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Basic Constitutional Concepts
Andy Johnson, Tribune of the People.
Determined to resist the encroachments of Congress upon executive prerogatives and
to protect the rights of the States after assuming the presidency in 1865, Andrew Johnson frequently clashed with the Radical Republicans over constitutional issues. This
political cartoon by a Republican critic depicts ‘‘Andy Johnson, Tribune of the People,’’ as a long-eared charlatan for having vetoed the Civil Rights Act of 1866. One of
the coachmen compares Johnson with Mark Antony, who ‘‘was continually blowing
before the People about his great love for the Constitution,’’ all the while he was ‘‘conspiring with Caesar for the overthrow of the Republic.’’ (Courtesy of the Library of
Congress.)
that a variety of conflicting interests have some voice in public affairs; and
without this complicated check and balance system, minorities of every
description—property holders, rural folk, religious sects, racial and ethnic groups, certain occupations and professions, whole regions of the
country—would be at the mercy of an unrestrained Congress, President,
or Supreme Court. Separation of powers protects the American citizen
against overbearing majorities as well as entrenched minorities.