Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1866-01-25
The President.

Until the recent letter Of agate" the Wash
iugton correspondent orthe Cincinnati Gazette,
which appeared in our issue of yesterday, we
nave had hut little information in regard to the
Presidents present views OF affairs. Amid the
latter and noise of radicaliSm, Ee has main
aimed a serene silence That letter, written
by q radical to radical newspaper, places him
before the country in q most creditable, we
may say dignifed and commanding posture.
We hear OF no Scoldius, no fretting, no I'M
manly complaining. Master of HIMSELF may
we not hope that he will soon appear master OF
the situation. 1t appears from ''Agatc'S' let
,er-Iud Agate" is certainly an intelligent
aud apparently well informed writer-that the
President is mistaken by the storm Of radical
SIN that is raging around him. He still holds
TO his former convictions, and is even stronger
in them than when we last heard from him. He
commits himself further and more strongly
agIiust radical policy than he did before. Not
only does he say that the Southern States are
now in the Union and are &" entitled to all
the rights of States" but he declares himself
opposed to those constitutional amendments
pv which it is proposed to prohibit the South
crn States from paying their war debts, and
liking negro suffrage upon them. lie rebukes
the wild radical propensity for constitution
by saying that it has tendency
e. toward mscttlins the foundation Of things,
and is calculated to weaken the force and
solemn sanction of the Constitution, and make
its provisions like the work of torn meetings"
His o5iectionto make the payment otthe ''rebel
debt" unconstitutional is most torcibly stated
in the form Of an intcrrogatory-'' How would it
Iook," says he, to provide by constitutional
amendment that the United States debt should
NOT be rcpudiated? ?" Furthermore" he did
not think it right TO demand the adoption of
any constitutional amendment rs 4 condition of
admitting Southern members to Congress, be-
cause those States Jrcre IN po,r and entitled TO all
jLs riybts of Siqtss." He developeS his liberal
theory of the relation OF the Southern States
TO the Union during the process Of reStoration,
!u the remark that 90 he had not intended that
his own requirements should be considered as
c,pjiHoa> precedent, ,rbicb the Executive, or any
lra,cs, or al BREACHES Of tie Gorerament had
,a.l riIat {, ,rqct, before those States should be
.,.fiHsd jo recognition as States IN The Union"
Tie declares that his own action in prescribing
terms ..ica> 81, reality anil ,ras meoat to be only
rj.isorg'
There is profound, far reaching Sagacity in
these views OF the President There is more
honesty and good feeling There is sound pa
,riytsm aud rQe appreciation of the dignity
raI binding force OF the Constitution OF the
country. The President places himself on elc-
waited ground, and speaks and acts with as
much dclihcration as It there were no excite
mcnt, mo- clamor to confuse him. lie has evi-
Identity made up his mind uualterably, and looks
beyond the Radical influences in Congress to
the people of the country. lie feels, and we
believe his feelings will not mislcad him, that
hc can safely rely upon the masses To support
his wise, just and humane policy. He stands
TINS day like saul, a head aud shoulders above
those who surround him. Beside him the Radi-
cal leaders are as pigmies.
With the views that the President is thus
represented as holding, it is very manifest that,
10 Radicali>m is to prevail, it can only prevail
over the Constitutional veto of the President.