The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1865-08-23
Reconstruction-views of the President.


Much interest is naturally felt as to
the exact views of President Johnson in
the matter of reconstruction. A recent
speech of General Schenck, at Chilli
Gothic, Ohio, i'll which he stated, as is
limited, by authority, the opinions of
the Executive, is peculiarly important.
We find the following sketch of Gen.
Schenck's remarks in the Cincinnati
Gazette
1.-THE President might have held the
rebellious States in military subsection,
as conquered people, until satisfied of
their entire loyalty, and until reinstated
In their former positions by legislative
action or he might have withdrawn
the military force altogether and left
them to exercise their civil functions
locally and in their relations to the
other States. From the start there were
objections to each of these courses, and
the President combined them, holding
military force over them at the same
time that he allowed them to reinstate
their civil powers, and begin again the
exercise of their loyal functions. This
latter privilege, however, was only en-
experiment, and the speaker assured his
hearers that President Johnson so re-
garded it. Only ten days ago, in a full
and free interview with him, the Presi-
dent said he regarded the local govern
ments set up in the rebellious States as
temporary experiments, simply to give
the people an opportunity to show
whether they will develop the right
spirit and policy necessary for a full re-
storation TO their proper position in
the Government. While regarding
them as experiments he intends that
the military power of the Government
shall hold them in check, 80 that If they
be found straying back into rebellious
ways the military will be there to pre-
vent them from again making the
trouble they have heretofore caused.
1.-THE President, in this conversation;
pursued in reference the Richmond cleo
ton, where the citizens manifested their
rebellious spirit by electing to office the
very men who had recently been in
arms against the Government. 1t was
with his sanction that the military au-
thorities had set aside that election, and
he gave this as an example of what
might be expected in other cases of
similar kind.o f..
Gen. Schenck also referred in his
speech to the question of negro suffrage,
and his remarks are significant as indi-
eating the probable policy of the Union
lists in Congress on that subject. We
again quote: ..- -.---
Approaching the question of suf-
frage, the speaker said it did not trouble
him in the least. The only question
with him in regard to the restoration of
the rebellious States to the full privi-
leges of citizens, was as to the loyalty of
the people. When satisfied on this point
whether one or ten years hence, Con-
gress should restore them; but then
would come up the question of represen-
tation, Slavery was abolished, and the
rule allowing three-fifths of the slaves to
be represented in Congress, so unjust to
| the North, would have to be abolished
with it, and representation must be ac-
cording to voters, and not according to
population.
off no one else did, the speaker would
at an early day in the next Congress,
offer an amendment to the Constitution,
by which this three-fifths privilege
should be done away with, and certain
| ly no democrat, any more than republic
cans, could object to the fairness of the
principle that representation should be
according to voters. If under such
amendment, the South wished to have
its vast cololed population represented
in the councils OF the nation, in order to
approach somewhat the political power
of the Northern population of voters,
and should inaugurate negro suffrage,
nobody had any right to complain, and
if they could allow their thousands of
negroes, under some conditions of edu-
cation or property, to vote, there would
be no great objection in the North if the
| few negroes We have among us were al
lowed the same privilege; but this was
| question for the future and for the
South itself to determine, not for us. and
there was no need of the Union party
being disturbed bya discussion of the
subject. 1t had enough else to look after
In regard to what privileges white rebels
should be allowed to exercise"