The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1869-01-28
IDAHO WORLD.
ANOTHER scoLp FROM PHILLIPS.

ANOTHER scoID FROM PHILLIPS
That formidable self.constituted lead
er of the extreme Radicals, wendell
Phillips, thus speaks in opposition &c
the repeal of the Tenure Of Office law
We are wholly opposed to the repeal
of the Civil Office Tenure Act. Fol
what reasons Gen. Butler proposes II
we !; cannot guess. But there are the
strongest reasons for keeping 1t on the
Statute Book.
The experience Of the war has taught
Us some military lessons and many civil
ones. Especially it has shown us that
a President can never be impeached.
Patronage, which we thought meant
Custom-houses and Postofices, is found
to rule the Senate. Spite, bred of Cos
sip, which was laughed at as tea-ta,
BILE foib1e, is seen to poison even prai-
rie and buckeye Senators. Nepotism
is not monopolised at Rome. The Pine
Tree State produces an article in that
line fully equal to the Italian. While
the hot purpose of the war was yet I'M
chilled, we tried in vain to impeach the
very tool of Jefferson Davis. This les
son has been dearly bought. Let us
see we profit by it.
What corruption effected for John
son in enabling him safely to defy the
Constitution, loving trust in Lincoln's
Honesty" effected in his case. Hence
the war has shown US that, in critical
emergencies, aoe haze no Constitution.
The long list of precedents in this line,
beginning with JeHerson's purchase of
Louisiana and closing with Kansas,
gets its climax in our war experience
of Presidents. We will not say now
that here are grave reasons for the abo-
lition of the Office. But we may say
that all the curbs which grave public
disgust with Johnson has enabled us
to put on the Presidency should be re-
tanned as valuable checks, which once
removed may never be possible again.
It is not often that we have Congress
largely opposed to the Executive. 1t
is rarer still to have an Executive of
such unabashed and shameless corrup-
tion as to call forth a national rebuke
emphatic enough to embolden Congress
to go to the very extreme verge Of its
power for checking him. These two.
rare circumstances have combined, the
last four years, to give us an immense
gain in the direction of crippling Ex-
ecutive patronage. The statute-book,
as it stands now, will enable an honest
Congress to make future Reverdy John
sons and Pitt Fessendens impossible.
The sentimental mush of magnanim-
ity has largely demoralized the Nation
al conscience. There is an instructive
sense of justice in the commonest ma
ture which repudiates, as immoral, the
policy that leaves Forrest and Davis at
liberty on this continent. The man
who has schooled himself into APPROX
ing it has demoralized himself. Gree
ley and Beecher have done good things
in years past. But all they did has never
lifted the Nation so much as their child
ish and immoral prattle about magnan-
Unity has sunk it in moral sensibility
and power. This war has educated the
masses in justice. How much the es-
cape of Johnson has corrupted political
life, time will show Congress is near
er to popular impression and control
Therefore, all the Legislative has con-
quered from the Executive, during this
epoch, is to be jealousy kept; no need
to fear we shall curb the Presidency
too much. A power which could Sc
cure the confirmation Of Rosseau and
Reverdy Johnson has certainly enough
strength. To know from what a regi-
ment of rogues this law has saved us,
ask the police list and whiskey ring.
The tendency of all free States is to
depress the Executive and enlarge the
authority of the Legislative element.
Progress in that direction seems almost
synonymous with growth and liberty.
The Civil Office Tenure Act is large
stride. Let it be carefully kept, and
let us press further on in "that line, if
it take the whole Summer" of our Ma
tional existence.
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