Pomeroy weekly telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio) 1860-1866, 1865-09-28
Political Aspects OF the Times
RecOnStrMctive Tendencies.


ical atmosphere, is at present difficult to tell
If we were to trust the surface appearances
we should think it was calm. Republican
Conventions and Democratic Conventions VII
with one another in resolutions of confdenc,
and rejoicing and hope in Mr. Johnson's re
construction policy. But, unfortunately, eacl
one tacks on some conditions which seem t.
be most decidedly hostile to that policy, Fo
instance, take the Democratic Conventions
they resolve that Mr.. Johnson's policy of re
construction and Cancellation is very good
but resolve also that the military authorit,
should be Immediately put in subcction tt
the civil and martial law abolished Now
it is only by virtue of conquest, of the supre
macy of martial law, that Mr.. johnson has
done, or can do anything in the premises
constitutionally. While conquest is the fact
and martial law the law dominant, Mr.. John
son can appoint his Provisional Governors
his rules of suffrage, as he pleases. Take
away the law martial and he can do nothing
absolutely nothing. The rebel States must
on this point remain outside, and without a
Government, and without the means of maxi
ing one. AS fact, they are simply conquer
ed territories, Tin the Union, but in the I'm
ion without laws or Government. If then the
anxious to support Mr.. Johnson let them
tial law till their objects are accomplished.
fully harmonious. The only thing the New
was to support q Republican Administration !
But there are enormous clouds over this fair
aspect of the political heavens. Those who
o,>I L. Al
storm or the murmur of the winds, are not to
be misled by these pharisaical pretensions.-
Among the people IN their quiet homes and
rural highways there is a low murmur, which
denotes the coming in of the tide. 1t is not
negro suffrage which makes the difficulty
Politicians may bark at that, but they are
barking up the wrong tree. 1t is reconstruct
ing rebels into porer, which is the trouble
Henry A. Wise, Wade Hampton, Judge Shar-
key, the Mississippi Convention, cum multis
dliis, are the expounders of the real difficulty
These men don't want to 20 into exile, al
though their country was so bad and so often
sive they had to rebelagainst it. They can't
be induced to 60 into some other country, but
they must stay here and renew the war, with
a new party organization to be composed of
rebels, copperheads and conservatives. Well,
yon say, they cannot renew slavery Prob
ably not but can they not set back partially,
if not altogether, the advance of freedom and
civilization for another generation? Can they
not arrest the education of the blacks? Can
they not forbid their holding lands? Can
they not keep them in bondage as real and
positive as that of Mexican pcons3
1t is in vain to say that the assumptions of
Wise, Hampton & Co. are gross impudcncc.
1t is in vain to reason with it. We might as
well reason with lunatic in the asylum or
caress tiger in the jungle. They are only
specimens of the total depravity which ami .
mates the whole gang of crazy rebels
Now, what has Mr. johnson, done in his
Reconstruction to abatc this lunacy or re.
strain it within descent bounds? Why, in the
first place, he gives the rebels power to vote
and reorganize society Second, he enables
them to call conventions and reorganize State
Governments and third he proposes to or
ganize State militia in the rebel States to
preserve the peace and guard the Union
On this, we merely observe that, if the law
and Constitution are to prevail, this whole af.
fair belongs to Congress. In the next place.
why should VIC put these rebels in power p
There are some Union men in every State
why not give them the power2 If moi, why
not keep it in the mitary2 Is the value and
Importance of these rebels so great that VIC
must rush into their arms, present each man
with a ballot, and beg the favor of his not
shooting US the next minute? Are the men
who starved our poor, suffering prisoners at
Andersonyille such amiable and estimable
companions that we must court their favor
and friendship2 The world has never seen,
since the Black Hole of Calcutta, nor even
then, such barbarous and inhuman villainy as
they perpetrated aoith the knocledge and an
der the authority of the rebel Government.
Are we to present these barbarians with bal
lot and a pistol, and ask them to outvote us
with one and outshoot us with the other3
We pass over the pardon business, in which
the greater the traitor the greater the grace,
and come to the proposition to arm and Or
ganize the rebel militia. Why, was not the
rebel militia armed and organized at Bull
Run, at Shiloh, at Chickamauga, and at Get
tysburg? Hayn't we had nearly enough of
their organizations Hasn't the militia of
Mississippi been defending the Union long
enoughf This is either grand experiment
in philanthropy or it is a new treatment of
lunacy. For ourselves, we should as soon t
think of opening the doors of all the cata.
mounts and tigers i'll the menageries But
this is the business of Congress, and Congress +
is called npon by all the obligations of duty,
by oil the memories of the dead, and by all h
the honor of patriotic Americans, to take this
whole affair into their own hands and do ius-
tice to all classes of men, -s u
We very much mistake if the representa-
tives of the West are going to invite these q
rebels to share the political power Of this t
country, without either protection or condition. II
live look little deeper, we see some omi- t
nous signs. The Democratic Convention of t
Ohio, instead of joining in general concli. 7
alton scheme, hunts up the resolutions of |
l79S, puts itself on States rights, and insists
On the restoration of the Bourbons. Notbino #
will suit it but renewal of old controversies a
over exploded ideas. Turning to the other Ii
side, we find the REPUBLICAN, Convention of 81
Minnesota refuses to indorse Mr.. Johnson's
reconstruction policy, and riles the water by 6,
throwing in something not in the programme. IC
We see in these incidental movements some t,
thing of the truth. The old democratic or. t.
yanization really sympathizes with the doc g g
rines of secession, and except from dire ne :,
,essity (as in New York; will not voluntarily q
1epart from them. The Republicans really
10 not like the aspects of reconstruction, and
once in while let the fact out We see then S
he ground swell of new movements. What :
are thew IN he Who (, to ,,uac. l. ~ oI