisional civil State
those set up by President johnson and
far left by Congress at the discretion Of the military
commanders-in the ten unreconsructed rebel States
shall not DO recognized by the executive or judicial
authorities OF the United States.
SEC. That the General OF the Army (Geperal Granp
shall have full and absolute authority tho execution
OF the Reconstruction laws each and all tho ten
States embraced in the i've Southern Military Districts
SEC g. That the General OF the Army In his discre-
ton, may and appoint the civil officers in said
States and the President shall not interfere with him In
these matters or in the appointment OF the military
district commanders
SEC L. That 1t shall be unlawful for the President to
order the army navy to tho support Of any Of the
existing provisional civil governments Of said ten
constructed States.
Sec That any Interference by any person with intent
TO prevent the execution OF the orders OF General Grant
under this law shall be held high msdemeanor sub
ect to penalty of dve thousand dollars fine and
years Imprisonment.
This is substantially the new bill 1t pro-
the General Of the Army chief magistrate over
these ten unreconstructed rebel States. In other
words, the constitutional President and Com
mander-in-Chief Of the Army over all the States
and Territories under the jurisdiction of the
United States Is by this bill to be President
only over those States and Terrific
ries represented in Congress, and Gen
ia IN ha
mander-in-Chief Of the Army-nay, absolute
dictator-over the States still excluded from
Congress. We are to have two Presidents
one, conditional, over the North, elected by
the people, and one, absolute, over the South,
appointed by Congress, each in his district in
dependent Of the other. The question Is here
suggested, however, Will Mr. Johnson, in view
OF his constitutional oath, recognize such an
act of Congress as this He Is Com
mander-in-Cbief of the Army. He may
in this capacity, order the General
Of the Army to Alaska to look after the
Esquimaux in that extensive district, or to St.
Thomas to look into the advantages and disad-
vantages, earthquakes, &C., OF that island for
military purposes; and should the General re-
fuse to obey any order of this kind he may be
subjected to court martial. But suppose that
in these measures Of resistance to this bill of
usurpations Mr.. johnson were to be arralgned
before the Senate on articles OF impeachment,
and were to be tried, convicted and removed for
"high crimes and msdemeanors," what then
Why, then, so far as this Congress is concerned,
with "Old Ben Wade" in Johnson's place, the
los hat IN tha - tl,a
radical programme down South would be re-
moved.
We perceive, too, that the terrors of impeach-
ment are again revived for the benefit OF Mr.
Johnson. IL Thursdays House debate Mr..
Eliot, of Massachusetts, remarked that il the
late failure to impeach "were attributed to any
lack of political frmness or to any tlmidity
on the part of the House, he could say to those
who SO believed that they would fad them
selves in error y that The republicans in
Congress meant that the latc rsbel States
should never come back except IA loyal
States )" that " they would Fight il out on this
line If II took all summer !" that II obsruc-
tons were placed in the way OF the republican
party they would, with the blessing Of God,
leading radical organ opposed to the late i'm
parchment movement thus speaking In refcr-
ence to executive distractions 10 the Tenure
OF Office law:-"If Andrew johnson means to
defy this Tenure Of Ofice law and make q war
upon the country, 10. him do IT, II ho dare. and
take the consequences" Again II cries
aloud:-"We say, let the President, II no dare,
"a. n. a
" The next card that Congress may play is Inn
parchment Ii is for Mr. Johnson TO say
whether II shall be played or not"
Impeachment, then-a convenient pretcxt OF
hostility from Mr.. Johnson for impeachmcnt-is
an object OF the unseemly en- orcement Of this
Tenure Of Office law in the case Of Mr.. Stanton
and Of this new Reconstruction bill. The radi-
calls OF Congress, let us assume, no longer aim
to Brighten, but wish to provoke the President
to some overt act Of resistance upon which
they can iudict, convict and displace him.
What, then, Il Mr.. Johnson to dot These
rabid radicals will stop at nothing, and they
have two-thirds vote in each house OF Con-
gress. Thus situated, what Is Mr. johnson to
do, or what can he do, but submit TO the des-
potic power Of Congressi We say that in
maintaining his oath and his office he can dis
regard these threats Of impeachment, aud
ought to disregard tbem--that ii IL his duty 10
do So and take the consequences. What has
he to fear from impeachment Let us suppose
that from a stubborn resistance to these Con.
gressional usurpations Of bis authority he Is
impeached and removed, has he not an appeal
to the peoples We are sure that in such m
appeal from Congress 10 the country he would,
by resstless uprising Of the people in biz vim
dication, be carried back into tho White House,
and with an overwhelming majority u the
House OF Representatives 70 sustain him. Al
all events, IL appears to US that between a