Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1865-05-04
HE Future.
The Course Of Rcconclii~'
.#Ew ton.
rukre GsneAr QUEsTIONS
H. PEACE.

TIE GnEAT euEsT''
rs... a.. n Y. Jour Of Commerce
-,c.;ved many communicate. arss,
NV 80, wh,ch now seems I. III
On w q uSsS an public atttcn,io', 81 their
moss sosc. ditch the reoc's .arn,nent.
sns -" 20 receive from IN. s,o,ah been
MS. .s' a.,sstion has curionAy ,,,an anywhere
en-. ,41ss,ed in the pup rushed into the
else, and tne Go. o. the politicians, discuss
field IN S Character ofjusticc ana ao'no", :
irg the hisn n and their hearers OF
ishing ans thiuk the religious duty Q. W.
what 'ngy nrcss has spoken for the ,hos'
hos n,, IN General phrases, ana we n ,;ae
par o"y seen any attempt to ara" a '"'
no. - ,ho classcs who are TO be maui re-
De'~e." ~ mercy and those who are 70 SUI.
c'p'cns n.liies Of outraged law IL seems
.e' ~. ~, 4 can do very little good 70 n's.
~. this question or TO attempt 10 u.s a.
~ lie And AS it is one oil Tue ".H.
tcr. sbich is expressly co'" n'ias !, - ,-oh.
-, n be President himself y PROV.
N,,.4sr, II MA hands. tits not likeiy 'ha' a,
aoiy ha'c ~ -" anhlic discussion OF 1t will
change his views or Affect MS "e''a'o"
80 fsros;dent johnson must be regarded
's tho power and right to decide
~ ,,,.., course. and determine the line OF
d.,r.,L acknowledgement those among the reb-
o,s wno are TO he punished and those who
A.. 70 he hardened. He is surrounded by
councillors whose advice he will take, aud
follow or reject as to him seems proper a
norton Of the press and people. while wait
inc for his decision, seem to anticipate
PROCLAMATION declaring the policy to be pur-
sued This is by no means necessary, and
IL NAV seem more wise on the part Of the
President to dctrmine for himself. in each
individual case that may come before him,
whether his prerogativc Of pardon shall be
exercised him or not. We may therefore
leave the matter in his hands where the raw
have placed il. While his decision VIII De
Of great importance wi.n reference 10 the
future az the cc-.try, still that future is no
less do, ...uent on this question than on
OILS, and those other questions may be
more protitably considered by the public
The people have their share Of the work
to do in restoring friendly relations and
friendly feelings between the north aud
south. This work will progress in time,
and its rapidity will be determined by the
people themselves. Nothing will more sure.
and mail intercourse, which will doubtless
commence IS soon ms the authorities can
safely permit it. The interchange Of senti
ment will develop mutual interests, and re-
store that bond Of national union which is
dependent on trade and commerce, and
which commerce always sustains. The
people Of the north will soon begin to talk
:. -. .ae people of the south by letters, BY
newspapers, and in person. Families long
severed will be reunited Old bonds Of
personal affection will be renewed and made
stronger than ever. The churches which
have boon severed will begin to think o!
coming together again. Each and every J. i,
fucncc OF this kind will be Of the hir nest
value in forming once more that con. munitv
Of feeling which it is the intent aid desire
Of all patriotic men to re-cstabiis a in all the
land.
The most important questions which are
now before tbs nation involving the most
extended interests, and on which our fu-
ture most seriously depends, are no longer
questions Of war. In the election of Mr.
Lincoln and Mr.. Johnson last In" we &C
ccoted the decision of all questions relatin:
to the objects and conduct OF tho war, an
declined any longer to discuss them. TIL
nation has during five years passed rapid
through what might be called succession
of years. Before the war it was fitting an
r--r~. discuss tho causes which wer
leading to 1t, and there was broad roun f.
. difference of opinion, and a possibl!it
that discussion might throw light and d
some good. This era closed, and, whe
the war became .ixed and terrible fact,
was useless any longer to discuss causes
for they were matters Of history, and ne
ther they nor the fact Of war could pe Chang
ed. II then became the duties Of citizen
to discuss the methods of conducting an
closing the war; the ends to be reached. an
the means of reaching those ends. Their
was a wide difference Of opinion on Shos
subjects, and those differences were t'nall,
brought to issue in the election Of lsji.-
The result of that election vas the adoption
Of the policy laid down in the Baltimore
platform and marked out by Mr.. Lincoln
and that closed discussion.
The course which we then pursued, re
garding those question: as defnently settlcc
beyond possibility OF change, was in ou
opinion the duty Of the citizen, aud subse
qucntly events fully justified the wisdom
and propricty Of that course. All question
relating to the object and conduct Of tn
war were settled by thai election, and the.
were no longer subjects OF discussion. Th
war has been conducted nearly to its clos
under the direction and policy OF Mr.. Lin
coin, then reelected The questions nov
coming before the people ere, we have saic
questions of peace and not Of war To thcs,
the minds of men must be soon directed -
1t is no longer to be considered what ar
mics shall be raised or how they shall be-
raised.
,cV ,kxt, -, Ill al.
are now entering on n new era
passing into a field Of new ones
tons, where our course is to be guided By
the decision and adoption of rules of action
which have not been very much thought o.
during the war. The union men of tn,
south have the same interests with ourseive.
IN these matters.
As rapidly as the government shall per
init the exercise Of the privileges Of citizen
ship by those now or lately in rebellion, jus
10 rapidly these men will become intereste,
In questions relating to national affairs
whose discussion and decision vii, be mos
potent in restoring peace and communit,
ol interest and feeling to all the country
Xnese are to be such questions as those Q
foreign relations and Of domestic econom
Of revenue, currency, and tariff, which W
ore now to face and settle. In these "
zee the future interests Of the country mos
deeply involved These we must look
- wise men, over and beyond the temper.
~ questions Of settling the fate Of leader
Of the rebellion, or determining how ia
mercy shall be extended.
The condition Of the south, and Of tn
people Of the south, will rapidly adjust il
self On the principles Of self interest. W
do rot mean TO imply that their trcatmen
10 not question Of vast Importance. o.
the contrary, the importance Of the princi
Piles 70 be adopted in what is called "recon
struction" cannot be too highly estimated
But on this subject we understand Pcsi
dent Johnston to have laid down his view
already. in terms which must be highly sa,
;;s.actory to every loyal and patriotic Amer
In. S, e'uzen. In his speech to the Indian
oeioeation he made several admirable con