Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1869-03-11
MIR. JOHNSON AND CONGRESS.

Mt. JOQuSOu, on CHe eve Ol TcCTluS lrUW tue
Presidency, issues an address to the people Of the
United States, in which he vindicates his course
while in Office It is in rather bad taste for the
President to appeal for public sympathy at the
end Of career during which he allowed himself,
by timidity and impotent resistance, to be tied
hand and foot by Congress. But perhaps Mr..
johnson is justi6able in recalling the memory Of
his numerous discom6tures, from the fact that
Congress teazed, bully.ragged and snubbed him,
whenever they could, to the last The subject Of
his liad is, however, rather out Of date, for this
fast age He was acquitted after being impeach.
ed and that should satisfy him. Few besides Mr.
johnson, now that the row is over, care anything
about it. His vindication is too long for our col
umns; but we make room for the annexed para,
graphs, in which the e1- President fires parting
shot at his old enemy, Congress. He says:
"Let US turn for moment to the history of the
majority in Congress which has acted in such utter
disregard of the Constitution. While public at,
tention has been carefully and constantly turned to
the past and expiated sins of the South, the ser
wants of the people have boldly betrayed thei,
trusts, broken their oaths of obedience to the Con-
stitution, and undermined the very foundations oi
liberty, justice and good government
When the rebellion was being suppressed by the
volunteer services of patriotic soldiers, amid the
dangers of the field, these men crept, with.
out question, into place and power in the national
councils. After all danger had passed, when nc
armed foe remained, when famished and repent
ant people bowed their heads to the flag and re;
United States, then it was that pretended patriots
hofn fho hao IN 70
about the thousands of lives and millions of trea-
sure sacrificed in the suppression of the rebellion.
They have since persistenty sought to influence
the prejudices engendered between the sections to
retard the restoration of peace and harmony, and
by every means to keep open and exposed to the
poisonous breath of party passion the terrible
wounds of four years war. They have prevent.
ed the return Of peace and a restoration of the
Union, in every way rendered delusive the pur.
poses promises and pledges by which the army
was marshalled, treason rebuked and rebellion
crushed, and made the liberties of the people and
the rights and powers of the President objects Of
constant attack. They have wrested from the
President his constitutional power of supreme com.
mand Of the army and navy; they have destroyed
the strength and efficiency Of the Executive de-
partment by making subordinate officers indepen-
dent Of and able to defy their chief; they have
attempted TO place Cne freSlQenC uDQer tne power
of bold, defiant and treacherous Cabinet officer
they have robbed the Executive of the power Of
pardon, rendered null and void acts of clemency
granted to thousands of persons under the pro-
visions of the Constitution, and committed gross
usurpation by legislative attempts to exercise this
power in favor of party adherents. They have
conspired to change the system of our government
by prefering charges against the President, in the
form of articles of impeachment, and contemplat.
ing before hearing or trial that he should be placed
in arrest, held in durance and when it became their
pleasure to pronounce his sentence, driven from
place and power in disgrace. They have in time
of peace increased the national debt by reckless
expenditure Of the public moneys and thus added
to the burden which already weighs upon the peo-
pie they have permitted the nation to suffer the
evils of deranged currency, the enhancement in
price of all the necessaries oflfe they have main:
tanned large standing army for the enforcement
of their measures Of oppression they have engag.
ed in class Legislation, and built up and encouraged
monopolies that the few might be enriched at the
expense of the many they have failed to- act up
on important treaties, thereby endangeripg our
peaceful relations with foreign powers. "