The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1865-10-20
THEGATE CITY.
FRIDAY MORNING, OCTOBER %.
SspsecHef1 Cssieee eaeer.

7 4
and neighbors, have been OF the opinion thai
the settlement of the great questions which
would necessarily come up for settlement al
the close of the war, would require, on the
part of the 0hief MagiStrate, = profounder
wisdom, and q broader statesmanship, than
was required during its continuance, and that
not few have been anxious lest Mr. johnson
snightbe unequal to the prodigious work tina,
has been devolved upon him, feel constrain.
ed to say that there is, in my judgment, no
ground for apprehension on this snbject-
Trying and difficult as is his situation, Mr..
johnson is master of it. He possesses, in an
eminent degree, the qualities that fit him foy
the Presidency at he present time A South
ern man, thoroughly acquainted with the eff
fects OF slavery upon society, he knows how
to deal with Southern men in their present
circumstances. fArdeRtly 8tsaehed to TA-
nessee, Che love which he bears to his State
Is entirely subordinate to that which he bears
for the Union. Jealous Of State rights, he
is equally jealous of the rights of the Gene
raj Government. A radical and uncompro.
missing, enemy of nuHi6eesion, SECESSION, and
every form of disloyalty, he is equally an enc
my to any measures which, in his Judgment,
are calculated, by depriving the States of their
Just rights under the Constitution, to convert
the Reinforcement into despotism.-
Raised in slave States, and, until recently, q
Shareholder, he has never had any love for
slavery, and has always been the opponent of
the aristocracy that was based upon it. By
nature and by education he is Just the man
for the great work of re-establishing the Fede-
raj authority over the rebeiious States And
he has taken hold of this work with devo-
ton, an energy and prudence that promise
the best results. ~ ~ yT
He IS a man, also, Of excellent Judgment
and great singleness of purpose. Honest
himself, he expects honesty in Others
Although long in public life, and q leading
politician of his own school, he is in no sense
3 partisan. Unassuming in manners, he is
yet selfpossessed and dignifed. He listens TO
the advice of those in whose Judgment he has
confidence, but acts upon his own convictions,
and generally according to his first impress.
sions. With great decision of character, he
is never hasty in action. Stern and unyield-
ing in his adherence to principle and duty. he
is a man of kindly and gentle emotions. Hav
ing by his own indomitable energy fought his
way up from low to high estate, he is in
hearty sympathy with those who are treading
the same upward path. He is, ina word, q
clear headed, upright, energetic, self.relying
statesman, a digniied courteous and kind
hearted gentleman. His Administration will
be characterized by all the force and energy
and independence of Jackson's, with very lit
tie of its partizan character. ga
Under his direction, the great work of re-
establishing civil government at the South,
under the Federal Constitution, is going rap
idly forward-too rapidly, it seems, accord
ing TO the opinion of many at the North,
whose opinions are entitled to great consd-
Grafton. | know, sir, that many doubt the
wisdom of Mr.. Johnson's policy; that many
are of the opinion that, by their ordinances
r IL zl-l.- c. L
to be States under the Constitution and that
nothing should be done, by the Executive, in
aid of the restoration of their State Govern
ment, until Congress had determined on what
terms they should be restored to the Union,
which they have voluntarily abandoned, and
attempted to destroy: that, as the people of
these States had appealed to the sword. and
been subjugated by the sword, they should be
governed by the sword, until the law making
powers had disposed of the subject of recon.
struction that no State, that had possessed
ordinances of secession, and united with the
so-called Confederate government, should
ever be admitted again into the Union, un-
less, in its preliminary proceedings, all men,
irrespective of color. should be permitted to
vote, nor without provisions IN its constitu-
ton for the absolute enfanchisement of the
negro. Some, even, go farther than this, and
demand the confscation of the property of all
rebels, and the application Of the proceeds to
the payment of the national debt.
These are not, apprehend, the views of q
respectable minority. / know that they are
not the views of majority of the people of
the North. The better opinion is that the
States which attempted to secede never ceas.
ed to be States in the Union that all their
acts of secession were of no effect that
during the progress of the revolt the exercise
of the Federal authority was merely suspend
ed, and that there never was moment when
the allegiance of the people Of the insurrec-
tionary States was due to the Government,
and when the Government was not bound to
maintain its authority over them and extend
protection to those who require it. When
the rebellion was overcome, the so-callaed
Confederate government and all State Gov
ernments, which had been formed in opposi.
ton to the Federal Government, ceased to
have even nominal existence. and the
people who had been subject to them were
left, for the time being, without any govern
ment whatever.
The term of Office of the Federal officers
had expired, or the Offices had become vacant
by the treason of those who held them There
were no Federal revenue officers, no compe-
tent judges, and no organized Federal courts.
Nor were the people any better off, as far as
oahey "oo lckdiucu. N0eQ the
Confederacy collapsed, all the rebel State
governments collapsed with it; SO that, with a
few exceptions, there were no persons hold
ing civil office at the South by the authority
of any legitimate Government.
Now, rs government is at all times neces-
sity among men, and as it was especially SO
at the South, where violence and lawlessness
had full way, the question to be decided by
the President was simply this Shall the
people at the South be held under military
rule until Congress shall act upon the cues.
ton, or shall immediate measures be taken
by the Executive to restore to them civil gov
ernments?
After mature consideration, the President
concluded it to be his duty to adopt the latter
course, and / aln satisfied that in doing so he
has acted wisely.
Military rule will not be demanded by the
people Of the United States one moment long
er than there is an absolute necessity for it.
Such an army as would have been requisite
for the government of the people of the South.
as subjugated people, until Congress might
prescribe he<erms on which they could be
restored to the Union, would have been too
severe strain upon our Republican institu-
tons, and too expensive for the present con.
dition of the Treasury. The President has
therefore gone to work to restore the Union
By the use, from the necessity of the case. of
portion of those who have been recently IN
arms to overthrow it.
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