The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1865-11-16
keeOnstrectiOR---A Possible Change
OF POLICY. anI NEhr


The Southern papers, With great unaniu,-
ity, express Their confidence In Presiien,
johnson. They tell Us that he stands BE-
tween the people Of the South and the rssi-
Gals Of the North be it IS who VIII prevent
TIE e1acti0n Of humiliatinr coniitious.
Very good. But What IS the pIaiu dutvIoi
the people South who have N potential
friend A. Courtf He tells them that thers
ere certain thiogs that they must DO, and
certain things that they ought to 90, il they
expect him 70 suceossfuilF rfsist the de
mands Of the radicals. They must repeal
their ordinances Of sscessi9n they must
declare slavery abolished forever. thry must
| reP0diate their war debt These conditions.
they are told, are imperative, and must BE-
complied with. They ought 90 rstify the
Constitutional amerdment, thay ought 10
abolish class legislation. protect the negroes
10 their civil rights qualify them Is Wit
nessess elect conservative men 10 ofice, and
N All things eompOrt themselves as men
earnestly resolved not oniy 70 restore the
States 70 the Union, but ne hearts Of the
people.
Now What, in fact, arc the people Of these
States through their conventions, ballot-
boxes, and Legislatures, doing Lip service
s cheap what is the purp0rt Of their acts 2
Tbs President VIII determine whether these
/ people are 10 be trusted, not By what they
say but BY what they 90. They have re.
/ Pealed or an1nlled the ordinances OF seces-
sioa they have declared slavery aboiishei
I ~ the Federal G0vernment, and ~ their
orgsuic lave they have recognised the fact.
hey have, Ia Mississippi and Alabama
promptly, snd in Georgia aud North Coroli-
pa reiuetantlys repudiaied or set aside she
var debt. Beyond this the Eish es Of the Presi-
dent have not been regarded, while his expec-
Al hauHa. a. u. ~
legislatures as are in session, have main
tsined an Ominous silence on the question Of
ratifying the Constitationai Ameadmeat; |
ihey have refused or nsglesiet % abolish I
class legislation; they have rather sought |
to Perpetuate it under the plea Of necessity. |
rs though a0y necessity ever existed for the |
PerPetuation Of wrong they have IN some |
States elected 70 the 0fiics of Governor men |
who were original secessionists, bitter enc /
Eies OF the Government dusiDg al is strug-
gle for existence, and for aught they have
said or done since, its bilter enemies at
heart, over men who were, a. the BEGIN
aings opposed to secession, vho refrained So
much as possible from encouraging its pre-
tensions TO indePendense, and who were the
hrst to step ioTward, aftsr the war, 70 assist
the Administration in the work Of recon
structiOn. They have elected 70 Congress,
N many distticts, men who caR not lake
the Congressional test oath, kuoEiug their
inability % do 30, and with the express puf-
Toae, 4 IS believed Of defying law design
ed 10 keep 0ut Of tae National Assembly
that class Of politicians. The Government,
IN good faith, established q Freedmen's Blu
reau, TO assiat in the work Of adjusting the
relstions between the whites and freedmen,
securing to the latter fair dealing, and 20
The former the labor they need in cultiva-
/ ng their neglected plantations. Every
step in the progress Of this work has been
taken in the face Of opposition, and the
agents Of the Bureau, with very few excep-
hons, have been tre tied as though they
were enemies. In parts Of Louisians, We {
ARE credibly informed, meetings have been | 7
held, and resolutions adopted re-esiablish
ng slavery; and where me effort has been
made TO establish c0lored schools, educate =
The eoiored children, and qualify them TO be
useful and industrious members Of s. ciety,
! fooliah prejudice and persscuting malig-
lity have teen combined 10 defeat the en-
erpgise.
We should prefer 20 report a different
tate Of things but the facts are. for the Z
present, against as. II, then, the President ?
Toes not manifest particular eagerness on J
m the subject Of restoration II he tale 9
yraphs TO the Provisional Governors Of the n
'arolinas 10 hold on till ordered 10 vacate Q
n favor Of the Governors elect, Messrs y
Hampton aud Worth; II he indicates or :
lrop- ses to continue a semi-military super I J
'isiOn Of these States, and hesitates about q
eceiving them into full communion, il will 4
lot be At all difficult 20 discover the causes q
hat have led TO this change in his policy l Z
1he people Of the South have been told By G
he President and by those who understood q
lis plan Of reorganization, that i was i
not final, and depended for q
Is permanence on the action aud spirit Of | q
he people Of the Southern States them ;
elves. IL a change in his purPososss takes 4
iac9, it will not be the result Of radical q
ressure at the North, bur disloyal pressure v
{ the South. He has met those lately In c
sbelli0n more than half way, aud has held
be sacridcial knife ready these many p
lonths 10 Kill the fstted calf, and make L
Terry over the return Of the prodiga's who b
ave wasted their substance in riotous liv- S
lg. They must do something for them J
elves, however Cincinnati Commercial d