The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-08-09

The fierce experiences, quick and ex- haustless, of President Johnson with the sitting fragment of Congress with the eeEseless clamor of all kinds of clubs and societies at the north demanding the overthrow of the southern states attest with peculiar emphasis the foresight of Lincoln, in his resolve to extinguish utter ly and finally the Confectionery by relent- less and desperate war, that the tradi- tional sagacity and wisdom in state craft of the south might be restored to the common government of the sections. The government at Washington was in a state of dire extremity. Greedy, Beecher, Charles Francis Adams, Carl Schurz. leaders who were directly responsible for the election of tho executive in power were warm supporters now. Stanton, secretary of War; Gen. B. F. Butler,
 aadeus Stevens, Benjamin Wade, pres ident of the Senate; Speaker Colfax, Keller. W. D. Kelley, Charles Sumner, Wendell Phillips, encouraged by Phllos- opher Ralph Waldo Emerson, had de- voloped scheme to depose Johnson by the forms of impeachment, so that Wade, president of the Senate. might succeed, ex-officio, to the head of the government. Wade, once commander in chief of the army and navy, would, by military or der, countermand the terms under which Grant, sherman and Canby had accepted the surrender of the Confederate armies. President Davis, Vice President Stephens John A. Campbell. Gov. A. B. Moore oi Alabama, Gen. Joseph Wheeler, C. c Clay, Jr., and a large number of south ern leaders, civil and military, were al ready in northern casemates. Lee, Bragg Hampton, Hood and many others would be promptly arrested and confined to await trial and. of course, conviction.
 General Grant became aware of this conspiracy. The terms he had offered Lee were dictated to him and Sherman on board of a steamer, at City Point. March 24, 1865, by President Lincoln oral ly. They were the act of the government in it's supreme capacity. They were res aojudicata irrevocable. finally binding in law and conscience. As to Grants ae- tlon in the premises, it took place Sun cay, April 9, and was known to MT. Lin coin and most distinctly approved by him up 10 the moment of his assassination on Friday. April l4. Grant notified Secre- tary o1 War stanton, the head and front of the impeachment scheme, that he would execute no orders nor permit or ders to be executed for the arrest of paroled Confederate soldiers.
 The northern fragment of Congress stlll closed the doors to the southern ele- mert, with boastful avowal that until the constitution had been altered to secure lolmanent control of the government to that fragment, through the instrument tailty of the vote of the freedmen of the south. The President cast about to find counter movement. All over the south carpet baggers and scalawags were with admirable energy proselytng unstable white men and instructing and bullying 'A public meetings docile and ignorant blacks in the interest of the National Republican party" The President felt his isolation keeny. He had been put on tic ticket at the late election in response 10 the advice of ir.---.iInself in an ticipation of the ea.,v collapse of the Confederacy, and for the very purpose of providing for an easy access to the ex- eeutive for southern men through a south ern born officer in high place in the gov ernment.
 MT. Johnson could see no way Of bring ing the restored states into the govern ln.nt save by pressure of public opin- iCn Congres would not voluntarily admit them. Not only so, but Congress intended 10 reduce the southern states to military eHtrlcts and set up over these military supreme authority. Congress intended If let alone to destroy the union. The legitimate authority to suppress insur- reetion' was lost In the separations of Inc fragment of Congress to use an op- portunity to secure to the north absolute ano final control of the whole national area.
 Under these conditions MT Johnson sought to organize non partisan nation al public opinion and precipltate il upon the revolution Congress was then exert .ng ali it's powers to put in motion and 10 crush that revolution in its formative period. Certainly the procedure upon the Presidents line of action must be by fresh methods. The controlling fact was to Irserye the union. Congress was the dis turber of the constitutional theory of union. Congress must have set up against il universal nation wide public protest, thoroughly organized.
 The President proposed to assemble at