The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1868-02-28
The Fo,beornrce or congress-.


The Forbearance OF Congress.
Now that Andrew Johnson is about to be
arrained before the Senate for the crime OF
defying the laws, il may be profitable to
look back at tue action Of Congress, espe-
cially upon the question Of Impeachment
We do this for the purpose OF showing
that the representatives OF the people have
acted with wisdom, prudence, and forbear
ance. Possibly they have forborne toe
lung, We shall lie told that we were al
towards for not impeachins the President
before, and that If we had taken this step
in the beginning there would be no trouble
now.
Congress might, Of course, have impeacI
ed Mr.. johnson at any lime. The Repub
lican party was in power. 1t had not only
a majority, but enough votes to control a
veto, aud pass laws in spite Of the Execn
tive. 1t is difficult to imagine a greater
power, or one more difficult to manage
The temptations Of all great mhioritics il
to tyranize. Here was party fresh from
the great war, triumphant over tho great
rebellion, aud eager to reap the fruits o
victory by specify reconstruction. Here
was its President, SO advanced in Radical
ism that many prudent men were afraid he
would execute all the Rebels within his
reach. Surely, men said. tnis President has
seen the South he has been through
the fiery furnace he is SCARED with the
flames Of rebe lion, aud he will give us a
reconstruction that will he just, hnmane
and prompt. Congress was disappointed
Mr.. johnson had malu himself Vice Presi.
dent by pretending To be al extreme Radi.
cal. That was in war Tines. There wcIc
eleven States to return. In all probability
they would be Democratic. lie woull in
sst upoa their admission. lie would be
their champion aud friend. lie would all y
himself with the Democratic party Of the
North, aud then b. elected President. We
believe this has been MIR. Johnsons pur
pose since the hesinnng OF his Admins
lration. We beiieve he has always in
tended to betray the Republican patty, and
with it to bctray Congress. For this h.
has labored with tenacity which has NJ
parallel in history-with an enorgy worthy
Of better cause. During all the time thai
the President was planning, Intriguing, ar
ranging, backing ld filing, s,yns one
thing to day aud another 10 morrow, G. n.
gress treated him with courtesy and pa
tience. Not one word was said of dissent
Impeachment was never breathcd.
For the New 0 leans riots Mr.. Jphnson
is responsible. No fair man can read the
evidence without seeing that his hands are
stained with the blood Of loyal men, He
is responsible for the great deficiency in
the revenue. He debasec that service o
crafty his ambition. When il was neces-
sary to construct Philadelphia Couven
tion, postmusters weie removed by the
hundred. and the collection of the revenues
was transferred to those of his creatures
who would accept the degrading office.
Their needs were mainly pecuniary, and
the surest way of supplying them was to
have tho gathering of tho taxes The re-
suit is that under MIR, Johnson, corruption
in tho revenue service has been reduced to
science. We have men making fraud a
profession, organizing it into a b." ring, aud
hoasing that with their money they can
control his Administration. We believe
that if this whislytax alone were made IA
matter OF inquiry, enough would he found
to warrant the impeachment of the Presi
dent. For the failure of reconstruction he
is pre- emihcntly responsible. Beginning
his Administration by lou lily proclaiming
his intention to hang the Reb Is, he speed
lily took to giving them Offices. Clamor
onsly insisting that his policy" Was to
bring the States back to the Union, we find
| him directly interfering to keep Alabamu
out. Since he cannot make the South Dem
| ocratic. he will produce anarchy. Every
thing must yield to his owns selfish purpose
In nothing has the President been sincere
and consistent except TO secure his own re
| election to the Presidency.
| With impeachment always at hand
| with causes for impeachment as thick a
| ,..sk
| sion aroused, and a war of bitterness rag
/ ing-Congress has remained patient. Read
| for instance, Mr.. Johnsons last annua
message. The rudors in the splendor O
| their almost oriental power, the Swart's i
1 the days of their blindest arroganc,
scarcely dared to address such messag
i to an Engllsh Parliament. Our own lee
ing at that time was that Congress woul
b. angefed into inn e,ching the Presidet
fw1lo had put upon them suobsah Insult.
i seems almost as If MIR. johnson has bee
4 trying to goad Congress to pass The resnt
ton which will most probably be adopted t
day. Pos IDLY he may feel that this is III
last chance OF obtaining the6nominat;on {
! tho Democratic party, and has prepare
i u coup d'etat Tor the purpose of impress
ing Mr.. Belmont and his friends with th
1 viSor of which he has 40 often spokel
We do not care to dwell upon the Pres
denfs motives, however, The main poiu
is that Congress- has acted with wislol
and forbearance which deserves the higl
est praise Subject to all the passions {
a legislative body, it has shown in this in
peachuent business the serenity, tho p
tence, aud the dignity OF d court Of ju
t iice, Possibly His EXceIlency, has pr
sumed upon this, aud supposed that b,
cause Congress was forhearing, it was Gov
ardly, and would not dare to check hir
lie will hnd, we think, before many day
are passed, how dreadfuliy he was mi
taken.-N. T. Tribune.