The Howard union. (Glasgow, Mo.) 1865-1866, 1865-07-20
A Kew to the Presidents Policy.

On the day Of the assembling Of the re-
cent State Convention of Ohio, there appear.
ed in the State Journal, OF Columbus, a
letter, written by prominent delegate to
that convention, and which, in the clearest
policies Of President johnson on the ques-
tion of rehabilitation in the South. The Lou.
isville Journal is ''directly and reliably in
formed that the letter fully embraces the
views Of President Johnson, and that it is
in truth semi. official expression from the
President himself" Whether the latter
part of the Journals information is correct
or not there can be no doubt as to the for
mer, for the deductions of the writer are
logically necessary from the language Of the
President. The writer says:
1.-THE true key TO- the Presidents procla-
nation is that he holds the doctrine that the
so-oalled acts Of State secession are null and
void, and all acts done in pursuance thereof,
and hence that all Offices held under rebel
authority can be declared vacant by the
military authority of the President Of the
United States, on the quelching Of the. re-
beilion.
Further, that the State constitutions and
laws in force at the date Of the pretended
secession, having been held in allegiance du-
ring the war, remain in full force and effect,
as they originally stood before they were
changed and subjected 10 recognize rebel
authority. Therefore, his proclamatlons
recite, "That whereas, the fourth Section
of the fourth Article Of the Constitution oil
the United States declares that the Uuited
States shall guarantee to every State In the
Union republican form Of governments"
therefore, he, as President Of the United
States, proceeds to put in motion the ma
ohinery that may enable the legal loyal vo-
tiers of the State to set in operation again
the civil government, referring back 10 the
date of the so.called ordinance of secession,
TO ascertain who are the legal voters Of the
State. However, by his authority as COM
mander-in. chief of the army, he prevents
the rebel legal voters from exercising the
right of suffrage by requiring the test oath
set forth in the Amnesty Proclamation of
May 29th, 1865. BY this action he enfran-
chises no one, but, by virtue of his pardoning
power, prescribes the condition on which a
loyal voter Of the State may exercise his pre-
existing right Of suffrage, by acknowledging
the authority Of the government Of the
- - go >. ns,;,, WY" al lazy. ~ "O
WIFI u',uei .ne 'O''S.''u.'o" anu laws
President johnson believes that neither
himseit nor Congress mas any constitutional
right TO create voters out 'hat power ,ne
people OF me several states composing Tie
federal union nave righ'fuiIy exercised
from the origin OF the government TO The
present time. (See procamation.)
1t by no means follows, as some argue
that if the States as they were, ante beltum
that officers whom President Johnson has
displaced, are the Legitimate State govern
ment, because there can be no Legitimate
State government that acknowledged rebe
authority and resist the paramount authority
of the constitution of the United States by
armed rebellion; which forfeits the right oil
these officers to hold office, but not the right
OF the legal voters OF the state TO choose
o'her omeers VINO may ofng "eir o'a.e
agan INTO proper .1 praIGiueal relations, ,S &c
Tue gov erenen. u 'ne on,on. Al sne ' Je'
ginning oi ihe war, sne P,lho,P'e was .u,.'
fecoenlzeu W eveiY uePaf'Hen =. '"' kpS'
S[hmeht III REFERENCES ~ virgin =, Hnet
ierpont was e,sI No. oo'1rnO i; 'nS WI
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