TRUTH TRODI THE RECORD OF 1864.
Shoddy against the Private Soldier.
CLYMER FOR THE SOLDIER,.
The disunion press is full of lies in re
gard to the action of the Democratic Sen
ators in 1864, before the Senate was or
ganized. After its organization, viz.: on
the 30th of March, 1864, Senator Hopkins
offered the following resolution : (See
Record, page 536 )
Resolved, That the Committee on Fed
eral Relations be instructed to bring in a
joint resolution instructing our Senators
and requesting our Representatives in
Congress to vote for a law requiring the
payment of non-commissioned officers and
privates in the service of the United
States in corn or its equivalent.
'Upon this resolution Senator Clymer,
now the Democratic candidate for Gov
ernor, spoke as follows : (See Record, p.
538.)
SENATOR CLYXER'S SPEECH.
I did not know, sir, that the Senator
from Washington (Mr. Hopkins) was
about to offer a resolution of this kind :
had I been aware of the fact, I might have
been able to. form a more correct judg
ment as to his intentions in so doing.
JZ.rSTICE TO TUE SOLDIER
I presume he designed to perform an
act of simple justice to those who, on the
tented field, are struggling for the main:
tenance of this Government. He himself
avows his intention to place this meritori
ous class.of our ferlowk.iitizeng, so far as
relates to their pay, upon a footing
with those sleek, well paid, well fed, tru
ly loyal, and most discreet gentlemen who
in this trial, are idling sunny hours in the
courts of Europe as our foreign ministers,
while the soldier is enduring the pains,
the trials and the dangers of a campaign.
Contemplate the picture; the one class
clothed in purple and paid in gold, the
other clad in homespun and paid in green
backs ! The one surrounded by all the
luxury which gold can buy, the other in
their individual persons and in their fami
lies enduring all the want and misery
which paper money ever entails! An un
prejudiced observer, sir, would not, it
seems to me, be likely to attribute any
sinister or improper motive to one who
attempts to equalize in some degree the
condition of these two classes. Surely,
sir, the disparity between one hundred
and sixty dollars a year—the wages of
the soldier—paid in greenbacks—and the
salaries of our foreign ministers, ranging
from seven to twenty thousand a year,
paid in gold, is of such magnitude that it
should not be " disloyal" to attempt to
equalize it.
TALK AND NO WORR
To me,sir, it is strange, passing strange,
that those who profess so much love for
the soldier, Mho are eternally parading
themselves as the " soldiers' friends," who
would make the soldier believe that every
one onside the pale of their political com
munion is his enemy,whose whole stock in
trade is to yell that they are " loyal," and
to boast that they love the soldier better
than wife or child, should here to-day re
sist a proposition so fair and just.. By
your deeds you shall be tried. Honeyed
words of flattery cost nothing. To BUS
lain this resolution and the enactment of
its purpose into a law, might impose some
slight additional taxation upon your "loy
al" gentleinan, and that would cost some-''
thing. You cannot afford that. Oh! no !
Fulsome praise, laudation without stint ;
that you can give ; it is in your line ; but
when the soldier asks for the- means
wherewith to supply his wife and little
ones with the bare necessaries of life—
which, owing to the vicious system of fi
nance inaugurated by Republican rulers,
have been raised to fabulous prices --you
turn your backs upon him and brand as
"disloyal" every man who dares to advo
cate his:claims. That is a species of dis
loyalty of which I, fer one, am neither
ashamed nor afraid. If it be " disloyal"
to stand hy, guard, protect and defend
the poor and humble against the rich and
pomerful ; to be in favor of the soldier ra
ther than of the shoddy contractor, then
I am disloyal.
gentlemen
is a kind of disloyalty
of which-you gentlemen on the Republi
can side, will never be accused by those
who know yon. Where the spoils are,
there will your hearts be also.
VSEIIPATION IN TUE SENATE.
