Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1865-09-01
THE PRESIDENT AND REeoNsTRUsTIoHl

Much interest is naturally felt as to the
I exaUtrfe~e-af President johnson in the
matter of reconstruction. A recent speech
of General Schenck, therefore, at Chilli
Gothic, Ohio, in which he stated, as Is
limited. by authority, the opinions Of the
| Executive, is peculiarly important. We
find the following sketch of General
Seheneks remarks in the Cincinnati Ga
Zette:
1.-THE, President might have heidi the re-
bellious States in military subsection as a
conquered people, until satisfied of their
| entire loyalty, and until reinstated intheir
/ former positions by legislative action; or
! he might have withdrawn Gthe military
| force altogether and left themft to- exercise
their civil functions locally and in their
relations to the other States From the
start there were objections to- each of
these courses, and the President combin-
ed them, holding a military force over
them at the same time that he allowed
them to reinstate their civil powers, and
begin again the exercise of their loyal
functions. This latter privilege, however,
was only an experiment, and the speaker
assured his hearers that President John
son so regarded il. Only ten days ago, in
a full and free interview with him, the
President said ~heregarded the local gov
ernments set up IN the rebellious States
as temporary experiments, simply to give
the people an opportunity to show Wheth-
er they will develop the right spirit and
policy necessary for a full restoration to
their proper position in the Government.
While regarding them as experiments he
intends that the military power of the
Government shall hold them in check, so
that if they be found straying back int
rebellious ways the military Will be there
to prevent them from again making the
trouble they have heretofore caused"
The President In this conversation,
referring to the purse that had just been
pursued in reference to the Richmond
election, where the citizens manifested
their rebellious spirit by e~lecting to Office
the very men who had recently been in
arms against the Government. 1t was
with his sanction that the military au-
thorities had set aside that election, and
he gave this as an example of what might
be expected in other cases of a similar
kind
General Schenck also referred in his
to the question of negro suffrage,
and his remarks are significant as indicat-
the probable policy of the Unionists
IN Congress on that subject. We again
quote: ae a1 .H5
'Approaching the question of suffrage,
thespeaker said it did not trouble him ia
the least. The only question with him in
to the restoration of the rebellious
States to the full privileges of citizens,
.as as to the loyalty of the people,
When satisfied on this point, whether one
Dr. ten years hence, Congress should re-
store them; but then would come up the
question of representation. Slavery was
abolished, and the rule allowing three
ifths of the slaves to be represented in
Congress, so unjust to the North, would
to be abolished with lit, and repre-
must be according to voters, and
lot according to population.
If no one else did, the speaker would
1t an early day in the next Congress, offer
n amendment to the Constitution, by
which this three-ffths privilege should bo
lone away with, and certainly no Demo-
rat, any more than Republicans, could
'bject to the fairness of the principle that
representation should be according to
-oteTs. If under such amendment, the
wished to have its vast colored pop
Ilation represented in the councils of the
alton, IN order to approach somewhat
he political power of the Northern pop
lation of voters, and should i~naugurate
egro suffrage, nobody has any right to
omplain, and if they should allow their
thousands of negroes, under some eondi-
ons of education or property, to vote,
1ere would be no great objection in the
Iorth if the few negroes we have among
s were allowed the same privilege: but {
lis was a question for the future and for
he South itself to determine, not for us,
nd there was no need of the Union par
being disturbed By a discussion of the :
1t had enough else to look after
regard to what privileges white rebels
lould be allowed TO exercise" =