New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-02-24

nAshisef0s, Saturday, Feb. "a. fss2
IL IS becoming TO speak of the Head of the Gov.
eminent with respect but it is trial 20 do 40 when
lao is deserving of none. party or sn individual
pardon much 10 consistent and manly opponent.
to one who openly aud pcrsistently confronts your
theories your measures, and your principles part,
or an administration which Is harmonious in It's par
poses distinct in its objects and its declarations
headed by leaders who faithfully represent their own
and its convictions may be determinedy opposed
and resouely resisted every STEP and yet never
spire among right-minded people, either passion or
contempt
But 1t is otherwise when men have to confront the
opposition OF apOstacy and treason. Hostility to
leader and his followers who have deserted TO the
enemy and carried with them your strong lines and
central position, cannot be governed by ordinary
rules Such conduct in treason and the traitor
if captured meets traitors fate He is considered
guilty by the common sentiment of all mankind, in all
ages of despicabe conduct, and deserving of an is
nomnOus death. His dishonor is damning, not 70
himself alone it attaches TO bis name, his kindred.
and his posterty
1t is the same in politics as il is in war. There
cannot be two different Characterization for two es-
sentia things The apostatc in peace is the traitor
in war, in every fundamental particular. He 10
chosen to defend set Of views, and he abandons
them and espouses the opposite cause. He Is In
u
cples and the policy of those who elevated bn. He
deserts and avails himself Of his position to carry on
Observation-Disclosures against them In doing this he
is as much traitor TO those to whom he is indebted
for the means of his warfare the man is traitor
who points his guns against those who gave him the
charge of them The same defects Of character. tho
same moral attributes arenyOlved in the one case "a
in the other These are lack Of conscience desti-
tuition of honorable sentiment, groveling spirit.
and treacherous nature. In the traitor and tbs
apostate these characteristics alike predominant And
where they arc recognized what room is there fot
| respect and reservei
The President has deserted those who elected him.
He has gone over to the enemy, and turns all his
guns upon those who gave him command of theircts
del The facts admit Of no dispute whatever msybe
| the pretenses offered in excuse With or without
apology he thus stands before the world apostao
and traitor in every essential feature OF his conduct
| What can a man so crcumstanced expect, in the
present OF the future, but to be execrated accord
! ingyi
1t is idle to say that the President is removed. BY
virtue Of his high position from responsibyto his
original political supporters, and that, under the
guise Of vain pretense, he is at liberty to go
over to his political enemies. In every free county
there are two great parties and there is no vague
country to be represented, of which, under circum
stances of apostacy we often hear so much standing
between them. The country is represented by its
political parties, naturally and necessarily. Some
times by one sometimes by another in the admins
| tration The law, OF rule, of the sway Of each v
found in the written unwritten Constitution. aud
when one fails to reflect the opinion of the majority
it is in thenatural course of things snppanted by its
| opponent The ruling public opinion in any given
case is the voice, simply, of party or another
Under our Constitution popular elections decide foe
specific periods and when party Is intrusted with
power it is Its right to administer the Government
upon its own theories and principles during the term
for which it has been chosen. II, in
selecting its agents, il mistakes the opinion
| OF man. and chooses to important
station who is hostile TO its views and measures the
| clear and manifest duty of the representative 80
| chosen if he cannot reflect the will of those who
elected him. is to resign his place. No representative
has any right to set himself Up against his conStu
| ents lie is chosen by them for their benefit and 10
/ do their bidding in every case where they do not
choose 10 leave his action to his own judgments ana
every just man. and every heightened man. will obey
their will surrender his trust for he is nothing but
trustee empowered to act for his principals. Tho
President of the United States is exception to the
rule Especially is this the case with accidental
President stepping into the place through constitu
| tional provisions providing for accidental va
cancy aud not by the voluntary choice Of the people,
II is doubly the duty of such man to consult the
wishes of those by whom he has been elevated
| to his place. Such O man exercises authority
but representative authority And when he uses tho
functions of his Office for any purpose outside OF its
purely representative character he is guilty Of moral
usurpaOn. The place he fills belongs to those whose
votes filled it, The individual Is but their agent and
spokesman, whose duty it is to carry out their Will
They are for the time the nation aud their voice is
the nations voice. The assumption of the individual
to disregard and oppose it, and to act in behalf OF
| pretentious individuality is q gross and offensive
| claim to rulership. 1t is born of that slavery 10
forms and to despotic ideas which, in other tmec and
under other systems, has so long held mankind In
bondage Popular government is one thing; despotio
sentiments another They have nothing in common.
But in cases Of treason TO the constituency it Is oon
venient for its supporters to assert conservative
sentimentalism, which sees In individual detection
prudential element in the system which admits OF 1t
| that deserves commentator. 1t is compacently
held to be benefcent agency to preserve the people
from themselves This however is but TO add insult
to injury. The ideas Of popular government have
| happily attained that development which discards
| this weakness and holds that there is nothing In
such an idea but Difference to pretentous selfish
ness and an interested support Of guilty apostacy.
These observations, it will be noticed, have moth
ing whatever to do with that constitutional phase Of
| the Presidents conduct which exposes him to the
charges of unfaithfulness usurpaton In the exer
else Of his official functions Whether OF not he ~
legally amenabe to the allegations so long ana 80
| often preferred against him OF high crimes ana
misde meaDors" is question quite outside OF the
| line of these remarks Our aim has been 70 present
the moral and intellectual aspect of his case Removed
from all considerations Of the OF rre;,
dental authority or of the political complications IA
| which il is just now entaDgled J'sf'
| ------