Possibly, sir, the Senator from. Wash
ington offered the resolution with an ad
ditional motive—that was, to relieve him
self, and those who act, with him political
ly, from the base and unfounded charge
that we were opposed to an increase of
the pay c f the soldier. When this Sen
ate was unorganized, as we then believed
and as you,subsequently admitted by pro
ceeding to elect a Speaker, a resolution
was offered on the opposite side of this
chamber, instructing our Senators and re
questing our Representatives in Congress
to vote for a bill increasing the pay of the
soldiers. We then voted against it as un
der similar circumstances we would to
day. We told you then that by no vote
of ours would. we ever recognize your
high-handed act of usurpation. We, told
you we would vole against any and every
resolution, even should you off er one As
serting the divinity of God himself. We
stood up for a principle, and we triumph
ed. You .offered the resolution, as you
offered others, for the purpose of makirti
clap-trap capital against us among the sol
diers and others. You paraded our vote
throughout the State as a high crime and
a sin, when you knew in your hearts that
every representation you made, as to our
position, was simply false. But the reso
lution of the Senator from Washington
has unearthed you. Ithaestirred up IMO-
fnl commotion amongst the ranks of the
faithful. You gnash your teeth in impo
tent rage, and are swollen up with undis
charged bile. You rave, and fume, and
sweat—all to no purpose, gentlemen.—
We Intend to expose your duplicity, and
we have done it. Hence those tears. I
advise. you to cover your intentions. in
some more skillful way, or I shall again
draw aside the flimsy veil which shields
you from open contempt.
PAY OF fliE PRIVATE SOLDIER
: But, sir, what will be the effect of the
resolution should Congress enact a law in
accordance with its spirit? Will it not
be precisely what you gentlemen forced
us to vote against, when you attempted
usurpation ? The soldier will be paid in
coin or its equivalent ; that is to say, his
wages will be increased by the difference
between gold and greenbacks. If gold at
the end of any month is wax_ per cent.
above greenbacks, the common soldier
will receive twenty dollars and eighty
cents, instead of thirteen dollars, for his
month's services. If you were honest in
your proposition to increase his pay, how
can you object? When he entered the
service, his pay was thirteen dollars per
month in gold, for then gold was not
above par. The resolution simply pro
poses to keep our plighted faith with the
most meritorious of all our public ser
vants; with him who defends our homes
and firesides. Tell me, gentlemen, were
you honest or dishonest in your proposi
tion ? You shall not evade an answer by
calling me disloyal. The word has no
terrors for me. Three years ago you paid
the foreign minister and the private sol
dier in gold. Why, to-day, do you con
tinue to pay him who is basking and rev
elling in the smiles of royalty, and refuse
it to him who, amid the roar of cannon
and the storm of bullets, is, battling in
your defence ? Answer me if you dare.
We will not be deterred from making the
inquiry by threats or denunciations. We
on this side of the chamber claim for our
selves as much intere.;t, in and devotion to
the Government founded upon the Con
stitution as you claim to possess. We
do not impugn your motives—you shall
not ours. We are not to be cajoled or
intimidated here or elsewhere. We are
your peers and equals here and eery
place. We know our rights and will
maintain them.'We will stand by the Con
stitution and Union of these States, and
we tell, aye, we charge it upon you, that
you are the only men who would destroy
both.
Charges are constantly made against
us of a want of fidelity to the Govern
ment, of sympathy with treason, and of
aiding the rebellion. We defy you to
make them good. Thin matter had bet
ter be understood and settled here and
now. It is true, we are not the slaves of
any administration. You shall not set
the blacks free and enslave white men.—
We know of no Goveinment which is not
based upon the Constitution and we will
neither obey nor be "loyal" to any other.
Is my language sufficiently Trecise ? Is
it clear ? Ido not wish to be misunder
stood. lam not "loyal" to any adminis
tration ; I am ever so to true government,
founded upon and acting in accordance
with the Constitution, of which it is the
mere creature and exponent. More than
this, you nor any living man can demand
of any one: To do so is to make your
selves masters and those of whom you
make thg demand slaves. We wish you to
fully understand that you shall never ex
ercise any such power over us. The his
tory of the past should,teach you that the
race to which we belong may possibly be
exterminated, but never enslaved.
—Senator Clynier - and every other
Democrat voted for this resolution, and
the Disunion Senators voted to kill it by
amending it, and having a majority, 'ef
fected its amendment, and thus defeated
the original proposition.
The Democratic Platform.
