Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-08-08
'I9 L7F0I9II % 81lII04 y II9 ana Hon
~ Winter Davis.

In the New York Tribune Of Friday is
published an address to the supporters
of the Government" on the general ques-
ton Of the rscgnstrucsiua Of tbszTebel
States. The Protest takes ground against
the Presidents plan Of reconstruction for
the reason that questions of reconstruction
belong to the legislative department of
government rather than to the executive.
The Protest denounces. the plan of the
President as ambitious, arbitrary and
usurping powers that do not properly be-
long to him, and then attempts to vlndi-
cate the policy of the bill passed by Con-
gress about the close Of the late session
and vetoed by the President.
Concerning this Protest but little needs
be said. We have never had any doubt
whatever that the final reconstruction
Of the rebellious States properly Le-
longs to Congress and not to the President,
although we have regarded the President,
in his capacity Of Commsnder-in-Chief of
the Army and Navy, as fully authorized
to provide for the restoration to the Union
of such States as have come under our mil
itary sway. (somo temporary device for
securing the allegiance Of rebellious dis
tricts must be adopted, but when once the
rebel armies are overthrow the perma-
nent reconstruction of the Union must be
accomplished by Legislative enactment.
The President SO regards his own plan Of
reconstruction devised at time Avhen
nothing but military rule existed in the
subjugated States. In his proclamation OF
July 9th, he pledges himself to a restoril-
tion Of the revolted States upon pre-
cisely such plan as Is presented in the bill
passed by Congress and veuoed Dy
MN, 50 soon as military resistance
shall haze bean SUPPRESSED IN any such
State and the people thereof shall haze s'gt.
fciently returned to their obedience to the
Constitution aad tie Lags Of the United
This is an emphatic approval of such a
bill as Congress passed and an Executive
endorsement Of It whenever it is possible
to enforce it.
We however regard any plan of re-
organization and re-admission prescribed
by Congress, sothat the country would he
precluded from adopting any other plan,
unwise in the extreme. We believe the
exigeneics of war should be regarded.
fWe are in favor Of peace and the restora-
ton of the Union. If at any time, it
shall be possible to restore peace to the
nation on just and honorable terms, we
should regret the existence of an unchang-
able plan Of reconstruction adopted by
Congress, and approved by the President
The Plan OF Reconstruction adopted by
Congress, and approved by the President
in his proclamation Of July sth as proper,
is eniinently good, BIT we object to the
compelling Of the restoration Of the Union
on any iron clad plan, whether of Con
gress or OF the President. 10 ..' 81
a Let the hon Of re-admission be determin-
ed when reconstruction becomes possible
and necessarily z1sl 4 b5.5l5az, aa
Wetherefore regard the Presidents nom
approval of the Bill as eminently wise,
and the protest, SO far as it insists upon
prescribed and interchangeable plan of recon
struetiOn, as unwise=-S =-Sn4, s.st.. e-r -..
Of course the COpperheads are greatly
elated by this apparent conflict Of the ex-
ecutive and legislative departments Of the
government They grow very hilarious
over the matter, and are stimulated thereto
BY the undue Importance attached to the
affair by some professedly Union papers.