Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1868-01-21
a Chan,ter on the situation of Affairs.

5 We copy the following from the New York
Herald, and the article furnishes much food
for reflection: -
5Ehe country is in great danger. The public
mind is uneasy. A feeling of insecurity pre-
walls throughout the land. Slagnation and
general distrust are unsettling the foundations
of industry in the North, and widespread social
and political decentralization have Frustrated
T the industry Of the South. usefulness and
unparalleled corruptions swallow up tie re-
ceipts of the heaviest taxations IN the world,
and from all the developments Of the time we
have reason to fear that In this dreadful state
of things before we are to have any change tor
the better. We have still the worst to suffer-
Where lies the responsibility for all this and
where the remedy?5 e 80
: The responsibility, we charge, rests upon.
this radical revolutionary Fortieth Congress-
It has been faithless to its promises; it has
BETRAYED the Just expectations and now It bold
ly defes the will OF the people. Processing
onlys a defensive policy against executive en-
croachments, this Congress, dressed ina little
brief authority" has audaciously undertaken
the absorption within itself OF the powers OF
all the departments of the government-legls-
1ative, executive and judica-in setting up a
Southern dictator above the constitutional
chief magistrate of the United States, and in
reducing the Supreme Court to a nulllty,
touching the laws of Congress among other
things
Great excitement prevails at Washington
among The politicians on all sides regarding the
reinstatement of Mr.. Stanton in the War De-
partment The thrusting back Of Stanton
into the War Department is but necessary
| incident in this revolutionary game: Accord
ing to the Tenure Of Office law the Senate was
| to reinstate this man, the Paw being passed
expressly for his retention In the Cabinet
! against the wishes of the President. The Of
| fence is in the law itself, which ls step to
| the abolition Of the executive branch OF the
government as established by the constitution.
And here, in this legislation outside the con
sttution, lies the danger to the republic The
tendency of things is, from another Long Far
| lament, another transfer to the Commonwealth
Of Puritanical dictator. This new Recon
struction bill proposes, for example, to set
aside the President and the courts and the
civil governments and laws of the ten excluded
Southern States, and to set up over them, In
/ the person Of Gen. Grant, an absolute military
dictator Let US suppose that this scheme Is
carried out, and that these ten outside States
are placed absolutely under the will otGen.
Grant, with the army at his back; that he has
carried through the work of Congressional re-
construction; that these ten Southern States
are again in Congress-are with radical dele
cations in both houses, some with sprinkling
OF negroes and some with all white radicals
that these States, so reconstructed, have voted
for the radical candidate for the Presidency
that their votes are necessary to his election,
and that in their acceptance by this Congress
| the radical candidate s declared elected by this
Southern negro poIitical balance Of power. =,
What next? Unqueslionably, such a state Of
tumut and chaos among the political elements
Of the North as will invite the experiment of a
military dictator over the whole land! =
This Southern negro political balance Of
power In the Presidential contest is clearly the
present object Of this revolutionary Congress,
In this design the radical fanatics have gone
too far to rccede The game is desperate, but
there is no alternative and as desperate cases
require desperate remedies, we may be pre-:
! pared for anything from these radicals resolved
upon the perpeluation of their power. Where,
then, lies the remedy? In the hands Of the
people of the Northern States, to be applied
| in the coming Presidential election