The Democracy of Pennsylvania in Convention met,
recognizing a crisis In the affairs of the Republic, and
esteeming the immediate restoration of the Union par
amount to all other issues, do resolve :
1. That the States. whereof the people were lately in
rebellion, are entegral parts of the Union. and are enti
tled to repreeentation in Congress by men duly elected
who hear true faith to the Constitution and Laws, and
in order to vindicate the maxim that taxation without
representation is tyranny, such representatives should
be forth with admitted.
2. That the faith of the Republic Is pledged to the pay
ment of the National debt, and Congress should peas all
laws necessary for that purpose.
3. That we owe obedience to the Constitution of the
13..iteci States (including the amendment prohibiting
shivery.) and tinder its provialona will . accord to those
emancipated all their rights of person and property.
4. Thateach State has. the exclusive right to regulate
the inalilications of its own electors.
5. That the white raze alone is entitled to the control
of the Government of the Republic, and we are unwil
ling to grant to negroes the right to vote.
6. That the bold entmciation of the principles of the
Constitution and the policy of restoration contained in
the recent annual message and freedmen's bureau veto
message of President Johnson entitle him to the confl.
donee and support of ail who respect the Constitution
and love their country.
7. That the nation owes t &the brave men of our ar
mies and navy a debt of lastini , gratitude fo• their hero.
is services In defence of the Constitution and the Un
ion ; and that while we cherish with tender affection
the memories of the fallen, we pledge *co their widows
and orphans the nation's care and protection.
•
8. That we urge upon Congress the duty of equalizing
the bonsitiea of our soldiers and sailors.
Democratic .Victory at Hartford.
The result of the •Hartford City elec
tion to day was a full vote, and the elec
tion of the entire city ticket by the Dem
ocrats totally changed the political charac
ter of the city government. The Demo
crats elect Charles R. Chapnian Mayor,
over Allyn S. Steliman; the present May
or, by 233 majority, and Henry H. Fitch
Collector, by 200 over H T. Sperry, the
present collector. They also elect the
City Clerk by 200 majority, the Auditor
and City Marshall and have a majority in
the city council.
—The conservative Republicans—or ra
ther the only Republicans within that so
called organization—intend to hold a
State Convention at. Pittsburg in July,
for the nomination of& candidate for Gov
ernor.
Rionirost pemocrat.
A. J. GERRITSON, • -
TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 1866
FOR GOVERNOR:
HIESTER CLYMER,
OF BEMS COUNTY
tar Th e. negro citizenship bill passed
the House, over the veto; by a vote of
122 to 41. The result was greeted with
much joy by the amalgamators, and a
crowd of negro women rushed into the
Hall of the House to present bouquets
and other nice things to their brethren
who voted for the bill. A grand hand
shaking and general mixing up of the
black-and-white element of the party took
place.
Questions for Gen. Geary.
There are two questions which the peo
ple desire Gen. Geary to answer without
delay, and which we shall continue to ask
until we get explicit replies to them.
1. Is he in favor of negro suffrage?
2. Does he support the restoration pol
icy of Andrew Johnson ?
Let there be no quibbling or dodging.
Give us plain and unmistakable answers.
If the General imagines that he can get
through the s'x months campaign before
us without meeting fairly and squarely
these two important questions, he will
find himself sadly mistaken.--[Ex.
Geary has answered ; he accepted the
nomination of a party that votes in Con
gress and State Legislature for negro suf
frage and against the President. Besides
this, be authorized a friend to say to the
Convention that be fully 'agreed 'with
Thad Stevens. As Stevens is a full-blood
ed amalgamationist, and bitter enemy of
President Johnson, it is settled that Gea
ry's answers are : to the first question,
yes; to the second, no.
What is Treason?
Various definitions are given to trea
son ; but the latest is that it is treason to
turn an advocate of negro equality out of
office, and put a soldier in. The Rnrrisa
burg P. M., who published the Telegraph,
has been dodging between Johnson and
Congress, for some time, but recently,
when it was understood that General
Knipe was to be the next P. M., tLe Hes
sian says:
" We did not condemn his veto of the
Freedmen's Bureau bd., because we could
not then believe he had deliberately made
up his mind to become a traitor to those
who made him what he is. But we now
owe it to the good of the country—to the
honor of our friends and the sacredness
of the great principles, no longer to pass
by with indifference or with seeming ap
proval the acts of a man who begins to
prove not only-false to himself, but false
to humanity, his country and his God !"
