Wyoming democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Wyoming Co., Pa.) 1867-1940, 1868-01-29

| CHANGES, and all others Interested, VIII
please note the CHANGE of TITLE. ofthis
aper, from THE NORTH BRANCH DEM
0CRAT to WYOMING DEMOCRAT.
Radical Views of the Radical Revolution.
from the Evening Post, Jan. l5l
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 clear right to choose
the subordinates by whom the laws are to
be enforced. He must submit his appoint
ments 10 office to the confirmation of the
Senate, but is otherwise independent of
Congress. The Tenure-of Office Act, by
which the Senate has been made to'con-
troll the Presidents power of removal, Is
not according to the constitution. Mr.
Stanton believes that it is not, and yet he
avails himself of this law, which he says is
not constitutional law, which is voidable
and disorganizing, to resume place in the
Cabinet of President Johnson, which he
has been especially desired to resign. Il
seems to us necessary ouly to state a case
like this to man who respects the law and
respects himself, to be certain Of what his
course will be. Ii is no. enough to reply
that large majority Of the members Of
Congress have signed letter requesting
him TO resume the duties of Secretary Of
War. Members of Congress have moth
ing to do with the control Of the Executive
Department; they belong to another and
coordinate department of the Govern
ment, which, in all sound theory as in the
express letter of the organic law, it is de-
sirable to keep distinct; and their inter-
ference is as revolutionary as it would be
to resolve the President out of Office. If
Mr.. johnson does not do his duty, If he
refuses to execute the laws, or execute
them in such a manner as TO defeat their
purposes, the remedy for his course is
pointed out. 1t is not to invade the sphere
Of the Executive functions by legislative
encroachment which will be precedent
for other times, but to impeach and re-
move him if guilty. But the plan of i'm
peachment has been tried, and after year s
incubation of it has hatched out nothing.
Ashley's 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 cats paw
of this dangerous anu wicked policy.
Whatever Mr.. Johnson's designs may
be, he is answerable to the people; and he
is answerable only in the way the Consti-
tuition prescribes. Congress may not like
bis individual peculiarities or his political
principles, but he is none the less as much
part of the Government as Congress IT.
self; and what is more, he represents neai
ly as large a part Of popular opinion as
Congress does. 1t may be distssteful to
admit it, but it is true, that the political
sentiments of the President have a large
following not among the rebels only as
the cry has it, but among the loyal people
of the North. He is supported in most Of
his positions by the great opposition, or
democratic party, and that support is ex-
tending and growing rapidly under the
fostering care of Congress. Thousands
who, have no liking for the President per-
sonally or politically, who think he has
managed his opportunities with an utter
want Of tact and skill, and to the detri-
ment of the public interests, are yet unpre-
pared to see the established order of the
Constitution assailed in his person, and all
the limitations and balances of the govern
| ment, which are the bulwarks of liberty,
overturned in the hot frenzy of partizan
zeal.
From the Springfield (Mas'.) Republican, Jan. Is
The only defensible reason for recon
structing the Southern State governments
was the purpose TO confer suffrage on the
freedmen, in order to the protection of
their rights Those governments were
well enough in every other respect. If
this single purpose had controlled in the
matter, the process would have been COM
paratively simple and unobjectionable.-
Bot party objects were allowed to be mix
ed in. 1t was thought it would be good
thing SO to manipulate the Southern gov
ernments as to secure the votes of the re-
constructed States for Republican Presi
dent. To accomplish this the right to
vote and hold office was taken from all the
Southern whites who bad held Office re-
quiring an oath to support the Constitu-
ton of the United States. This excluded
at once from political life the most intelli-
gent classes in the South, and these at the
time best disposed to accept any terms Of
reconciliation that should be offered, This
made reconstruction by the white popula-
ton of the South, impossible, for they nat
urally felt that it would be dlshonorable to
abandon the leaders who shared with them
the guilt of the rebellion. Reconstruction
was thus thrown into the hands of the ne
groes, led by few Northern white men
and Southernels who did not scruple to
take any oath required of them. That
they should seek to retain power by the
) same policy which gave it to them is mat
ter of course, and the first new constitution
{ framed virtually excludes nearly every
white man from suffrage aud Office. 1t i.
SO utterly indefensible on any principle Of
Justice and equality that its trainers fear its
rejection by The registered voters, and are
begging them to accept it in the hope tha,
Congress will strike out its Objectionable
provisions.
Noonrasu ,nst