Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-12-15
THE PARTY Or r1SURPaTUoN

Congress stops at no barriers Of law or
the constitution, to secure the success of
the Radical party. The tenure-of-offlce
law was enacted TO override President
johnson at a time when he stood as a
breakwater between the usurpers and the
Southern people. 1t was acknowledged
as usurpation, and none were more
earnest in desiring the enactment of this
law than Gen. Grant; but now the thing
comes up to plague him, and he thus ap-
peals to Congress to rid him Of this fet-
ter:
81 earnestly recommend its total re-
peal. It could not have been the inten-
ton of the trainers of the constitution,
when providing that appointments made
by the President should receive the con
sent of the Senate, that the latter should
have the power to retain in office persons
placed there by federal appointment
against the viii of the President The
law is inconsistent with q faithful and
fficient administration of the government
What faith can the Executive put in Off
cials forced upon him, and these, too,
whom he has suspended for reasons +?
How win such officials be likely to serve
an administration which they know does
not trust them?
By this Ubiquitous usurpation, President
johnson was prevented from turning
faithless ofIice-holders out of Office be-
cause they were Radicals. Perhaps as
Grant has shown himself a willing tool of
the usurpers in almost everything, they
win repeal this law
But Congress has become suspicious OF
the Supreme Court of the United States.
That body has of late manifested re-
markable respect for law and the consti-
tuition, and the Radicals fearing that
much of their usurpation viii be declared
null and void by the Court, they have set
to work to break down that coordinate
Of the government. To do
this, propositions are now before Con-
gress declaring that neither the Supreme
Court nor a subordinate United States
Court shall have the right to decide upon
the constitutionality of acts of Congress,
Or TO relieve by h06GgS corpus persons
arrested under authority of acts of Con-
gress. Ifthesepropositions should become
the law, then the Supreme Court win have
been thoroughly broken down as a CO.
ordinate department of the government.
This movement is intended to prevent the
Supreme Court from interfering with the
laws. 1t is only by such
an assumption of authority on the part of
Congress that these laws can stand. The
to which the Radicals in Con-
gress are driven to maintain their ascend
ancy, is further illustrated by the move
ment to reduce the sovereign State" of
Georgia to the condition of a military
with provisional" Legis
Iature placed in power in utter contempt of
luC NOAblllutlOu VI tlldl DldLC. uC lCO-
pie of the South can place no reli-
ance in the professions of the
in Congress If they win
the Southern States in the in
-erests of the Radicals, it will be all right;
but as soon as they elect an anti-Radical
and State officers, then recon-
struction must be reconstructed. The
step to do this has been taken
n the case of Georgia, and we are strongly
threatened with its application to Tennes-
3ee The people of the South were
peace and security if they would
accept the reconstruction acts of Congress,
Dut now that they have accepted the situa-
ion as rendered, and put their State gov
in operation upon the policy thus
aid down, this promise is about to be VIC
ated. When are these people TO be re-
ieyed from these veXatious annoyances 2 |
s reconstruction ever to be an accom-
,lished fact or are the people to be sub
ccted to continual annoyance from the
Radical majority in Congress?