Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1868-12-16
THE TRIBUNE.
| MINERAL POINT:
| WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1868.
The Presidents Message.


We lay before our readers, o-day, this
very extraordinary document in full, not
so much on account of any particu ar
merit it possesses, as to let our readers
know to what extent Andrew johnson
suffers his i'll feelings towards Congress
to lead him. From the very opening
of the document, he commences TRADE
of abuse upon Congress, and through them
upon the people of the nation who placed
that BODY in power, and who so recently
sanctioned their course by a reelection
of a large number of the members of that
body, and the election of many others en-
tertaining Similar views upon the matters
| in which they differ so widely from the
| President He accuses them of passing
nm constitutional and oppressive laws, and
performing other acts unworthy of men
entrusted with such powers as are confer
red upon Congress by the Constitution of
| the nation Mr. johnson undoubtedly
| thinks his own views upon national mat
tiers, however widely they may differ from
a majority of the people of the country,
| embracing the ablest statesmen and most
renowned jurists, entitled to more regard
! than all others, because of the fact that he
accidentally occupies the high position of
Chief Magistrate of the nation.
The manner in which the Message was
received by the two Houses Of Congress,
| shows clearly their views of the document
| and the individual from whom it emina-
| ted In the Senate, after listening to the
| reading of sufficient to indicate its char.
acter, its further reading was dispensed
with for the time, and that body refused
the usual vote for its being printed and re-
| ferred to the usual committees. In the
House of Representatives similar course
was pursued after the larger portion had
| been read The Democrats in both the
| Senate and House, of course, were for
treating the document with more respect,
and eulogizing its author for his imperti.
nence. We trust our readers will not
| fail to read the Message and form their
own conclusions of its character If they
/
| can do so without an ejaculation Of thanks
that the official days of its author are rap
idly drawing to a close, they can hardly
| be worthy the name of American citizen.
The following paragraph from the Mes
| sage is worthy of particular note and can
not fail to sink its author lower in the con-
tempt of the American people than his
previous acts haze done, and bring upon
| his name odium from all honorable nations
of the earth:
1t may be assumed that the holders of
| our securities have already received upon
| their bonds larger amount than their orig
! inal investment, measured by gold stand
/ ard. Upon this statement of facts it would
! seem hnt just and equitable that the six per
| cent. interest now paid by the Government
| should be applied to the reduction of the
| principal in semi-annual instalments, which
! in sixteen years and eight months would Ii
! quidate the entire debt. Six per cent in
gold would, at present rates, be equal to
| nine per cent, in currency, and equivalent
| to the payment of the debt one and a half
| times in fraction less than seventeen years.
| This, in connection with all the other ad-
vantages derived from this investment,
would afford to the public creditors fair
anu llptfdl compensation IOr tllc use OF IilelF
| capital-with this they should be satisfied
! The lessons of the past admonish the lender
that II Is not lceH 10 be 0rer-dtrio,ts IN crGctiRg
from the borrower gid compliance rit the letter
| Of Tie bond If provision be made for the
| payment of the Indebtedness of the Gov
| eminent II the manner suggested, our ma
tion will rapidly recover its wonted prosper
ity."
For man occupying the high position
Of President of the United States, to rec
ommend the reputation of an honest
debt in his annual message to Congress,
is certainly the "last ditch" OF infamy
| towards which Andrew Johnson has been
travelling for nearly four years With
this extract we turn with disgust from
comments upon the most extraordinary
document that ever emanated from the
White House at Washington.