Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1875-03-12
& RANT AND NIX
IIMEx COMING.

| - ma ~ AN II a u n Il
IIMES COMING.
There was no more important actor
had in Congress at it's recent session
than that taken by the House of Rep
sentatimes in regard to the threatened
| interference of the President with the
existing Government in the State OF
Arkansas. 1t will be remembered
that the President in his recent mes.
sage to Congress plainly intimated his
purpose to oust Governor Garland and
to install Mr.. Brooks in his stead in
the Executive char of that State, un-
! less the question should be disposed
OF by Crongrsss before its adjourn
ment
Accordingly, on Monday night last,
the House took occasion to express it's
views to the President and to the
country in very plain terms, aud in di-
rect response to the threats of Execu-
tiev intermeddling. The question
came up npon the consideration of the
resolution offered by the Committee
appointed to investigate the condition
of affairs in Arkansas.
The resolutions reads as follows:
ResotUed, That the report of the
Select Committee on the condition of
affairs IN the State Of Arkansas be ac-
cepted, and IN the Judgment of the
House no interference with the exist
ing Government in that State by auy
department of the Government of the
United States is advisable.
As substitute for this resolution,
Mr.. Ward, of Illinois, offered the fol-
lowing:
Resolved, That Joseph Brooks hav-
ingsbeen by the people of Arkansas
elected to the Office of Governor of
said State under the Constitution of
1868 for the period Of four years end
ing In January, 1877, and said Consti-
tuition never having been legally over
turned or abrogated and being still IN
force, he is the lawful Governor of
said State of Arkansas.
From this it will be seen that the
issue was fairly and squarely joined SO
that there can be no doubt as to the
intention of the House in the eonclu-
sion to which it arrived when the ques-'
ton was taken. Mr.. Wards substi-
tute was voted down the vote standing
yeas 79, nays 152, and the resolution
offered by the Committee was adopted,
the vote standing yeas $50, nays 81.
And this was dc ne, be it remember
ed, by the same body that passed the
Force bill There could then be no
stronger expression of the sense of the
House against the threatened interfer-
ence by the President in Arkansas
affairs. The question now recurs, will
the President regard this emphatic
authoritative expression Of opinion on
the part of the popular branch of Con
gress ? It may be that he will not, it
may be that he will go on in his mad
career, and in defiance of the expressed
will of the House of Representatives,
overturn the Government of the State
of Arkansas, but will he do so with i'm
punity
The new House OF Representatives
is largely Democratic, and the: efore
certainly not disposed to tolerate Fed
eral interference In State affairs more
than its immediate predecessor. There
can be little doubt, we think, that if
Grant removes Garland Congres IS will
remove Grant. For under the law as
it now stands, and that cannot be
changed without the consent eff the
Democratic House of Representatives
as soon as Articles of impeachment
shall be preferred against the Presi
dent he is suspended from his Office,
and to prefer articles of impeachment
is the peculiar province of the House
and requires only q bare majority vote
that bare majority and many to spare
the Democrats possess in the new
House. From henceforth then Grant
will tread upon dangerous ground. 1t
is not st all probable that Mr.. Vice
President Wi son will object to step
ping into Mr.. Chants shoes; or that
Republican Senators, sspirants for
Presidential honors, will object t"
Grants being thrust aside from their
path to prefer1nent.
Let US not despond, therefore, or be
alarmed The failure of the Force
bill, the adoption of the Arkansas
resolution and the existence of Dem
ocratic House of Representatives rem
der the future bright and hopeful for
us of the South-indeed for the whole
country.