The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1875-04-01
Senator Johnson on the Louisiana
Resolution.
WASHINGTON, March 2

| before the hour OF meeting, and by the tilnt
the Senate was called to order not even stand
ing room was to be obtained in the galleries
the doorways, or the passages leading there
| Upon the floor were large number of mem
bers of the House Of Representatives and
Others entitled to the privilege of the floor.
Consideration of the unfinished business OF
the resolution approving OF the action of the
President in regard to Louisiana was resumed,
and Andrew johnson, being entitled To the
floor, said:
This resolution proposes to cover acts and
measures which think clearly in violation OF
the organic law of the land, and without au-
| thority. That being so, | cannot give my
| consent to the resolution, and will be COM
PEELED to vote against it. | think it proper
that should give some few reasons why l
cannot give it my vote. In the first place,
Mr.. President, it seems to me that the consid
Grafton of a resolution embracing questions of
such grave importance is not legitimate and
not legitimately before this body. In other
words, ii is not legitimate TO consider il be
fore Senate convened as this has been con-
vened to act solely upon, business pertaining
to the Executive Department. If it is legiti-
mate to act on the measure now under con-
sideration by this body, it is legitimate to con-
| slider every act and every question upon which
the Administration has acted since its advent
TO power 1t does not seem to me to be
travelling much further out of the record for
| the Executive to come forward and presume
the Legislature TO come forward and approve
| the acts Of the President. Ordinary measures
| are presented for the consideration of Con-
gress, and when they are acted upon it is the
duty Of the President to consider them, and
| approve or reject them.
| Mr.. johnson argued at length that the Sem
| ate had no authority to act upon the reso-
| luton, especially in the absence of the other
| house. He contended that the resolutions of
Morton and Frelinghuysen were tn, same in
substance, with mere modification in the
| matter of verbiage TO suit the particular
| views of some individuals.
| He next referred to the trouble in the Ten
| nessee Legislature in 1866, and the action of
the Federal Government in instructing Gen
| George ii. Thomas, in command of the Fed
eral forces there, 10 strictly abstain from any
| interference. His instructions, he said, were
| as follows:
WASHINGTON July IL 1866
| Gen. Grant will instruct Gen. Thomas that the
facts stated in his telegram do not warrant the in
| reference of the military The administration
of the laws and preservation OF the peace in Nash
vile belong properly to the State authorities and
the duty of the United States authorities il not to
| Interfere IN any way in the controversy between
| the public authorities OF a State, and Gen
| Thomas will strictly abstain from any interfer.
| cnce between them.
Here is precise case, and that was the ac-
| tion of the Government. 1t was believed
| that it was civil strife-a contest between
| two divisions OF civil government, and was
case, as stated in the telegram sent back to
| Gen. Thomas, similar to the one in Louisiana
That dispatch was signed by the Secretary of
War, aud was written in the presence of the
| President and sent TO Gen. Grant to send to
! Gen. Thomas He was told that this was not
| a case calling for the interference of the
| military, and he (Thomas) should abstain
| from interference under any circumstances
| whatever. 1t would seem that this marked
| the proper line between the civil and military
NTH har is of ~ o..
ernment in that case, and the cases are almost
| parallel, and that was what the Government
| did then. What are we told now? We see
| that the present President ofthe United States
was familiar with and understood what was the
action of the Government in cases of this kind
and of the duty of the military and civil author
/ tiles. We see then that the question was not
unknown to him, and he has not acted without
proper and sufficient information upon the
| subject. If he has been informed of and acted
! ard carried out the order of the telegram that
have read, he must have understood it. and
known it was the true doctrine and principle
| upon which cases of this kind should be man
| aged by the military
| Military District, Aug. 26, 1867 and said:
| It was in consequence of the wall which
| came from the people OF that section. Why
| was ii that this man Sheridan had been sc
lected and sent back to those people who be.
| fore condemned him and prayed for his re-
moval? He (Johnson) 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 be-
| hind the curtain that if they expected to stir
up another civil strife, and amid the war cry
! and strife have one ride into power for a third
| term they might bid farewell To liberty. Ap-
| plausc in the galleries.
