Middletown transcript., 1868-01-18
E,om the Msw l;azk Eise,.;na I.a.t.

Aoi soiious ieneclioh 'eh
Erom The Nsw Iork Eseuiag Pos.
Mr.. johnson, BY the choice of the peo-
pie, is the Chief Magistrate Of the nation !;
as such he is responsible for the execution
of the laws, and has u clear right to choose
the suJWdindtes by ,ohom the lars are to
be enforced. He must submit his appoints
ments to Office to the confirmation Of the
Senate, but is otherwise independent Of
Congress. The tenure-ef-ofIice act, by
which the Senate has been made to con-
troll the Presidents power Of removal, Is
not according to tic Constellation. Mr..
Stanton believes that it is not, and vet he
avails himself of this law, which he says
is not constitutional law, which is void
able and disorganizing, to resume place
in the Cabinet of President johnson which
he has been especially desired to resign.
Ii seems to us necessary only to state a
case like this to man who respects the
law and respects himself, to be certain of
what his course will be. 1t is not enough
to reply that large majority of the mem
bers of Congress have signed letter re-
questing him to resume the duties of Sec
retary of War.
Members of Congress have nothing to
do with the control of the executive depart
ment; they belong to another and co-ordi-
nate department of the government, which
in all sound theory as in the express let
ter of the organic law, it is desirable to
keep distinct; and their interference is as
revolutionary as it would be to resolve the
President out of Office If Mr.. johnson
docs not do his duty, if he refuses to exc
cute the laws, or executes them in such
manner as to defeat their purposes, the
remedy for his course is pointed out. 1t
is not to invade the sphere of the execu-
tive functions by legislative encroachments,
which will be a precedent for other times,
but to impeach and remove him if guilty.
But the plan of impeachment has been
tried, and after years incubation it has
Matched out nothing. Ashleys eggs were
all added and now an illegal course is to
be pursued to attain an end which could
not be attained by the law. Mr.. Stanton
is made the catspaw of this dangerous and
wicked policy. ......4.H ..
Whatever Mr.. Johnson's designs may
be, he is answerable to the people; and
he is answerable only in the way that the
eonstitutionprescribcs. Congress may not
like his individual peculiarities or his po-
litical principles, but he is none the less az
much part of the government as Con-
gress itself; and what is more, he repre-
sents nearly az large a part of popular
opinion as Congress does. 1t may be dis
tasteful to admit it, but it is true, that the
political sentiments of the President have
large following-not among the rebels
only, as thec has it,-but among the
loyal people of the North. He is support
ed in most of his positions by the great
opposition, or democratic party, and that
support is extending and growing rapidly
under the fostering care of Congress.
Thousands who have no liking for the
President, personally or politically, who
think that he has managed his opportuni-
ties with an utter want of tact and skill
are yet unprepared to see the established
order Of the constitution assailed in his
person, and all the limitations and balan-
ces of the government, which are the bull
warks of liberty, overturned in the hot
frenzy of partizan zeal.