Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1863-12-15
Gbe Obio 5tatesmam
The Louisville Journal on the Message.

The Louisville Journal has an article on the
Presidents Message from which We take the
following paragraphs. Speaking of the Ad
ministrstiou plsn for Reconstruction, ;" PREN.
TcE ssys:
In short, the plan is that revolving State
shall be permitted TO return to it's relations as
a member of the Union whenever the State
adopts emancipation, and not before. Such is
the plan, expressed In pl 10 English. This is
certainly rconItTuetion, with vengeance that
will fiud an exultiDg oho iu every radical breast
In the land. II 10, to EMPLOY the Pfesidenrs
own figure, building up from the ground Il is
not merely constructing the State Governments
a. ew but constructing them anew according to
the will of the National Executive not accord
ing to the will of the people of the States.-
The President requires the people OF the re-
volling States to trample their own Constitu-
tioDs Into the dust 10 condition OF their
recogni Ion as loyal States of the Union. 10
q word, be requires them to commit a second
oct of revelation ss an atjnement for the com.
mission of the frst.
The telegraph announced several days ago
that the plan the President was about to present
in his message would be altogether original
We know not If the p an of the message doee
not In come meaeur o redeem the promise OF the
telegraph; but certainly the oDly essential diff
ference between this plan and the plau develop
ed by Mr.. Sumner in the Atlantic Monthly is
that the latter proposes 10 do through Congress-
what the 10 mer proposes 10 do through the
Executive. Mr.. SuLper would have Congress
govern the revolving States un'il they are
willing to adopt emancipation; Mr.. Lincoln
would have the Executive govern them until
H. tod Wa laau In
determine which OF the two plans 10 the less
arbitrary and unconst tut onal, II indeed degrees
OF comparison may be allowed to pertain TO 80
absolute q pitch of lawlessnees. For our own
part, we think the difereIo oe quite unesseptial.
Aod go do Mr. Sumner and his friends, If we
may credit the 6i patches from Washington -
"It does not indo SO Summers views on recon-
struction," ssy the dispatches, referring 10 the
message, "yet the friends Of the latter claim
that it substantially includes and embodies
them" 10 our opinion, there is no room for
doubt on this point. ULquestionaby the two
plans are substantially one.
If our readers would contrast With this plan
In all its for ns the simple plan of the Constl.
tuition, let them turn to the inaugural address
OF Governor Bramlette. "No rtc9nstrutton," {"
says the Governor. In that Dobe paper, is
necessary. The Government is complete-not
broken-not destroyed; but, by the BLESSING
of CD, shall endure for ever. A revolted
State has nothing, therefore. to do but 10 cease
resistance to law and duty, and return to its
fealty, organize under its Constitution, as 10
was before, and would be now but for the re-
Wit, and thus place itself In harmony with
the Federal Government. Thus, all tha. was
suspended by revolt will be restored to action.
But will not the dominant powers require
a. oth fhau
quire the reyolted States, as co1dition p'ece-
dent 10 a restoration of their relations, to
adopt either immediate or gradual emancipa.
tion7 These are grave questions, and suegee
tive OF dangerous and wicked experiment.
We trust to plighted word and constitutional
faith aB guaranty against such an issue. Moth
ing but disregard of honor and the principles
of humanity can force such an issue, and We
will not invite an evil by battling IL into be-
Ing" Little did our Chief Magistrate dream
when he expressed this generous trust, that,
ere the sands OF the year already waning should
run out, this Issue would be forced deliberately
BY the President. Yet such is the TACT. The
fact should awaken the loyal people of the
Union.
1t must now be apparent to tie true friends
Of the Government evety where that they have
rotbing to expect from the psrty In power OF
from any member ot,it. Tie last ground Of
hope, or rather the last shadow of ground,
has yanisbed The rugged. issue is before us,
There is, under Providence, but one depend
ence for the Conservative Uaionists of the Re.
public, which is thorough CO. operation, on the
baes Of single minded devotion to the country,
for the overthrow and expulsion of the party In
power at the ballot box, This 10 indeed the
sole dependence OF the Republic itself and we
rejoice to believe, that, il wisdom anu patriot
ism shall rule the oonservatives' oounsels, this
dependence will not fail. Never surely In the
rorld's history were wisdom and patriotism in
voked by considerations more glorious or more
momentoust ,,..