Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-06-08
tFrom The New York News. June 81
washington correspondence.
WARRINGTON, June 3, l


WASHINGTON, June 3, 1865.
The Daily Ne,os enjoys the honor of be-
inr the first newspaper to indicate correctly
what the future course of President john
son would be In relation to those funda-
mental questions which lie at the very basis
and foundation of the great work OF recon
struction. The sagacity so remarkably
manifested In this respect will very soon be
completely vindicated. The suddenness
with which President johnson was called
to the Executive office found him absolutely
and entirely unprepared for its high duties.
The idea of being President during Mr;
Lincolns second term had never entered
his mind. AT once-in . moment-the hign
office, with It's vast responsiveness was
thrust upon him. Happily for the country
he was equal to the great task. guyAG.gg'
+ But the difficulties surrounding him were
of no ordinary nature. The war was over
peace was at hand. But the work before
him, the work of reconstruction, was lar
more difficult than the work of suppressing
| the rebellion. 1t was not the Southern peo-
| ple alone with whom he had to deal. lie
| found himself surrounded by a setof men,
| i'm the Cabinet and out OF 1t, whose views
on the subject of reconstruction I've soon as
certained to be utterly at variance with MS
own, and who persisted in obtruding their
views upon him, and in insisting upon tneir
adoption. Happily for the country again,
Mr.Johnson has had strength OIL, nina anu
decision of character enough to Intimate
very plainly TO these men that he Intended
to be the President of the United States not
| in name alone, but in very deed, and that
he intended the work of reconstruction TO
be done in such manner as would be just
| to all the parties concerned, as would oD-
| literate the hard feelings caused by the war,
| and as would bind together the North and
the South in far more perfect Union"
than existed before the war began. :,
| This determination on the part OF the
President, so different from what was ex-
pected by those who were his partisans SIX
or seven months ago, has raised terrible
storm in the political atmosphere OF the cap
ital. The men who five or six weeks ago
fondly hoped and confidently believed that
Lthey7could control the new President and
give tone and direction to his administra-
ton, now find themselves sadly mistaken
and utterly powerless. They are positively
OF no more account with the Government
than lot of old rubbish. !, -.
The questions that have presented them
selves to Mr.. johnson for immediate solu-
| tfon during the six weeks that he has been
President, are such -as require statesman
ship of the very highest order todecide
Alright, and the right decision OF some OF
them require much thought and reflection,
Therefore it is that President johnson has
as vet moved slowly. The work before him
ID vast. He approaches it with full ap-
probation Of It's Importance. But he will
accomplish it at last in accordance with
those conservative principles of govern
ment upon which the Democratic party Is
founded, and which formed the basis OF his
own political education. This is the fact
which has at last forced itself into the un-
willing minds of the radical leaders OF the
Republican party; which has caused such
CONSERVATION in the radical camp; and
which, before six months have passed, will
cause the complete disruption Of the Re
publican party. .
Mark the prediction. Before the end of
the present year the very men who, during
the last four years have denounced all OPP
position to the Administration as the high
est of crimes, and have denounced all Demo-
Gratis as .'disioyar' and ''copperheads," J" SIM
ply because they honestly differed from the
Administration-thes very men will now
array themselves in open opposition to the
Administration of Andrew johnson.
The disgraceful exhibition now going on
in this city-the mock trial of a dozen
human beings in defiance of all the rules of
| law and Justice, would never have been
permitted by President johnson, If. time
| had been allowed him for reflection. The
circumstances of the case, however, were
SO peculiar-the popular demand tor VEN
geance against the assassins of the late Pres
| ident so uniyersal--and the asseveration of
the Secretary of War ''that the proofs
against the prisoners were conclusive" was
so sosolemn-that the President yielded very
reluctant assent to the formation of mill
tary commission for their trial. This, and
the Osbon court-martial in New York, will
! be the last trials of civilians before military
| tribunal that will be permitted while MIR.
johnson remains President of the United
| States. ..-n.r ln
In few days the President will issue a
proclamation, restoring the operation OF the
writ of habeas corpus in all the Northern
! States. The intention of this, OH the part OF
| the President, is to restore to every citizen
a right of which he ought never to have
been deprived. 1t isedesigned, on the part
of the Executive, that the proclamation
shall operate first, in delivering from i'm
prisonment the hundreds of men who are
| uniustly confined in various military pris-
| ons, principally for alleged political Of
fenses. The writ will at once bring them
before Judge of some court and if there
be no good cause for their imprisonment,
| they will at once be discharged. 1t is be-
lieved that this course will be preferable to
| a proclamation absolutely discharging from
| imprisonment all alleged political EOffend-
ers., In regard to negro suffrage. at the
| South, can assure your readers that the
| President is firmly opposed to 1t. and will
never sanction it, unless it be the wish OF
the white population of each Southern State
Interested. MALCOLM.