The national Republican., 1868-12-15
THE PRESIDENT AND COSaREss.

The Fortieth Congress having been twice
indOrsed by the people, Is moi. at the advice Of
the Executive, disposed or at all inclined to 70
back on its record. It was this disposition on
the part Of the Senate which led to the inter.
ruption in the reading Of the msssags In that
body, and finally to the adjournment which
carried over the reading to the next day.
The majority In either house feel abundsntly
secure in their hold upon public sentiment.
The fact 10 the power Of Mr.. johnson is op
the wane-he must decrease In influence,
while Congress must increase. The former
must subsids, and with his policy 60 into 70.
TRACY. Tho people have so docresd, and Mr..
Johnson's recommendation in his last annual
message oan have no effect upon national
legislation. The nation has t,ken q new do.
parture for q higher and = better state.
This great people will make and amend
constitutions for itself and whatever leads
to the elevation and eniishtsnmsnt Of the
people, Whatever promises to secure the
largest liberty regulated by law, will bs
carried to its ultiuatum by the Congress
Of the United States, which body Is the gov
eminent Of the country and the only isgiti
mate representative Of sovereignty in this land.
We have, thanks to an overruffng Pfovi-
dence, got rid, In . large measure, Of that
mischisvous herssy that tho President is the
Government and the source of sovereignty ia
America The last few yesr., and especially
while the struggle ha, been going on between
Mr.. johnson and Congress, has developed the
growth of this purely democratic idea, and
given the nation to sec that the people are
the sovereigus, and that, therefore, their i'm
mediate representatives, tho legislators of the
land, constitute the Government, the real SOW.
srsignty of the people in its representative
capacity. The President is only the execu
tive. He may advise; he oan and must carry
into execution the laws which are made
but he cannot legislate nor make laws, nor
Substitute his opinions or expositions Of law
for the law itself He doe, not represent the
sovereignty Of the nation In any sense, fur.
thsr than tho judiciary represent 1t. 1t was
the intention Of the fathers and framors Of this
Government that the real sovereignty Of the
nstion was ljd . | with the people, and com
nitted by them to their imms sdiate represent.
atives. The idea that the President repre-.
ssnts tho sovereignty Of tho nation grew up
during AMI snc, the days Of President Jack.
son, AID IL an efshoot Of kinsly power, and
An implantation Of the monarchial theory Of
sovsrnmeat, which has gradually and stealth.
lily Tapped over upon our rspublicanism, aud
has b,tn the growth of these lattor days.
There is, therefore, an importsn. result which
has been derived from, and which has grown
out Of, difference between Mr. johnson and
Congress; 1t has opsned the eyes of the people
to SOC distinctly whittier We are tending, and
1t has led them to put forth that check " hich
will save US from Government which may be
characterized as an oligaroby.
Henceforth ths people are sovereign, and
their immediate representatives are the Gov.
srnnent, and not the man 10 the White House,
whoever be may be. This difference between
Congress and the President will not, In after
years. be depIored, because the future faith.
ful historian Of our times will show how the
genuine Republican ideas were conceived
through this difference Had not some such
struggle ensued at this time the people might
have been despoiled Of their liberties years be.
fore they would have been conscious Of this
fact, and We might have fallen under the con.
troll Of the one man diotation, and at no distant
day been turned over to kingly ru!o, with no
power to save ourselves and our postsrity from
this fate. As 1t Is. the nation Is now rescued
and the Government. /, Whit our fathers In.
tended 1t should be.