Look out Ibr like demonstrations in oth
er quarters in due time.
Pennsylvania Legislature.
That body adjourned sin die on Thurs
day. Hall of Blair was made Speaker ad
interim. It is hoped that plundering will
now be lessened for a season. Over $200,-
000 were taken from the treasury to pay
for additions and repairs to the Capitol,
although one fourth that sum was the
contract price. Sundry loyal thieves did
not steal enough before the war closed,
and the garneecontinues.
Bottled Froth Butler made a rabid negro
equality speech for the edification of that
party on the 11th, after which the follow
ing was offered and defeated :
Resolved, That the clerks of the House
and Senate be instructed to provide the
joint committee of the legislature on the
reception of General Butler with four ban
ners bearing the following inscriptions:
The Hero of Big Bethel;
The Hero of Fort Fisher ;
The Hero of Dutch Gap Canal ;
The Hero of the Bottle of Petersburg.
The reminder of the Report of General
Grant who compared Butler's position to
which he fled, to that of being in a bottle
tightly corked, was rich, but bard on the
pretender.
One of the last acts of the negro-party
majority, was to present and adopt to go
on record, a memorial from negroes ask
ing that the word " white" be stricken
from the Constitution of Pennsylvania, so
as to admit negroes to full political equal
ity. This is now the Republican creed,
and will be forced upon the State, unless
that party be hurled from power.
An act was pending to regulate the pay
of County Superintendents, but we can
not learn positively that it bas become a
law. If it does we will publish it next
week. It raises the pay to about $lOOO
for this county, and as much more as the
Directors may choose to vote from the
county school fund:
The Members fixed their pay at $lOOO.
—The recent municipal election in the
city of St. Louie, heretofore strongly re
publican,
resulted' in st Demoomtio.tri
umph by 8,000 majority.
The End of Zifitary Despotisni.
Great events crowd upon us. We are
making history now of a kind which our
children will not blush to read. On Mon
day President Johnson gave us the glad
tidings of restored Union, and proclaimed
peace over the length and breadth of the
land. On Tuesday the Supreme Court of
the United States pronounced its decision
in the great-Military Commission case,
and gave it on the side of liberty. There
never was any question adjudicated on
earth which involved more preciouarights
or which concerned more people than this
one. ...Three citizens of the State of Indi
ana, in civil. life, and far away from the
theater of war, and in a district where the
courts were open and exercising their
functions without interruption, were tried
last year by a tribunal called a Military
Commission for alleged acts of "disloyal.
ty," and were sentenced to he hung. The
President commuted the sentence to im
prisonthent for life. Thereupon the pris
oners were brought, on a writ of habeas
corpus, before the Circuit Court of the
United States for the District of Indiana,
and upon a certificate of division of opin
ion between the judges of that tribunal,
they were remanded to custody, and their
case was carried up to the Supreme Court
of the United States. It was argued there
by some of the most eminent counsel in
the count ry—by Attorney General Speed,
Henry Stanbery of Ohio, and B. F. But
ler of New Orleans, for the United States,
and by Judge 13Iack of Pennsylvania,
Judge McDonald of Indiana, Mr. Garfield
of Ohio, and Mr. David Dudley Field of
Now York, for the petitioners. Its dis
cussion occupied many days, and evoked
an amount of learning, ingenuity, and elo
qnetice, rarely displayed, even within,
walls where great speakers are not un
o 'mmon. The Court, atter long delibera
tion, decided that upon the facts set forth
in the petition, the writ of habeas corpus
should have been granted by the Circuit
Court; that the Military Commission had
no jurisdiction in the premises, and that
the petioners are entitled to discharge
from custody.
