Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-06-21
oen,lemen of the Convention {!

aeutiemem Oh tho SVh'C
A grave responsibility rests on you. BY |
YOUR action to-day you will either fan into
a blaze the embers Of partisan strife or
YOU will cause them to cool completely
The whole country, North, South, East and
West, are looking to your action with So
licitude, President JOHNSON looks to your
deliberations with no little anxiety. BY
the foul assassination Of President LINCOLN
he has had bequeathed to him legacy OF
trouble-the trouble of pacitying coun-
try that prosecuteda War against the Fed
eral Government of the most gigantic
character, and with an energy and deter
mination for couple Of years that caused
throughout the range of civilization the
utmost surprise; but from the surrender OF
LEE and JOHNSTON the Rebellion crum-
bled rapidly. 1t was the generally enter
tained opinion that the country would be
afflicted with guerrilla bands for years af-
ter the, recognized military power OF the
South, was broken up and dispersed, To
the whole country 1t is asource OF infinite
satisfaction to know that this opinion fnds
NO. no.yerification. The South exhibits the
spectacle of quiet, sober submission, There
are desolation, poverty and wretchedness in
the South. Its system Of labor has been
disorganized; but nowhere is there being
exhibited hostility to the authority OF the
Federal Government Everywhere, wide
spread and universal, are the manifesto
tions. of determination on the part Of the
people who lately occupied the'attitude Of
insurgents, to conduct themselves as faith
full and dutiful citizens of the United States.
What, do you suppose, has contributed TO
this gratifying condition of affairs? 10
the brave soldiers, led by the great SHER-
MAN, the pertinacious GRANT, the dauntless
THOMAS and the dashing SHERIDAN, we are
under obligations, sincere and lasting, for
the overthrow of the organized military
mower of the Rebels; but, in addition there
TO. there must be an agency that has been
powerful In the tranquilization Of the
South. What is 1t? Undoubtedly 1t is a
civic principles principle begotten of the
Democratic theory of Government. It is
not the theory of New England Federal
Consolidationism, that has persistently
and pertinaciously-in season and out OF
season-decently and indecently-been
crowded on the attention of President
JOHNSON by WENDELL PHILLIPS, Senators
SUMNER and WILSON, Gen. BUTLER, HoR-
ACE GREELEY, Representative ASHLEY and
that class of men generally, as alone worthy
of consideration in connection with the
modification of the country. President
JOHNSON refused to accept their theory;
being Southern mana man VINO sprung
from the ranks of the poor people
and drawing his lessons in Government
from the pure fountain of JEFFERSON
IAN and JAcKsoNIAN Democracy, he
could not accept their theory-cculd not
accept it because of thoroughly ground
ed conviction that its adoption and
enforcement would belitter the South with
a brood Of evils that would prove con-
slant irritant to the body polite. Over
month ago he gave form and substance to
his theory of reorganization" in his North
Carolina Proclamation. So salutary have
been its operations, that a few days ago he
again promulged the same theory through
his Proclamation recognizing Civil Gov
ernmeDt in Mississippi. No emollient was
ever more soothing to an irritated part OF
mortality than has been the Presidents re-
organization policy as thus far enforced
General SHERMAN, few days ago, told the
people of Chicago that tis the duty of the
North to conciliate, and not insult the peo-
plepof the South. This grand General
grand in the performance of mighty deeds
has also pronounced against Negro Suf-
frage. He stands by the President while
down in the East, whence issue isms and
heterodoxy by which the peace and the
quiet Of the country are continually dis
turbed, General BUTLER-a General OF vast
pretensions aud insignificant military per-
formance-stands up and antagonizes the
Presidents reorganization policy, and pro-
claims for Negro Suffrage.
Gentlemen of the Convention! Does 1t
not occur to you that, in view of the whole
field, you have grave duty to perform?
Your Convention is the first Convention of
agreat State that has assembled since the
accession of ANDREW JOHNSON to the Pres
idency. You know that In his own party
what are known as the Radicals and Ma
lignants are warning against his policy.
Every utterance that is made in behalf Of
Negro Suffrage in the South-eyery declar-
alton that the apparent Unionism of the,
Southern people is mere sham-and that,
therefore, they can not be cured of their
rebeliious spirit until the late Slaves are
made the Masters, through the ballot-box,-
Of the White people-is a condemnation Of
the policy President JOHNSON has thought
proper to- pursue. In this hour Of trial
and great responsibility, the President
needs moral support. Will you, gentlemen
Of the Convention, give it to him? The
declaration that you have confidence in
him will not meet the case. Such declar
alton is too indefinite aud too general to
carry with it the force necessary to the oc-
casion. You are assembled to represent
a constituency that gave to him forty
thousand of majority. An appeal is
made to your decision-not whether
you have confidence in him; but wheth-
er youo approve. the policy by which
and through which he has undertaken to
establish Civil Government in the Southern
- 4, ..,tx - 4, x xot, nm ;ll stand hx, Ia; m,