Year: 1868

abuse power, the same conservative
force which now gives them victor.
will then insure their defeat.


The real question, then, for our con
sideratioB, the decision of which ough
to control our action as reasoning men
is this: Do we approve the politica
action of the Republican Congress, since
it has had full contrel of the Govern
menti If we do, We ought to assure
them by our approving-votes, assume
the responsibility of their acts, and
cheer them and speed them onward will
renovated powers. But if we deem
their policy questionable, and theil
headlong pursuit of it dangerous, We
ought to bid them pause, and take t6
ourselves time for observation and re-
Election; and, Instead of full and abso'
lutte, leave them with limited and di'
vided powers; take from them the pow
er to do mischief; in the meantime
leaving them what can not be taken
from them-the power to prevent
it, if attempted by the adverse par
ty. But it is gravely asked: If you can
trust the Republican Senate to prevent
Democratic mischief, why not trust them
with the whole power, that the Govern
ment may be harmoniousi This objec'
tion is almost plausible, but not pro-
found. The concentration of all power
in one man, or body of men, makes a
despotism; it is that under which the
nation has suffered for the past two
years; and while there is danger in
trusting u party with the continued
possession of power which they have
abused, you may safely rely on them to
check their opponents, if they attempt
to commit like excess on the other
side. They will retain the absolute We
to pswer over legislation, and there is
no danger of their permitting toe much
change in the laws which they have
themselves enacted. So far we may rely
on them safely. They may prevent wi. e
and salutary legislation, tending to re-
lieve the country from some OF the evils
which they have brought upon it. This
we cannot avoid, but We can take from
them tho legislative power which they
have abused. If, then, on examination
we find little to approve and much to
condemn in the action of the two houses
of Congress for the past two years, dur.
ing which time they have held control
of the Government, it will be safe and
wise to suspend their power and arrest
for tho next two years their onward
and, as / think. downward progress.


| If we look to the action of Congress
for the past two years we cannot fail to
perceive striking change in the code
of political morality by which they are
governed, and that generally acts are
done and means are now resorted to to
effect political objects which few
years ago would have been condemned
and rejected as illegitimatc and dishon.
erabie. This new code of political
morality is not merely acted upon, but
was recently avowed and characterized
as new, by Senator Morton, one of the
ablest, and heretofore esteemed one OF
the most conscientious of the Republi-
can leaders of Congress. He spoke OF
it as something which was just taught
him by the war, and he likens those who
have not learned the lesson, but adheres
to the old opinions of faith and morals,
to emile posts on deserted road" I'm
der this new teaching it is learned to
teach, as obsolete errors, certain incon-
venient rules of political action, which
were heretofore received and reverenced
as the restraints of truth and honor.
Indeed, much of this new teaching
has extended to the walks of
private life. Men learn, and teach each
ether to despise, those moral restraints,
once held sacred, which stand in the
way of the largest freedom OF action.
But there is this difference between the
Decentralization of legislators and of
men-the one aets on individuals in
limited circles merely, the other dis
turhs the peace and harmony yofnations;
often ruins and eBSlaves them.


need cite but few examples, nor go
back beyond the current year to show
the practical effect of the code of polit-
ical morals, newly taught and adopted
in our two houses of Congress. And
first, as the most prominent in public
estimation, will consider their action
in the late effort to impeach and re-
move from Office the President of the
United States: and l will endeavor to
show how far, generally, and in its more
important details, they have cOnformed
to or departed from that conscientious
regard to personal truth and political
Justice which were heretofore looked
for, not in vain, in our legislative
bodies.


When the rebellion was fully and eff
fectually put down, and there was no
longer any organized resistance to the
authority of the Union-JOhnson, who
was suddenly called to the Presidency
now in the office and having about him
the experienced Cabinet of Mr.. Lincoln,
did, as might well have been expected,
adopt his and their already initiated pol
icy of restoring, as promptly as might
be, the States lately in rebellion to
their former position in the Union. He
issued q proclamation of pardon COM
pretending most of those who had
borne arms in the rebellion-good in it,
self, but damaged by exceptions of nu-
merous classes, which seemed to me
ll.judged, and, as l then thought,
dictated by an unpatriotic spir-
it, aud arising from the re-
membrance of personal wrongs. SO
thought the public at large, but many,
perhaps most, approved; and at the
| time | heard pious men express the
opinion that the assassination of Presi-
dent Lincoln was n special dispensation
of Providence, that the government of
the nation might fall into the hands of
one who would be less merciful and
more stern as an avenger. But they
| were mistaken. President johnson
soon forgot his private wrongs in the
higher consideration Of his public du-
ties. He invited, and aided in, the re-
organization of the State governments
on their ancient BASIS, modified to ac-
cord with the changed condition of
things, and he acknowledges them all
States of the Union with all their an
cient rights.


Congress, when itmet, angrily reject
cd these conciliatory measures; refused
to admit the Senators and Representa-
tives from the ten States; framed in
their absence, and while these States
were wholly unrepresented, a new COB
stitutienal provision especially to con-
troll and bind them and endeavored to
compel them to adopt it by threats OF
severer penalties, and prescription more