Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1868-12-30
WENDELL PHiLLIPs.
His Christmas Present to the
President Elect.
He Opposes the Repeal Of the
Tenure OF Office Bill.
And Cracks the Whip Over the
Ears OF Conserving Con-
greSsmen.
From the Anti Slavery Standard, Dec. %.

From the Anti Slavery Standard, Dec %.
We are wholly opposed to the repeal
of the Civil Office Tenure Act. For
what reasons Gen. Butler proposes it we
cannot guess. But there are the strong
est reasons for keeping it on the Statute
Book.
The experience CT the war has taught
us some military lessons and many civil
ones. Especially it has shown US that
President can never be impeached.
Patronage, which we thought meant
Customhouses and Postoffices, is found to
rule the Senate. Spite, bred of gossip,
which was laughed at as tea-table foible,
is seen to poison even prairie and buckeye
Senators. Nepotism is not monopolized
at Rome. The Pine-tree State produces
an article in that line fully equal to the
Italian. While the hot purpose of the
war was yet unchilled, we tried in vain
to impeach the very tool of Jefferson
Davis. This lesson has been dearly
bought. Let us see we profit by it.
What corruption effected for johnson
in enabling him safely to defy the consti-
tuition, loving trust in Lincoln's "hon-
esty" effected in his case. Hence the
war has shown US that. in critical emer-
gencies, zoe hare no constitution. The
long list of Presidents in this line, begin
ming with JeffersOn's purchase of Louisi-
ana and closing with Kansas, gets its eli
max in our war experience Of Presidents.
We will not say now that here are grave
reasons for the abolition of the Office
But we may say that all the curbs which
gray public disgust with johnson
has enabled US to put on the Presidency
should be retained as valuable checks,
which once removed may never be pos
sible again. 1t is not often that we have
a Congress largely opposed to the Execu-
tive. 1t is rarer still to have an Exscu~
tive of such unabashed and shameless cor
ruption as to call forth national rebuke
emphatic enough to embolden Congress
to 60 to the very extreme verge Of ifs
powers for checking him. These two
rare circumstances have combined, the
last four years, to- give US an immense
gain in the direction of gripping Execu-
tive patronage. The statute book, as it
stands now, will enable an honest Con-
gress to make future ReVerdy Johnsons
and Pitt Fessendens impossible.
The sentimental mush of magnanimity
has largely demoralized the National
conscience. There is an instructive sense
of justice in the commonest nature which
as immoral, the policy that
leaves Forrest and Davis at liberty on
this continent. The man who has schooled
himself into approving it has demoralizcd
himself. Greeley and Beecher have done
good things in years past.
But all they have done has never lifted
the Nation so much as their childish and
immoral prattle about magnanimity has
sunk it in moral sensibility and power.
This war has educated the masses injus-
tice. How much the escape Of johnson
has corrupted political life, time will show
Congress is nearer to popular impression
tive has conquered from the Executive,
during this epoch, is to be jealously kept;
NO need to fear we shall curb the Presi>
dency too much. A power which could
secure the confirmation of Rousseau and
Reverdy johnson has certainly strength
enough. To know from what regiment
of rogues this law has saved us, ask the
police list and the whisky ring.
The tendency Of all free States is to
depress the Executive and enlarge the au-
thOrity of the Legislative element. Pro-
gress in that direction seems almost sy-
nonymous with growth in liberty. The
Civil Office Tenure Act is large stride.
Let it becarefully kept, and let US press
further on in that line, if it takes the
whole simmer" of our National exis-
tance WENDELL PHILLIPS