The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-03-04
The Last word. of Andy.

C0NdRBss managed to restrain Andrew 'onn-
SON in many ways bat the inalienaoie rign'
of nm American citizen, even II he does nap
uep 20 be President, to express his opinions
unon everv subject they oou'' not take from
him eoninions az are opinioJs," upon every
,oss;bIe oooasion, have emaDated from Andrew
ever since he has attained to "the highest
Office in the gift OF the people," He still
retained the power to write messages and
addresses, in spite OF the usurpstions Of Con-
eress, and he has enriched our polite al litera-
turs with some OF the choicest specimens Of
Official blaokguardism that it contains. John
son could not shake from his feet
the dust of the White House without
giving q parting kick at the Unconstitutional
body hanging upon the verge of the Govern
ment" that has given him so much bother
during the last four years, and accordingly
hs has issued q farewell address to the Ame-
rioan people which ought to be filed away in
the srchives of the Government beside another
farewell address by the frst President, IL only
for the sake of the contrast. Andy dies game,
that must be admitted. His parting benedio-
tion develops no new ideas, but 1t consists in
q repetition Of what he has said over and over
again in his speeches. vetoes, and messages
about the usurpation of Congress, the invio-
liability of the Constitution, the beauties of his
own policy and his own devoted patriotism.
The address is an open attack on Congress and
. covert attack on Prrsiden. Grant, for whom,
with ghsstly show of goodwill, he "sin-
oerely" invokes the ''forbearanoe and CO.
operation of the American people in all his
eaorts to administer the Government within
the pale of the Federal Constitution" The
terrible example Of the propensity Of military
mon to tread under foot the liberties Of the
people, and the nation is warned to guard
with unslumberipg vigilance against any mill
. tary usurpations. Being thus forewarned, it
viii Of course be our own fault If Grant sue
Deeds in making himself deapot.
The veto power, however, was Andrew
Johnson's weak point, and his principal grie-
vance against Congress is that by q two-thirds
majority they were able to render this
power Of the Executive of non effect. That
such thing as this could be he oonsi-
ders rs highly detrimental to the principles Of
constitutional liberty, aud therefore "much as
venerste the Constitution" he observes, this
condition of affairs shows defect in that in
strument that ought to be remedied. He
therefore suggests an amendment to the Con-
stitution providing that when a bill is sreturned
with the Executive reasons for Withholding
his signature, it ought to be Immediately GER
titled to the Supreme Court for its decision
II it's oonstitutionaliy should be declared by
that tribunal, 1t should then become law,
and il the decision is otherwise, it should fall
without power in Congress to reenact and
make it valid. This is a peculiarly Johnson
ish proposition, which will doubtless receive
all the attention it deserves.
Mr.. Johnson congratulstes himself that
upon retiring from the "most exalted post
ton in the gift of free people" he has been
ever uninHuenced by a love of gain; that no
responsibility for wars or bloodshed rests upon
him; that his thoughts have been those of
peace; and that his effort has been ever to
allay contentious among his countrymen. In
conclusion he beseeches that, forgetting the
past, let US return to the first principles OF
the Government, and unfurling the banner OF
our country, inscribe upon it, in ineffaoable
characters The Constitution and the Union,
one and inseparable;'" aud so, wrapped in the
/. folds of the American flag, and waving defantly
s above his head the scroll of the Constitution,
DNlhLu& Frit Andrea Johnson.