Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1865-12-14
@elmunt Chronicle.
st. Gainesville, Ohio, Dec. TX.
TILE FFEsuDENT,s FIDELfTY.

who have feared that he would imperil
the advantages won by the war by a
fatal leniency, or, still worse, by joining
a party which has been utterly repudi-
ated by the people of the country, have
allowed their fears to obscure their per-
ceptions. Whatever the President has
said has been full of determination
that the rights Of freedom which the
war has conferred upon q certain class
of the Southern population, and the
class which is most friendly to the Gov
ernment, shall be maintained. He eX-
presses himself in his own way, and he
never varies the strain.
Thus, to the Governors and Legisla-
lures and Committees of the unorgan-
lied States he has constantly said:
Certain things are essential. The
emancipation amendment and equality
before the law are among them. Far
ther l say nothing. My action will de-
pend upon events" To Mr.. Stearns
he said that, as citizen of Tennessee,
he should be in favor of negro suffrage
there under certain conditions. But
he has said nothing better than what
General Fiske reported in his speech
in Brooklyn. The General went to the
White House to offer his resignation.
The President said to hint
People say sometimes was born South,
and [ will not treat the'negro as freeman;
but mean and desire to carry out the views
and to see that these people have a guaran-
tee of their freedom. | may not believe
with you in their ultimate attainments, but
| mean they shall have fair chance
Cheers. | wish the people of the North
knew what had to stand between Daily
| receive elegrams and letters from all parts
Of the South of dreadful import. If they
could but see the difficulties Of my position
they would pity me and give me their pray
ers" This he said with tears in his eyea
and asked him if the Freedmen's Bureau
was to be discontinued-m resignation be-
ing already in his hanas-and he said to me,
"Go back go to your work and see justice
done to both white and black Tho Freed
mems Bureau will only cease to exist when
| the Southern States are resolved to deal
| honestly aud justly by these freedmen. -
| Applause. And [ came away from his
presence with more of faith aud hope in
Andrew Johnson than ever had"
1t is apparently forgotten that dur
ing the war Andrew johnson was at
the front. He saw with his own eyes
the terrible details of the struggle. He
measured the spirit of rebellion. He
knew the conduct of rebels, and he
knew also that of the slaves. He proved
the quality of their fidelity as every
other Union soldier proved it. 1t was
Andrew johnson who walked before
the seats Of Mason, Slidell, and other
conspirators in the Senate, and shook
his finger in their faces, denouncing
men who should do what they intended
to do as traitors whom, had he the
power, he would hang. 1t was An
drew Johnson who told the colored men
of Tennessee that he would be their
Moses.
Such man is not easily seduced.
The Establishments Of his enemies are
not likely to dazzle man who has look
ed behind the servile manner and smil-
ing mask. No man knows better than
he that the party which sought to use
him, and monopolize the reputation of
regard for him and support of his pol
icy, in order to carry an election, and
} which disastrously failed, is party
which never relents or forgives. L
would no more adopt him as a candi
date than it did Tyler or Fillmore. Th'
future of Andrew Johnson is linked
I with that vast body of loyal men whit
were the war party while the war last
, ed, and who intend, now that tbs over
to plant peace upon justice, and cemen
the Union by liberty Harper
I Weekly.