The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-05-05
President Johnso Policy.

we CCuISSS tndt VIC ICdu lColVcut cOuN-
SONS speech to the Indiana delegation with
unspeakable relief. We have never cared,
and probably no loyal man has ever cared,
how stern fate is melted out to the lead
ers of this nefarious rebellion. No con-
oeivable punishment can be at all COM
mensurate with the magnitude of their
crime. We believe, however, that the
great masses of the Southern people are
comparatively guiltless Of this horrid war
probably quite as free from sin in the premi-
ses as any one of the myriads of agltatofS
and radicals at the North, who have oeen
stirring up and fostering this strife for the
last twenty years.
Terribly have the masses OF the peopie
at the South already atoned tor their snare
in this great crime. We are glad' tnefe,
fore. that President JOHNSON means that
these people shall be forgiven protected
and restored to their rights.
Let the leaders be given over to fresl-
dent JOHNSON, to do with them as to
him seemeth good. 40
As to the Northern agitators, we are
content to leave them to the justice OF
Almighty God, which will be sure to over
take them sooner or later.
What, however, caused US especial solici-
tude, was the policy Mr.. JOHNSON might
adopt relative to the rights and existence
of States. 1t is well known to be the de-
sire of large but active faction OF the
Republican politicians to obliterate and
wipe out all the States engaged in the rebel
lon-or rather whose people, or some por-
ton Of them, have been engaged in the
rebellion-and to treat the territory con-
stituting these States as newly acquired
territory, to be divided up and laid out into
new States or Territories at the pleasure
Of Congress.
It is true that such policy could only be
maintained upon the theory that the States
as such had actually seeded, and hence
had the power of thus seceding-thus re-
oogrizing the validity of the grounds upon
which the secessionists had protested to
rest their action and the justice OF their
cause, and acknowledging the sntenable'
ness Of our own position and the conse-
queut injustice of the general government
in undertaking to resist and crush the &C
ton Of the seceesionists.
In other words. those who proposed to
treat the States in which there had been
insurrection as extinct, were as re0olu'
tionary and as disloyal to the Union and
constitution as the seoessionists them
selves. We do not mean to be under
stood as charging this class of men with
Intentional treason. We merely mean
that the course which they propose to
adopt is absolutely subversive Of our con-
stitution.
It is perfectly apparent to every think
ing man, and has been distinctly held by
the great body OF the American people,
since the war commenced, that the Fede-
raj Government could not recognize the
possibility of disunion, and hence could
not recognize the possibility of States
seeding or being out of the Union; that
It WAS the peculiar duty and junction OF
the general government to put down in
surrection in States where it occurred, and
to maintain and secure such States in all
the integrity of their right. This view of
course forever excluded the idea of State
obliteration as consequence OF the insur-
rection of the whole or anyportion ofthepeo-
ple within the territorial limits of State.
Hsd the policy of the radicals been carried
out, our whole Government would have
been practically rerolutionised. The con-
sequence, both immediate and future, can
not be conceived.
It Is precisely here that cur apprehen-
SONS of danger in the result Of this con-
fict, Arising especially after the military
power of the confsderacy had been over
thrown, have been from the beginning
most lively. It is only few months
since the feeling of doubt and dissruss as
to Mr.. LHoo1n's policy on this point had
been full dissipated. TWAS natural, there
fore, tina. every conservative man In the
country should feel anxious IS to the views
Of Mr.. JoRssoN on this question.
Bat President JOHNSON has now spoken
on this very point and 10 terms of distinct
ness that can leave no doubt ss to the
policy Of to Be pursued by him and must
give the most lively and profound satisfac-
ton to every patriot in our land. The
States are to b preserved in oil their
fssegrisy; tie possibility Of their eztinc-
ton Is not to Be recognized.