New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-05-14
Especial to the New Orleans Crescent
LETTERS IROAE WASHINGTON.


WASHINGTON, May 9TH, 1866.
The reConatructon plan of the joint committee
incurs opposition in the camp of the loyal to a
greater extent than was at first apprehended. 1t
is most striking manifestation Of the way how
not to do It," The object of the committee
being to make platform on which they could
stand before the people in the next elections, they
were looking at this and nothing else Hence their
object was to hide their cIoyen foot as much as
possible, and appear to be very gentle to the
South In examining the programme of the com
mittee it will be seen that the only two leading
ideas are anchors to windward in case their plan
should be accepted, by which they hoped to Sc
cure the vote Of the seeded States if such thing
could be done in the next presidential election,
and to put the question of negro suffrage on the
best basis for the future. By excuding'all of the
South from voting in the next presidential election
they seek to stock the cards so that they may stand
the best chance ofgettlng support there But It'll
remarkable fact that they have done it so tamely
that if the amendment to the Constitution were to
pass in the form in which they putt it would not
accomplish the purpose desired in the slightest
degree The reason of this is obvious. They say
no citizens of the South shall vote in the next pre-
sidential election who have favored the Conteder-
acy. This prohibition goes on the theory that the
only way by which the President can be elected is
by the vote of the people, whereas it is perfectly
competent for the State legislatures to elect the
presidential electors, and this elaborate piece of
ttnesse would go for nothing. As the legislatures
could elect electors the prohibition on the people
from voting unless they had all the time been
loyal would amount to nothing.
The President is decided in his opposition to
the plan of the committee. The Presidents com
polling each member of his cabinet to show his
hand on the plan of the committee, was happy
thought, and his publication of their several
opinions created quite stir. The generalimpres
sion was that Secretary Stanton was the very type
of radlcalsm, hence the public were not prepared
for his taking such decided ground against the plar
of the committee. Mr.. Stanton has been a kind o
idol with the radicals, some of the most Influential
among them having actually gone to the length O
urging him under no circumstances to resign. Th
is something like the promise courtiers sometimes
eXtort of kings-not to expose themselves in ap
preaching battles-a promise usually granted. l
was understood that MI. Stanton had yielded Il
the soft impeachment, and given his radical ad
mirers to understand that nothing wonld maxi
him leave except main force. 1t was funny to SCI
the faces Of some Of the radicals after the, an
nouncemeut that the secretary of war had checke
his baggage through on the same trainn with tn
President Doubtless Mr.. Stanton considers him
self so important to the country that he must re
main in Office and that it is altogether secondar
matter whether he holds on in sympathy with tn
President or in opposition to him. " The divin
Stanton" as Mr.. Seward called him, knows wha
f side of his bread is buttered.
The secretary of the treasury is trying to ge
Congress to equalize the distribution of the capi
tai Of national banks by new law upon the sub
iect. But Congress does not seem to be in hurr
to do this Massachusetts has many millions 0
excess of national bank capital beyond what sh
is entitled to. This is the case with Rhode Island
too. And at the same time the Southern State
e can't get the share they entitled to. The d.
f eision of the supreme court, recently made, tina
the national banks can be taxed under State laws
. has very much affected their value as money NAL
. Ing machines, South. The Northern States an
counters shngled over with debt, and it is yer
/ convenient to tax the banks. Hence, several
r. the banks have notified the treasury departmeI
4 that they desire to be counted out.
q The Chronicle of to-day has in flaming letter
! headed "loyalty in Alabama" proceedings at
If dinner recently at Mobile in honor of the dead
r the Mobile cadets. All these things are excellel
nuts for the radicals to crack. They construe th
d to mean disloyalty to the present Union. Won
re it not be prudent for the Southern people to avo
everything that could be made capital of by the
demagogues. It seems pity to put more wegl
4 than is necessary on the back of the Presiden
s All these kind of things embarrass him. If thes
il celebrations are deemed necessary just now, wou
it do any harm for the reporters to cease their
cupation for the time being? Every good man
n the South should, by his exquisite prudence,
r every respect try to help out our noble Presiden