- - Editor,
• This decision, which was pronounced by
Chief Justice Chase, while it should be a
matter of rejoicing for every man who
values the rights which his fathers sought
to secure fins him in the Constitution, is
especially grateful to the hearts of the
Democracy. For five long years we have
asserted precisely the doi trines which
I the Supreme Court has eml odicd in i s
decree. We have maintained the immu
nity of the citizen from military arrest,
and have denounood the whole system of
military tribunals as grossly in violation
of the supreme law. The case of the pe
titioners, whose freedom is given them by
this dcci-ion of the Court, was no excep
tional one. Hundreds of citizens less for
tunate' than they, in that their plea for a
fair trial never got 1 oyond the barrack
room, where their live; and liberties were
adjudged to be forfeited, were sent to
dungeon and scaffold during the past five
years, without a word of pro' est against
the hut , e tyranny which condemned them,
save that Spoken by the Democratic par
ty. On the contrary, the Radical jour
nals and orators made mtrry over the
work of despii.ism and . decounced the
champions of the Constitution as "dom s-
tic traitors," " sympathizers," and "cop
perheads," deserving of the same fate.
We never doubted that a time would
come in which the right would be vindi•
cated, but how soon mortal man could
not pred.et. It 14 here already, and we
should keep it asa time of rejoicing. Fare
well forever to spy and ititin.mer—fare
well to kidnapping provost marshal, and
shoulder strapped judge. The work of
blood and tyranny is at an end. The wor
thies who found their plea-ure in it are
now criminals answerable to those laws
on which they ruthlessly planted the arm
ed heel. A better day has dawned upon
us—a day of peace, of liberty, of law.
"For it was but for a little while that the
face of the sky was black, as with the
preparations of the night; but suddenly
the cloud was torn and rent, the vielence
of thunder parted it into little portions, •
that the sun might look forth with a wa
tery eye, and then shine without a tear."
—Age.
OPINION OF STEPHEN A. DorGLAs.—
In the discussion before the people of Il
linois just previous to his last election to
the U. S. Senate, Judge Douglas said :
" I hold that .a Negro is not, and NEVER
OUGHT TO BE a citizen of the United states.
I hold that this Government was made
upon a white basis, by while men, for the
benefit of white men and their posterity
forever, and should be administered by
white men and none others. Ido not be
lieve that the Almighty made the Negro
capable of self government.
" Now I say to you, my fellow citizens,
that in my opinion, the siemers of the Dec
laration of Independence had no reference
to the Negro whatever when they declar
ed all men equal. They desired to ex
press by that phrase, white men of Euro
pean birth, European descent, and had no
reference to the Negro, the savage In
diana or other inferior or degraded races.
At that time every one of the thirteen
Colonies was a slave hol&ng colony, and
every signer of the Declaration represen
ted a slave holding constituency,, and we
know that no one ofthem emancipated his
slaves, much less offered citizenship to
them whenithey signed the Declaration."
t Congress has at last passed the
bill to reimburse the State of Pennsylva
nia for the expenses in calling out the Mi
litia of the State in the government ser
vice. It authorizes the Secretary of War
to pay Pennsylvania a sum, not exceeding
$BOO,OOO for the purpose named. This is
now a law.
—A tremendous fire took place at Ash
land, Pa., on ,Sunday night, destroying
property to the amount of $70,000.
Circuleifficiin ' fhe President.
The President has just issued the fol
lowing circular to heads of departments,
in reference to appointments to office :
It is eminently right and proper that
the government of the United States
should give earnest and substantial evi
dence of the just appreciation of the ser
vices of the patriotic men who, when the
life of the nation was imperiled, entered
the army and navy to preserve the integ
rity of the Union, defend the government
and maintain and perpetuate, unimpaired,
its free institutions.
It is therefore directed--First, -That in
appointment to office in the several exec
utive departtuents of the general govern
ment, and the Various branches of .the
public service connected with said de
partments, preference shall be given to
such meritorious and honorably discharg
ed soldiers and sailors, particularly those
who have been disabled by wounds re
ceived or diseases contracted in the line
of duty, as may possess the proper quali
fications.
Second, That in all promotions in said
departments, and the several branches of
the public service connected therewith,
such persons shall have preference, when
equally eligible and qualifi.►d. over those
who have riot faithfully and honorably
served in the land or naval forces of the
United States.
ANDItEW Jon:csos
Executive Mansion, April 7, 1860.
—A shoddy organ, alarmed at the
above, -gives notice to soldiers not to ask
fir office, as the stay at homes intend to
hold on, but that soldiers may get a
chance in when shoddier die or resign I
Wait and see.
