Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1865-12-07
gelmlunt Chronicle.
st. GIairsviIIe, Ohio. Dec. z.
The Presidents Rsan.

States there has been often tone Of aensure
as If it we're too hasty and would commit
the Government to an action which the coun-
try would not approve, 1t was urged, also,
that the President ought to assemble Con-
gress to consider the question Of organiza-
ton.
Bat we have always endeavosed to show
what is now proved, that the course of the
President was tentative and not 6nal. 1t
was, as General Logan justly defined it, an
experiment. The country is committed to
nothing. The first cardinal poiut which was
ascertained was the real disposition Of the
dominent class in the rebel States. Upon
that every thing depended, Was it trust
wortby2 Was it such that the hnnd Of the
United States could be soon and entirely
withdrawn?
The President has mover said to the peo-
pie in the unorganized States whom he sum-
moned to act, 'Do this and that, and then
the States will be restored as before" He
has merely said and repeated: Certain
things are obviously necessary in any recon
struetion. Now, then, let us see what you
propose" If he had said, after the surren-
der Of the rebel armies, snow do SO and SO,
and you shall be as you were," there would
have been no discretion. Those to whom
he appealed would havs. complied categoric-
ally with the conditions. The representa-
tives would have come to Congress. The
foolish advice Of Withdrawing all the nation
al forces would have prevailed, and the late
rebel States would have been restored to
their full relations in the Union before the
disposition of the peoplo in them was
known.
Now by the course of the President this
disposition has been fully revealed. To use
familiar phrase, he has given the late reb-
els rope. The consequence was, that those
to whom his proclamations appealed at the
South showed exactly what thoy thought
and hoped, and the Democratic party at the
North, supposing that the late rebels were
to return upon their own terms, opened in
full cry for what they called the President 8
policy. That policy, as now appears, was
simply an experiment to ascertain if the late
insurgents could be trusted; and the result
is before the country.
So, also, if the President had called Con
gress together in an extra session to pre-
scribe conditions, Congress itself could not
have acted intelligently. But now, when it
meets in December, it understands exactly
the spirit with which it has to DEAL That
spirit is hostility to the Uaion, and to all
who have been faithful to it. What the
Raleigh Progress says Of North Carolina is
uudoabtedly true of the entire insurgent
section:
"The Vance and Davis leaders fused and
marshalled their forces against Governor
Holden, as they would against any Other
man who had denounced the war and the
Confederate leaders, and hence the large
vote against them. lfGovernor Holden is
beaten, the same men who have done II
Il would vote for Jefferson Davis or Zebulor
b. Vance against Andrew johnson. Their,
must be a great change of heart in NORTH
Carloina before Andrew johnson, asa csndi
date for the Presidency, can carry il agains
any prominent leader in the rebellion whc
may oppose him. We feel confident that i
is but 800 true that majority prefer to vot'
for rebel hero to an ultra uncondiiona
Union man. These things are unpleasan
to those of us who want civil law aud a p!ac
in the Union, but as they are true we ow
b il to ouTself to state them, Tho whol
people are very Loyalty disposed, ar
parehtly, in May and June, when the brlSi
ling bayonets of many battalions gave ther
gentle and constant reminders of the neces
, sity of good behavior; but as the pressur
was Withdrawn the disafected became NOR
I, aud more insolent until now men. women
and children, on bended knees, are implol
ing Andrew johnson to restore to them the
darling pet, Jefferson Davis These iniatn'
: tions may be sweet aud pleasurable nov
but if We mistake not they will become to-
Q ribly bitter before the March winds sha
N have ceased their requiems,. We regret.
speak thus. but widespread and increasin
: disaffec,ion eompels US to do it. The su
9 porters of Wade Hampton and Mr.. Wort
are the enemies of Andrew johnson. AT
will be as long as he is the enemy OF treast
:. and foe to traitors; aud when the time com
ii when they can strike him blow they "
do it," m
: The course of the Administration, in p
tieutly permitting the real spirit of the Ia
rebels to display itself, will, upon reaectio
= not be condemned by any truly loyal ma