Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1865-08-18
G5atcbman & Stair 5Ournal
MONTPELIER, AUG. is. 1895.

ne teleBthpu mas given htOfy from |
Washington, to the effect that the Cabinet
has had an exciting time over the reconstruc-
ton question, and that the President declared |
his intention to stick to the policy he has en-
tered upon in spite Of all opposition. Now
we venture to say that this is of the sensation
sort Of stuff, guess at the topic discussed |
in a cabinet meeting, and not worth the cost
of telegrophing it. President Johnson un-
doubleday adopted his policy (Which is said
to be that of President Lineon) with the
consent of the cabinet he has issued his
Proclamations and appointed provisional gov
ernors, and they have called State conventions
andappointed elections therefor-or all but two.
/ Pray what is or can be changed, or what rea-
sen exists for any change provided change
be possible Has any body in the cabinet
found out that the policy will be failure :
We doubt whether any body in it, Presidents
Lincoln and johnson inc uded, ever was very
sanguine Of success, or rather Of immediate
success. The line which Gen. Grant fought
on for year proved to be very good one
most as fatal as that through which the chill
dren of Israel passed from bondage to the
promised land. The Presidents line for re-
construction may be good one, too. but we
think it is to have its wilderness There may
be hard fighting and many rebuffs on both
sides of the line; we expect them; and we
do not expect satisfactory settlement until
the resistless power of the nation is brought
to bear upon reluctant states, as the resistess
power Of the army was brought to bear upon
rebels in arms. To that shape the question
would come under any policy, and it is just
as well to look the thing in the face and meet
it under the Presidents policy. We see no
reason for desiring any change because the
people of the southern states will not, in all
human probability, adopt satisfactory constitu.
tons. We do not expect then to do it until
they better understand their own necessities
aud their duties both to the nation and their
own people; and we do not expect them to
do that for some time yet. The President
has given them the opportunity to try and
that, we have no doubt, is the length and
breadth Of what is called the Presidents poll
cy. We do not suppose he is pledged to ac-
cept Of any State action, right or wrong, or
that he has any desire to have it anything
but right. In word we suppose he is and
will be just as free as is aud will be Congress
and the people to test the constitution of each
State when it shall be presented.
Presidents and Congress have never hest
tated in respect to the constitutions formed by
the people of new States, and we do not see
why they should hesitate to scrutinize the
work of the net0 people Of old states OF
course we know that some peoples heads are
still muddled with what are termed State
Right doctrines and the whole country has
been terribly muddled with them too, at the
cost of rebellion and four years of war
We are as jealous of State rights as any body.
feeling, as a citizen of one of the small states
OF the Union, that there lies the security of
our own against larger states and the nation
itself but we have learned that there are no
State rights, as against each other or the ma
/ ton, except such as are recognized by the
Constitution of the United States and none
subversive Of the Union or inconsistent with
the welfare of the nation. When we come to
the particular right now in question-that Of
the people of State or territory to form
State government-we find that, by the Con-
stitution Of the United States, it is subject
to the supervision of the United States.
The United States shall guaranty to every
State in this Union a republican form of gov
eminent, says the Constitution Of the Unit
ed States. There is the duty, and there lies
the power Of the United States over the
State Right in question. Well, since there
is no doubt about the duty and power of the
United States, let US suppose the case of a
state coming under the Presidents policy, /
with constitution which denies common
rights to a majority of its own people and
such we have no doubt will be the case of
South Carolina. Are we to be told that
South Carolina did that very thing years ago,
and her government was accepted for half CEN
fury as "Republican?" The fact is the ques.
ton was never raised, South Carolina being
one of the original States, her constitution
and state government organized previous to
the adoption of the Constitution of the !
United States. But several slave States have
been admitted to the Union, and fairness re-
qoires us to meet those presidents. We do
meet them with this there never was one Of
these recognized States, new or old, whose |
people were in the present condition of South |
Carolina They had slaves, recognized by .
the Constitution Of the United States as such |
South Carolina now has no slaves recognized |
by the Constitution or by the government of |
the United States, and yet the majority Of
her people are not endowed with the civil and .
political rights of freemen. There is there
fore no precedent for this case; old principles
or practices do not apply at all. But more
in all the States coming with Constitutions
heretofore, the people were all loyal to the
United States, and under none Of the polite