—lt is reported from Washington that
several members of the cabinet are deter
mined not to heed the above circular from
the President. This is carrying hostility
to him to an extreme. Some time since
the radical Congress adopted a similar
recommendation; but the fact that such
appointments have not been made shows
it was only a buncome trick to keep up a
deception towards soldiers.
Qs''" The Philadelphia Daily News, the
only progsserl Rt-ptiblican paper in the
State that Fqn r6I y support.; Preshlent
Johnson, opposes the election of Gen.
Geary. Natural enough.—Rep. paper.
Certainly, every friend of the President
will oppose Geary, as he is the nominee
of the President's enemies.
PROPOSED IMPEACHMENT OP THE PRESt-
DENT.—The Chicago l'i - ihtinethe leading
Radical organ in the Northwest, is out
with a labored and Vehement article ad
vocating the impeachment of President
Johnson, and his removal from office.
The grounds for the proposed impeach
ment are stated to be usurpations of pow
er aid and comfort given to public ene
mies, that is to say, Southern rebels, and
a corrupt exercise of the pardoning pow
er. The Tribune accuses the President
of " high treason," and declares that his
conduct is " worse than the treason of
Benedict Arnold," ttc. tkc.
CITY OF SCITAIiTON.—The boroughs of
Scranton, Hyde Park, Providence and the
remaining part. of Providence township,
have been incorporated into a city. The
population is over 22,000, about a fifth of
Luzern° county.
Daniel S. Dickinson,
Died in New York city on Thursday
evening last, of strangulated hernia, after
suffering a few days. He was a native of
connee,ti e nt, having been born at. Goshen
in that State cm the i lth of September,
180. Ills father soon of erward remov
e: from Connecticut, and settled in the
Chenango Valley, in the State of New
York.
A. Republican View of the Veto.
The New York Commercial (I? op.)
warmly endorses the veto message of the
President assigning his reasons for with
holding his signature from the civil rights
bill, and especially the part of it which re
sists centralization. It says generally:
" His reasoning is co! , ent, and must
. be
satisfactory to all who respect the limita
tions of the constitution or federal power
—who desire economy of administration,
and who correctly estimate the true val
ue of State rights. It can only be dis
tasteful to those whip have gone wild up
on the negro question, and who are anx
ious fur legislation which shall especially
benefit the black man. Is there not wis
dom enough in Congr , ss to discover and
adopt such measures, or wi I that body
prefer to wrangle with the President in
the hope of making rolitical capital ?
There is no real occasion of difference,
certainly not a shadow of reason for hos
tility. Fanatics have but to ignore pet
measures of doubtful expedieacy, and to
act in strict accordance with the constitu
tion, and they can get along with Andrew
Johnson."
—General Richard Coulter, of West
moreland county was Lieut. Col. of Gta
ry's regiment, but he repuniates the great
(1) paper General and supports Clymer,
Johnson and the Union.
—General Burnside was elected Gover
nor of Rhode Island on the 4th inst. The
vote was very light, as there was no or
ganized opposition to him.
—A 6re occurrad in Port, au Pfince,
the capital of the Empire of Hayti, on the
19th ult., by which one , thons tnd buil
dings were destroyed, and eight or nine
thousand persons rendered houseless.
—The loss by the 'recent great freshet
in Wisconsin is estimated at $1,000,000
to $2,000,000, the daniage to the Mu Wan
kee and Prairie du Chien Railroac? alone
being placed at 4500,000 The loss at
Milwaukee is stated at $150,000.
.
Is Piesident Johnson a " Usurper?"
The N.Y. Herald in the following i pithy
and truthful paragraphs, shows what kind
of a " usurper" President, Johnson is :
. -
The Radicals charge that President
Johnson is " a usurper." Can anybody
tell us what be has usurped ?
- President Johnson has restored the
writ of habeas corpus. Does " a usur
per" relinquish despotic powers in that
way ?
Violations of constitutional rights dis
tinguish all usurpers. PresidentJobasou
obeys the Constitution to the letter. Is
this usurpation ?
Usurpation, according to the radicals,
means surrendering-all military power, as
President Johnson. ; has just done iu his
peace proclamation..
Civil War is favorable to the projects
of a usurper. President Johnson has just
proclaimed peace. But the radicals ac
cuse him of usurpation.
