Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-12-12
WhaG the Public Expected from
Andrew John SON.

that concern out of gear. 1t was only got
sufficiently in order to give the public the
following expression In regard TO the mes
sage the next morning:
1--WE publish thismorning the Presidents
message completeg His declarations are all
otIthe straightforward kind, and the doeu-
ment is just such one as the public ex-
peCted from ANDREW Johnson"
Since then the Journal has not had one
word to say about the message. twill be
seen by a careful perusal Of the foregoing,
, that the Journal does not indorse single
declaration in the Message. 1t alleges that
the Presidents celebrations are all Of the
straightforward kind;" but it is careful not
to say that they, therefore, meet its appro-
baton. IL asserts that "the document is
just such one as the public (not it) expect
ed from ANDREW JOHNSON" Lest how
ever, we should be considered hypercritical,
we will accept the Journals statement that
the Presidents "declarations are of the
straightforward kind" aud that ''the docu-
ment Is Just such q one as the public ex-
pected from ANDREW JOHNSON" as an ex-
preston of opinion on its part that the
Presidents declarations are right, and
that ''the document is just such one as" it
expected from President JOHNSON"
Let us rehearse some of the declarations"
of the President in his Message which we
herein assume the Journal has put its brand
of"right" upon and would have ''the public"
receive as entitled TO their unlimited sup
port. Through the force of argument, the
President has taken the late insurgent States
right up to the doors of both houses of the
National Legislature, and put into their
handsthe Constitution of the United States;
wherein their right to representation in
those two Houses is declared with a lucidity
that does not admit of any misunderstand
ing. If this is what ''the public" expected
from ANDREW JOHNSON" and if this ex-
pectation was, as the language would seem
to imply, the offspring of the desire that
he should do this thing, ought not the MEM
bers in Congress read in this circumstance
their duty to welcome into Congress the
Representatives of those States? Is it not
clearly, then, the wish of 1.-The public" that
they should do this and if they shall fail 10
comply with this, wish of theirs will "the
public" turn their backs upon their own
convictions Of right and accord to those
members who shall disregard their wishes,
the plaudlt of "well DONE thou good and
faithful servants?"
The declarations" of the President are
straightforward" and consequently right,
against military Governments" because
their Inevitable tendency is to subvert the
"liberties'' of the people. IT, then, "the
public expected from ANDREW JOHNSON"
and, therefore, desired such an expression
OF opposition to military Governments"
what more strong prompting does Con-
gress need to impel them to give their sup
port to such measures as shall speedily do
away with the remnants of that rule?
In the reorganization of the Southern
States, the President declares that he had
recourse to a civil ''policy"--a 'pOlicy" that
sis attended with some risk" orthe reason
that ''its success" ''rec uires at least the Gc-
Qaiescenee of the States which it concerns;
that it implies an invitation to those States,
by renewing their allegiance to the United
States, to resume their functions as States
Of the Union.' "The public" were aware
that the President had taken this "risk;"
''the public'' was, also, aware that the Pres
ident had used the pardoning power, "ex-
clusively vested in the Executive Govern
ment of the United States, 2 for the purpose
of securing the ".acquiescsnce" OF the late
insurgent States to renew .'their allegiance
to the United States, and ''to resume their
functions as States of the Union" "thepub-
lie" was, furthermore, aware of the fact
that the ''rlsk" the President had taken
inshis work of reorganization had resulted
as success. The exercise of the pardon
ing power had awakened a solicitude in the
insurgent States to renew ''their allegiance
to the United States,n aud ssto resume their
functions as States of the Union." Conse-
quently, ''the public desired and ''expect-
ed from ANDREW JOHNSON" the "declara-
tions" that 'EvERY PATRIOT must Dish for
general amnesty at the earliest epoch consist
ent with public safety;" that 'yor this great
end there Is need or d concurrence OF all opin-
ions, and the spirit of mutual coneiIiGtiOn;s =
that ''aH parties in the late terrible conflict
must tVork together IN harmony" According
to the Journal, ''the public" want "all par
ties In the late terrible conflict" to .work
together in harmony" To this end
they regard mutual lconciliation" essential.
How Is this "mutual concillation' to be Sc
cured, SO that ''all parties in the late terri
Bile conflict" can work together in harmo-
nye" "The public expected from Presi-
dent JOHNSON an indicationas to the mode
through which their smut6al conciIiationp
can be assured. sItoccurs to him, and he so
declares, straightfofMardly, sJustp "as the
public expected" SAEpBEw JoHNsoNs
would do, that ''it is not too much to ask,
in the name of the whole people, that, on
the one side, tn, plan Of restoration shall
proceed IN eonOftnfty With Willingness
to cast the disorders Of the past into obliv-
ion; and that on the other, the evidence of
sincerity In the future maintenance Of the
Union shall be put beyond any doubt by
the ratification Of the proposed amendment
to the Constitution, which provides for the
abolition Of slavery forever within the linn
It's Of our c6untry7 HelprOposes, in other
words, to exchange agenerRl amnesty for
tha -ot,fcakion of the ean 0resetonal amend-