Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1875-03-30

He then referred to the removal of
| Gen. 2. II. Sheridan from the COM
mand of the Fifth Military District,
| August 26, 1867, and said 1t was in
consequence of the vail which came
up from the people of that section
Why WIS it that this man Sheridan,
had been selected and sent back 10
| those people, who before condemned
him and prayed for his removal?
He IJohnson) knew the determine
ton of the people of the South. Their
| great object was to be restored TO the
| Union. He would tell some of those
who were acting behind the curtain,
that If they expected to stir up anOth-
er civil strife, and amid the war cry
| and strife have one ride into pOT yer
for third term, they might say fare
well to liberty. Applause in the gal
leries.
The President pro tenn, Mr.. Ferry.
of NJ Ichigan-The Chair will Interfere
with the gentleman from Tennessee TO
inform the galleries that it is a viola
ton of the rules of the Senate TO eX-
press approval or disapproval of the
proceedings Of the Senate. The Ser
| geant-at-arms will put sufficient
/ force in the galleies to preserve order.
MIR. Johnson resumIng, argued at
| length in opposition to a third term,
and spoke OF United States officials re-
! ceiving presents, and, in this cOnnec-
ton said that this question, of gift
taking would he just as legitimate
| subject to consider here to-day as the
subject we have under consideration
| We could consider just as well a reso-
| iutiOn expressing an opinion with ref
erence to officers of the United States
| Why not consider a subject like THU?
| Let the popular heart understand and
! let it respond. 1t is time we turned
our attention to things like this.
merely allude to it for the purpose of
making a general application to any
| body whO is guilty of the like conduct. |
! Mr.. Johnson next spoke of the action
of the President
IN LOUISIANA AFFAIRS,
and said we find that the United States |
shall guarantee to every STATE in this |
Union republican form of govern |
| ment. Has the President of the Uni |
ted States such power? / do not .un- |
| derstand him to be the United States. |
Does that provision authorize the EX-
ecutive, upon his own v0lition to go !
and take charge in person, or by his |
agent. some man selected from the |
army Of the Government of State?-
No, sir. There is no such thing in |
the Constitution, and interfering in |
the State of Louisiana, in the taking |
of that government, is a paip2ble viO- |
lation Of the Constitution Of the Uni |
ted States. If this course is to be /
pTacticed, and the Federal Govern
ment is going TO be a partner to disap
pointed candidates 10 the office of |
Governor of Z State, / see wehave in |
augurGted a state Of things which will |
result in the overthrow OF the Consti-
tuition which binds the nation togeth-
er, and
the FOUNDATION OF TIE GOVERN
MENT.
Why, the time has been in this
country, and since my recollection,
too. that if ri act like this had b, en-
attempted, it would have produced n |
shock throughout the nation. Tie |
nation would have been Indignant |
from one extreme to the ether. sud /
would have been ready to hurl from I
power the perpetrators OF such Al act.
But now We see things differently!
We can see men come into bower aud |
exercise power not authorized by the /
organic law of the land We have /
gone outside ofthe Constitution in Il |
way that viii bring this government
to en- end, or change it's character so
that its present features and present
structure
WILL ALL Be LOSr.
The Senator here referred 10 tho or
ders sent Sheridan to proceed to New
Orleans, and said, here In a General Of |
an army who is sent back to the peO-
pie that repudiated him, Tith author
ity to go and look over (his country,
and to mark himself out an empire,
prescribe limits OF his government on /
what he shall take under control He |
marks out an erCa; he describes the |
points and limits OF his command; h y |
power is as absolute as that of an En-
perOr. Look at the growth of power
look at advances which usGrpatioD Is
making and when we come to consid-
er camly and deliberately without
party bias or prejudice, We find that |
these acts are none other than those |
Of usurpatiOn and tyranny. Where
does all this power come from? and | |
might ask,
UPON WHAT MEAT DOES THIS OUR
CAEESAR FEED,
that be hath grown so great, that he |
can prescribe and lay down empires,
and place commanders over them p
1t is time the country was awakened
and considered these things. If the
excitement has run so high in mes
gone by, that many things have been
overlooked, | think it is arrived and | |
trust excitement has gone down, and
that the American people can return
TO the organic law of the land Ii is
time that the people had begun to
consider and
WEIGH WELL THESE THINGS.
Mr.. johnson described the organiza-
ton Of the Louisiana Legislature, and
continued: | cannot regard tie ac-
ton af the military or OF the President
as in accordance with the COnstitu-
ton. / cannot record my vote for
this resolution because it is a ReDubIi-
can measure, but / will vote against it
on principle. This resolution calls on
the Senators to express an opinion IA
voring actices which l think unau-
thOrized and unconstitutional But if
we record one vote sanctioning PIesi-
dental interference what are we to
do in the other case? Why single
out this act, and in principle sanction
it, and not sanction all the high
handed measures which preceded it?
The action OF the President in Ar
kansas was denounced by Senator
Johnson, who referred to the growth of
Federal power as follows: I'VE see
how this power travels. An empire
laid Off in the South commanded by
military chief Then we come along
TO the force bill then we came along
to an Endorsement by Congress. and
looking over these things, we inquire,
WHAT LIES BEHIND ALL THIS?
Don't we see that change OF opinion
this change of position-must be for
some reason. There must ne some
thing behind all this action OF the
President. There must be something