The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1865-07-15
The President and the Radicals.

tt is not likely, certainly the public has no
evidence, that President johnson has chang
ed his former opinions concerning the aglta-
ton which caused the war, nor that he thinks
better of the parties to the agitation now than
he did formerly, The records of congress
bear witness abundantly as to what his o2in-
ions were. They were those of all democrats.
And they were spoken with an emphasis pc
culiar to himself. As. for example, the fol-
lowing, contained in one of his speeches In
the United States senate.
ssHad l the power, would transport to some
remote island, in some unknown sea, the leaders
and chiefs OF the two great ultra factions, who
have put this Union and the peace ofthe country
in great and constant danger. refer to such
men as the senators from Massachusetts, and Ohio
(Messrs. Wade and Sumner, on the one hand and
to the senators from South Carolina and Texas,
(Rhett and Wigfall,) on the other, and would
condemn them to remain there apart from the rest
of the world and leave them to carry on their
baneful agitation amoag themselves, to the great
relief of country which they manage TO keep In
perpetual peril and turmoil"
With this record of the presidents opinions
in remembrance, Mr.. Sumner was probably
not surprised at the result of his recent inter-
view with him. But doubtless the president
was surprised that Mr.. Sumner sought the
| interview. Doubtless it seemed to him &c be
very extraordinary impertinenee in Mr.. Sum
ner to seek the interview. If the published
report of the interview be true, 1t was MIR.
! Summers pleasure to undertake to instruct
the president in his duties regarding che res
! toration of the southern states, insisting that
| he must adopt the views of which he Sum.
ner) was the representative; and 1t was the
presidents pleasure to intimate that Mr.. Sum
ner was she representative of fanatics, and
that as badly as he 1.-THE PRESIDENT thought Of
seoessionists, his opinion was still worse Of
| Mr.. Summers peculiar constituents.
| We do not vouch for the truth OF the re
port of such an interview, and it Is immater
ial whether 10 be true or not. If it be not
true of the past, it is substantially true of the
future, for nothing is more certain hereafter
thar that the president, on the one side, ano
and the Summers and Wades on the other
will be as widely separated on questions
| growing out of the war as they were on cues
tons which led to it. They are visibly sepa
rated on these questions already. 1t does moi
matter that the breach is not declared. Ev
| cry Intelligent observer knows that the par
ty of the Summers and Wades is marshaling
Its forces for assault, at the first moment Of
the meeting of congress, against the presi
| dents policy of restoration. It ls upon thu
rock that the split has occurred. The presi-
dents policy looks to speedy and complet,
restoration F.; the radical policy looks to NJ
restoration, unless the south will student
and wholly enfranchize the whole body of the
negroes This is the issue between the pres
ident and the radicals. The gross sin tina
the president has already committed against
the party of the Summers and Wades is, tina
be has not himself, by proclamation. enfr an
chized the whole body Of the negroes
| That the president will not falter in the
| course upon which he has set out. we feel NJ
doubt; and that, however bitter and prolong
ed may be the contest before him. he will bs
sustained by the country, we feel as little
doubt Chicago Times.