The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1865-09-07

bring about peace upon the basis
Of reunion. Ii would not bc cor.
rect to say that all of them entirely
agreed to the positions which |
have just stated, but think | am
am not mistaken in saying that,
had it not been fer the crushing
despotism which the Davis Gov.
crnmcut succeeded in establishing,
and the ruthless severity with
which military government was
applied to the rcmotcst portions q!
tho ommunity, in each of the GO.
ccdcd States, this party would have
openly avowcd and rJbably sue.
cooded in carrying out the purpo.
scs and doctrines which | havo dcs-
cribod. When put in peril ofthcir
lives such men frequently avowcd
their allegiance to the rebel Gov.
Crnmcnt in terms much stronger
than their hearts received, and
thus their apparent course was far
from consistent, although their pur.
pose and their disposition was SO
well understood 10y the rebel Gov
& II ncnt that they We're never trust
cd but were kcptundcr the strctcst
and most constant surveillance, and
were constantly upbraidcd as to-
rics by tho party in power. 1t is
from this class ofpcrsous that Pres
idcnt Johnson has selected the men
to whom he has entrusted the rcor-
ganization of the rchcilious States.
Had there been body of true and
determined loyalists there of course
the Provisional Governors, and
other officers entrusted with that
: duty, would have been selected
from them. But the dospotism oI
the Davis Government was such
that no class Of loyal persons could
exist within their dominions.-
Thoy were killed or cxilcd. The
few who were found still faithful,
were generally y men whose humble
circumstances and lack of positive
Influence secured them some dc
gree of immunity. In tho noun.
tain fastncss of North Carolina and
\ Georgia little communities of poor
= and uncducatcd farmers might bC
found among whom the fire of 10y
5 atty still burned ; but even these
= were often hunted out; their young
: men were mcrcilossly impressed
; into the rebel army, and forced to
/, fight against the Government that
: they loved, and the homes of those
! who persisted in their attachment
to the Government, wcro destroy.
ed, and their households forced tc
, flee beyond tho rebel lines for sc,
! curity. If those who worc thus
far into tho rebel army deserted
and returned home, partisan bands
orrebols secured the country, sciz.
: ing and hanging them without form
of trial or pretcnsc ofinyestigation.
, Under such rule the existence o
+ any considerable body of avowcd
/ loyalists became of course an i'm
possibility, and the whole South
below the border States, took OF
the complexion Of n uniform sub
serviance TO the rebel rule, which
, it otherwise would never have
, had.
TIE POLITICAL nRIFTwooD.
In every community there is {
,, largo body of persons whose per
! sonal opinions have so little of fix
cdncss that they readily follow tn,
. prevailing sentiment, and attacl
themselves with moro or less fidcl
' ity to the prevailing Government
: whatever it bo. In tic South,
: large portion Of the poorer classc,
: were thus blindly allied to those t.
whom they were accustomed tc
> look up to in their own ncighbor
! hood, and followed the rebel leaders
MS they would have followed til,
y Conservatives, had they been abb
to obtain u real control in the Gov
ernment. The close of the wa
has now set free these different cl
: cments, and it remains to be seel
in what direction the opinions an,
L purposes of the different classes q
society there will tend.
), TIE PRESIDENTS POLICY.
Tho experiment policy of recon
# struction devised by the Prcsiden
:. is testing this. The time has no
,r yet come when we can affirm witt
d certainty what will be the result
n From n personal acquaintance wit
q some of those into whose hand
IS the work ofroorganization has bee
d given, | incline to the belief tha
If the conservative party, so .callod, i
n the South, will gradually collec
- about il enough ofthe floating mas
N Of tho people to whom / havo II
|. ferred to give them the substantii
l. control, and enable them, for som
N time at least, to guide the destinic
lc Of these States. believe that thi
l. party, in several of the States, wi
g be found desirOus of coming int
al cordial support with tho Unio
Y. party Of the North-that the an
4. tagOnism between them and thos
G. secessionists who were dominer
ID during the war, will increase ratl
al err than diminish, and that if thos
10 States can be brought into rropc
ly relations to their sister States {
the North, and into cordial n,
ceptance Of the real results of til
war, under the guidance of an
ye party formed out of the white POI