[The President pro tenn, Mr. Ferry, of Mich
| igan-The Chair will interfere with the gen
teman from Tennessee to inform the galleries
ie 1atin pf IN pf fha ia
to express approval or disapproval The Ser
| geant-at-Arms will put sufficient force in the
| galleries to preserve order
| Mr.. johnson, resuming, argued at length
in opposition to third term, and spoke of
the United States officials receiving presents,
and in this connection said:
This question of gifttaking would be just
as legitimate subject to consider here to-day
as the subject we have now under considera
tion. We could consider just as well a reso
ton expressing an opinion with reference tc
officers Of the United States receiving gifts
from citizens of the United States. Why
not consider a subject like this? Let the
popular heart understand it and let it respond
1t is time we turned our attention to things
like this ! merely allude to it for the pur
pose OF making general application to any
body who is guilty of like conduct.
Mr.. johnson next spoke Of the action o
the President in Louisiana affairs, and said
, We find that the United States shall guaran
J tee to every State in this Union republican
form of government. Has the President o
, the United States such power? | do no
understand him to be the United States
Does that provision authorize the Executive
: upon his own volition, to go and take charg
in person or by his agent, some man sclecte
5 from the army, of the Government of State
l | No, sir there is no such thing in the Cor
4 stitution, and the interfering in the State {
v Louisiana in the taking OF that Goycrnmcn
/ is a palpable violation OF the Constitution
6 the United States. If this course is to be prat
| ticed and the Federal Government is goin
I to be partner to disappointed candidates
u the Office of Governor of a State, see "
c have inaugurated state of things which wi
: result in the overthrow Of the ConstlDtio
i which binds the nation together and is ti
foundation of the Government Why, III
r time has been in this country-and since III
o recollection, too--that if an act like this,
/; an usurpation like this, had been attempte
it would have produced shoe
c throughout the nation. The natio
is would have been indignant from one extren
t. to the other, and would have been ready
n hurl from power the perpetrator of such a
act. But now we sec things differently. "
= can see men come into power and exerci:
= power not authorized by the organic laws
: : the land. We have gone outside the CoHst
y tuition in a way that will bring this Go
IL ernment TO an end or change its characte
er SO that its present features and presel
20 structure will all be lost.
IF The Senator here referred to the orde
II sent Sheridan to proceed TO New Orleans, al
;e said Here is a General OF the army who
= : sent back to the people who repudiated hill
with authority TO 20 and look over this cou
ie trv and TO mark himself out an Empire; pr
s. scribe the limits OF his Government, or VIII
ie he shall take under control. He marks o
l. the area, he describes the points and limits
re his command. His power is as absolute
h. that of an Emperor. Look at the growth
. power, look at the advances which usurp
ton is making, and when we come 10 consid
II calmly and deliberately, without party bi
7d or prejudice, we find that these acts are no
e. other than usurpation and tyranny. Wbe
d. does all this power come from ,<end, | mig
N. | ask upon what meat does this our Cas
feed that he hath grown so great that he G.
prescribe and Law down Empires, and pla
:, | commanders over them! 1t is tine I
country was awakened and considered the
le things. If the excitement has been so hi
es in times gone by that many things have be
ep overlooked, think the time has arrived, a
of I trust the excitement has gone down, a
lis that the American people can return to
h. organic law Of the land. Ii is time that
in people had begun to consider and weigh "
90 these things.
az Mr.. johnson described the organization
ol the Louisiana Legislature, and continued:
ne Icannot regard the action of the military
he Of the President as in accordance with
full Constitution. | cannot record my vote
an this resolution. l will not vote against
lis. resolution because it is Republican measu
but will vote against it On principle. L
resolution calls on the Senate to express
opinion favoring practices which think
tod hut