Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1865-06-15
gradford geporter,
Towanda, Thursday, June 10, 1866.
PRESIDENT JoHNsON's RECONSTRUCTION
POLICY.

In what manner shall the rebel States be
re-instated into the Union, is the all absorb
ing question of the day, and conflicting
views on this topic meet us at every turn.
The question is different from any other the
American people have had to adjust, and
there is no light of experience, no precedent
by which to be guided; and yet the man
ner of the adjustment of the present diff
Guilty, is of very grave Importance Much
of our harmony and prosperity in time to
come, will depend upon aohat ace do-and
hoao ace do ito meet this emergency. Our
surroundings therefore, call for great Cir
cumspection, the exercise of all our pru-
dence, and all the wisdom of the country
The President has recently indicated the
policy of the government on this subject by
two Proclamations, one an amnesty, offer
ing pardon to the great bulk of the rebels
who bore arms against the government, and
the other appointing a Provisional Cover
nor for North Carolina, with authority to
call state convention for the creation of
constitution adapted to the new order of
things, and authorizing the different De-
partments of the General Government to re-
sumo their respective functions in that
State. All loyal citizens, and all unaccep-
ted rebels, who take the amnesty oath, are
allowed to participate in this organization.
1t is assumed that this procedure is war
ranted by the 4th Article and the 4th Sec
ton of the Constitution ofthe United States,
which declares that the general Govern
ment shall guarantee Republican form
of government to each State, and that as it
is the duty of the President to see that the
laws are executed, it becomes his to re-Cr-
ganize the rebel states on the plan indica-
ted
With the amnesty Proclamation we con-
fess ourselves dissatisfied. The Amnesty
Proclamation of President Lincoln, as a war
measure, was right, but that issued by
President Johnston as a Peace measure, is
not. 1t has always been a doubtful ques-
tion whether the President, or the executive
of State, can grant pardon for a crime
committed against the laws, before IL has
been established and .fred on a pa,ty-by ciUa
or military process !; and we do not believe
such to have been the intention of the fra
mers of the Constitution when empowering
the President to reprieve and pardon for
crimes committed against the United States
The amnesty Proclamation issued by Presi-
dent Lincoln was designed as an induce
ment for the rebels to lay down their arms,
and many thought it would have this effect.
If there was the remotest hope of such a
result it justified the offer of pardon made
in it. The rebels then were not under our
control, and we had no possible way of
them unless by some such expe-
dent and if those we could not master
could be induced to cease their war upon
the government by the offer of pardon for
past offenses, it would have been considered
right, and indeed wise. Here the offenders
were to do some thing to earn fOrgivness.
1t was virtually contract between two in
dependent parties and we would have
gained much if we could have ended the
war in this way This is the light in which
our late Presidents Amnesty Proclamation
was held But to offer full pardon to the
out rebels now after they had re-
fused it before, and when we are masters
of the situation, to be laughed at and weak
ened by our folly, is simple weakness, to
say the least of it. This scheme of recon
strnction has already proven a failure i'll
the elections in Tennessee and Virginia. In
the latter, it is said, that absolute rebels
have been returned to the Legislature, and
in the former, laws have been enacted re-
cognizing slavery, and providing for the
partial enslavement of the free blacks of
that State. And what else could be expec.
ted from this system? The pardoned trail
tors will be largely in the ascendant in the
rebel states, and after being pardoned they
will be rebels still in sentiment and feeling.
They will again secure political power i'll
these states, then will the old game for pre-
ponderance in the general Government be
the loyal men prosecuted, and
step by step, the blacks will be re-enslaved.
1t looks to US, after our fearful sacrifices,
that we are to be cheated out of our point
The Amnesty Proclamation of President
Johnson goes upon the presumption that
pardoned traitors will return to their allie
glance, and duty to the Government hon
estly. Yet in almost every case when an
has been given, the old malig-
nant hate Of the Union has shown itself, re.
served and cautious in some, and in others
outspoken and defiant. Our returning sol
diers experienced this in nearly every i'm
aginable form, in every locality, and from
every condition in rebeldom 1t is a mis-
taken notion to suppose that the good will
of those who have taken an active part in !
the rebellion, and thereby intensified their
to the Government, can be Sc
cured by any show Of lenity or acts of kind
ness. No considerable number of this class
will ever again bear friendship towards the
I'D Union They are Subdued but not