The Civil Rights Bill would have ena
bled President Johnson to imprison all
State judges who disagreed with him
about the negro. Yet he vetoed the bill.
Was that usurpation?
Supreme control of the Southern States
was placed in the hands of the President
by the passage of the Freedmen's Bureau
a nd Civil Rights bill. He vetoed the IDOL
And vet he is called " a usurper."
Politicians are so accustomed to nor
*ruption and rapacity that when a Presi-
dent declines power and patronage they
call hi in "a usurper." They do not know
a patriot when they see him, but the peo
ple do.
The Constitution provides that the
President. shall veto all bills of which he
disapproves. Is the President "a usurp
er" because be has vetoed two bills out of
the finly-two presented to him by this
Congress ? •
A usurper is a person who seizes power
which does not legitimately belong to
him. President Johnson sternly declines
a:I such power, even when Congress urg
es him to take it. How then can the rad
icals call l.im "a usurper?".'
Grant is " a usurper," according to the
radicals, because he disbanded the great
er part of the army, and declared that the
war was ended. President Johnson has
only restored its to a peace policy, and if
he be "a usurper" so is Gra it.
Congress' opened the Treasury of the
United States to President. Johnson and
authorized hint to take out as much mon
ey as he liked and distribate it among his
political friend 4. He declined to touch a
penny of it. Is he a patriot or "a usur
per ?"
Washington was " a usurper," accord
ing to the radicals, because he obeyed the
Constitution, refused to become a king,
and resigned the command of the army.
This is what President Johnson has done,
and he is called "a usurper" for doing it.
Thousands of new offices could hate
been created by the Freedmen's Bureau
bill, and under it the President could
haN e tilled these offices with his favorites.
He refused to take this immense power
and patronage. Was that the act of "a
usurper ?"
Aggrandizement, both personal and ro
litical, is the motive of a usurper. By
vetoes President Johnson has voluntarily
deprived himself of the golden opportuni
ties for such aggrandizement placed with
in his reach by Con . oress. If this be usur
pation make the most of it.
--Senator Jim Lane, Republican, of. ,
Kansas, declared in the Senate, on die(
6th instant, that—" One more victory like
that in Conneciicat. would ruin the Re
publican party. It.. vas the first scratch of
the handwriting on the wall."
—While a portion of the so-called Re
publican press are asserting that the Pres
ident is in opposition to Mr.' Clymer, the
radical Pittsburg Gazette says that "Mr.
Clymer has been a frequent and welcome
visitor at the White Rouse during the
last six months."
—Thaddeus Stevens, in one of his re.
cent speeches in Congress says " this is
not a white man's government." It will
be when Thad Stevens & Co., aro laid on
the shelf.
—Last year the Repubicans of Con
necticut elected their Governor by npwani
of eleven thousand majority. This year
they brought out their strongest man for .
the same o ffi ce, arid elected him by only
five hundred majority. The niggerpest
has about run its race.
—A woman in Binghamton, N.Y., re
cently stole $1,400 and h it, in her wa-
terEll. It was several da id
ys before the
constable could find it out.
—From the shores of Nova Scotia the
wires flash the unwelcome intelligence
hat a steamer from Liverpool, bound to
New York, has been obliged to put into
llalifitx for medical assistance, having on
board one hundred and sixty cholera ca
ses, and forty of the passenbers had per
ished of the epidemic during the voyage.
—The President has approved a bill
which provides that any person - who shall
make, :trier, forge, or cause the same to
be done to any bond, bill or securityof
the United States, for the purpose of de
frauding the Goveanment, shall bo ad
judged guilty of felony, and being there
of duly convicted, shall be sentenced to
be imprisoned and kept at hard labor for
a I eriod not exceeding ten years, or be
fined not exceeding one thousand dollars,
or both of said punishments, in the discre
tion of the Court.
—A letter from Sunflower county,
Miss., says a negro employed on ex Gen
eral Forrest's plantation, while assaulting
his (the negro's) sick wife, yesterday,
was remonstrated with by Forest; when
the negro drew a knife and attempted to
kill him. Forrest received a wound in
the hand, whereupohe seized an axe and
killed the neg - ric then gave himself
up to the sheriff. The begrime on the
plantation justify the killing.