Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1865-06-20
President Johnson and Stare Riehts.


We are curious to know what after all, is the
Democratic definition OF State rights. The press
OF that party is constantly iteratlng its declaration
that the lnsurgtnt States have lost none Of their
lights by rebeoni that they are Just as much
dependent and sovereign communities as they
we're in 1860 and that neither the President nor
Congress have any constitutional power to deal
win Them other than as sovereign States with all
heir rights intact. Democratic papers never the
State IN the Uoion as Wisconsin and they have
been almost as furious in their assertion Of this,
IS old Shylock was in his vindication of the human
nature Of Jew. And, logically following out
their principles and declarations, we supposed
they would say that, when armed rebellion ceased,
he federal government had nothing more to do
kept to re-estabish it's post-Cff icss and courts
g occupy and possess" the federal pro ,,erty, APP
point ls collectors Of customs and revenue officers,
and conduct itself in all respects in the lately
tebelllous States as in those which had not been
in rebellion. We supposed its policy Of recon
siruction would be that the federal government
should let The whole subj ect severely alone We
anticipated that they would advise President John
son TO inform the delegations, which visited him
from the Southern States to inq lire the Presi-
dental pleasure respecting the new birth of heir
'ovrTelgntes, that he had nothing to say about it
that It was wholly "a State concern that no State
had lost its right to manage its internal sflirs in
It's own way, provided that way WAS not in viola
ZION Of the constitution and laws Of the United
STATES that while il was unfortunate that the in
'urgent States had no loyal State government,
that did not give him the night to interfere e1-
cept TO put in force the laws OF the United States
hat fDr the purpose Of maintaining order and
enforcing the federal law. be should keep the
military in the South until republican State gov.
ernments were IN operation there capable Of
maintaining the peace within their own limits,
when the presence Of the national militia would
be no more needed and, finally, that they had
oet"i ~ homei hhu-ab tHe "uole sovereignty oI
the State yet unimpaired rested in its people
take such measures as the people might Judge
best to set their STATE governments again on their
legs. This would have been recognition Of State
rghs which would have the merit Of being strictly
deienslbe by Democratic reasoning and it would
at the same time have been refusal to recognize
to any extent the doctrine Of State suicide.
But this is just exactly what President johnson
did not do. On the contrary he appointed a
provisional governor Of North Carona-an officer
as much unknown to the Constitution of that
State, as to that Of the United States. lie or
dsred an election Of delegates to a constitutional
convention, which he had no authority on any
possible theory OF State rights 10 do. lie limited
the suffrage which is as much an interference
with the rights Of the people Of Safe as to en-
large the suffrage lie clothed this provisional
governor with discretionary powers, and made bis
will for the time being, law, subject only to the
will Of the President. And yet, Democrotic
politicians and papers Of the most ultra State
rights school, prase President Johnson as the
champion Of their principles, the man who will
no, entertain for moment the doctrine that
State loses any Of its rights by rebellion by the
use Of conveniently general phrases they eudeavor
to delude the people into the belief that President
JohnSons course is a yindcatlon Of all the saga
cuus craftsmanship OF the VaIandgham poll
t.cans, and a complete overthrow OF what they
are pleased TO call the radical and revolutionary
principles OF the Republican party. It is hardly
possible to imagine position more seltcontradic.
tory, absurd and ridiculous than this
The truth is, President Johnson has yet de-
parted in no respect from the policy OF Presi en-,
Lincoln, except in his greater rigor in the treat
ment OF rebels. His theory respecting the status
OF the rebel States is precisely, as far as can he
ia ICED from his acs. like that of his predecessor.
'rnere is no epithet by which Democrat papers
were wont to express their opposition to Pre,i-
dent Lncons policy, which President Johnson
does not richly deserve Presiden, Lincoln re-
fused suffage TO the negro in Lousi,nai Pres
den, Johnson has done no more in North Caro-.
lima. What then is the occasion Of this Demo
cratic praise Of the PRESIDENT 1t is founded
wholly in the hope that Mr.. Johnson is silly,
concei'ed, vain and ignorant enough to be pleased
with it. to listen to the men who offer ii to him,
to become impatient Of the friendly criticism OF
those who elected him, and to be insensby
drawn into the meshes Of these spiders who, with
their honed and lying encomiums, are inviting
him 10 walk into their parlor.
We have thu, at some Iength shown that Pres
dent Johnson is no more re.pecter of State
rights, in iac', than the great maj lrity of the Re-
puhlic,rs Of the c1untry, for the double purpose
Of exhibiting the ridiculous attitude of the Demo.
he has abandoned the party which made him Vice
President This reason also settles smother ques-
ton still important to the future Of the country,
viz: that it is jpst as lawful for the President. to
give suffrage to the negroes in the nitatory steps
OF the reorganization II the Southern States, as TO
do wha, be has already done. As to the States for
which he has ye, made no appointment Of pro-
vi.iooaI governor, aud issued no regulations re-
sprclinl reorganization, the whole matter Of SUIT.
oge remains to BE- decided by him. And his
right to give the blacks suffrage being clearly e,.
abolished by thu universal assent to The measures
which he HIS already taken to deprive whites Of
the b,lo, the question becomes benctfor,h only
one Of Exp dirrcy aud duy State rights have