Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-01-30


pose to make this Paper all that these no
tices have led the Democracy of Ohio to
expect.
state EReconstruction---(
Johnson's Speech.
We used to hear men talk Of n "Rccon-
struction of the Union." Butas the leaders
of the Administration party don't want the
Union "reconstructedn or restored their
theme now is the "Reconstruction of States, '
meaning thereby the destruction of exist
ing State Constitutions and of the Govern
ments based upon them, and the formation
of new ones.
Governor ANDREW JOHNSON delivered on
the 2lst of January speech at Nashville
on this radical reconstruction policy in Ten
nessee, reported in the Cincinnati Gazette
of January %. The speech is a remarkable
exhibition of the monomanla on the sub
ject of the relations of the States to the Ma
tional Government, which now atfiicts the
minds of the leaders of the dominant party.
1t leads them into contradictions and alb
surdities which would be pitiable in the in
mates of mad house. Take a few points
in Gov. JoHSsoN's speech as samples:
The Governor proposes to begin the pro-
cess of recognizing the State Government
in Tennessee by the election of primary of
ficers, such rs justices of the peace, consta-
bles, etc., as fixed by the Constitution of the
State, on the first Saturday in March. He
proposes also to fill the vacancies in the
judicial districts by the appointment or
election OF judges as the State COnstitu-
tion prescribes. So far that Constitution
is to be the sole guide. Il
But then here comes up the very i'm
portant-the most vital question of all. as
to who shall vote. The Constitution an
swers that question directly and briefly by
saying that voter must be citizen Of the
United States and a free white man, and he
must have had six months residence In
the State. But these constitutional qualiti-
cations do not come up to Gov. JoHNsoSs
and the radical st lndard. The Constitution
of Tennessee is good in part, and is to be
held sacred in some of its provisions; but
in Others it don't answer the purpose at all,
and is to be disregarded, nulliied and set at
naught as utterly inadequate and worth
less.
Accordingly, ANDY JOHNSON wants to
superadd to the constitutional qualifications
of an elector that OF taking an oath to
support LIScoLN's proclamations. As good
Presidents dog is ANDY JOHNSON almost
as j. w. FoRNEY. And what shows the
crazed condition of his brain is that he
would prescribe an oath to be administered,
in violation of the Constitution to secure,
as he pretends, the oath-taker's loyalty to
the Constitution.
Governor JoHNsoN's surrej DIR of him
SELF body, soul and intellect, to revolution
ary radicalism, has brought him into a still
sadder dilemma. He finds the Constitution
of Tennessee in the way of the radical
scheme of sudden, sweeping and total
emancipation. WHAT'S to be done? The
Constitution must be amended or abrogated
altogether. But how to get at it is the
question. Governor JOHNSON finds that
the people of Tennessee may amend their
State Constitution through the action of
their Legislature; but it is long process
and gives time for thought, consultation
and rejection. This don't suit these revo-
lutionary times, when new States are to be
brought forth in day through the instru-
mentality Of Abolition accoucheurs.
ANDY JOHNSON, therefore, is for disre-
garding or rather violating that portion of
the State Constitution which provides for
its own amendment, and like all his radical
brethren, when pushed to the wall, throws
himself back on the so-called right of rev.
olution. In order to get at slavery, the
Constitution of the State must be sacrificed,
the rights of white men. filched from them,
aud Convention called, without authority
of Constitution or law, to consummate the
proposed revolution. And all this is to be
done, according to JoHNsoN'ss speech, in the
name of Freedom and Right just as the
Confederate leaders justify their rebellion
and their struggle, as they call it, for inde-
pendencc. .t i