The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1866-04-12

:. Now. what is the issue between the
President and Congress Simply this:
Johnson saws that the South is entitled 20
be Immediately represented in Congress
by men elected. who can take the oath
TO support the Constitution of the United
States, without regard TO whether they
took part in the civil var or not =
The foregoing which we clip from the
Indiana Herald, i, fair sample OF the
falsehoods and misrepresentation hy
which it Is sought 20 effect a breaci, in
the ranks Of the Union party. \ more
uafo.ndea statement could not lie made,
aud We defy any man u point to sin
Gle oppression made by the President in
any OF his numerous speeches which
warrants the allegation. But the Cop
perhead politicians hope by setting them
selves up as the special champions Of
the President, BY their fusome fiattery,
and by claiming that his views and sen
timents are in accord with their own, To
create distrust in the minds Of tile
Union party as 10 his fidelity 10 their
principles 1t is true that the President
still believes what we all asserted slu
ring the rebellion, that the Union was
not dissolved; that no State possessed
the power to sccede; that their ordin-
ances of secession were null and void
in word. that no State could withdraw
from the Union. Believing them to be
in the Mon, he recognizes their right
10 representation, hut at the same time
e. needles to Congress the exclusive pow
er to Judge OF the election, qualifications
and ioyoHy Of those seeking admission
In lis veto message if anywhere, we
might expect to find principles in har-
monv with the Democratic dogma of i'm
mediate admission of rebel representa-
lives; bat, on the contrary he says:
:. would in nowisc interfere with the
discretion of Congress with regard TO
the qualifications of mcmbers but hold
it my duty to recommend to you, in the
interests Of peace, and in the interests
of the Union. the admission Of every
State to lis share in public legislation,
uhen. however insubordinatc, insurgent
or rebellious its people may have been,
it presents itself not only in SIN attitude
of loyalty and harmony, but in the per
sons of represent aLiEes whose loyalty
can not be questioned under any exist
ing constitutional pE Legal. TEST
The iegq1 test Of course refers to what
is populaly known rs the !" test oath -
an oath of allegiance which the laws re
quirc to be taken hv all persons who
hold an Office under the United States
Government, in which they are required
to swear that they lave never voluntari-
ly borne arms against the United States
since they have been citizens thereof;
that they have voluntarily given no aid
counsel or encouragement to persons en-
gagged in aimed hostility thereto that
they have neither sought, nor accepted.
nor attempted TO exercise the functions
of any office whatever, under any author
itv, or pretended authority. in hostility
to the United States; that they have not
yielded voluntary support to any pre-
tended government, authority, power, or
constitution, within the United States
hostile or inimical thereto. Such is the
g existing legal test, and the President
has ut no time expressed a desire for its
modification or repeal Moreover. in
his interview with Governor Cox, sub
sequcnt to the veto, he stated in express
terms that :. he did not ask to be Judge
of the elections, or of the qualifications
of members of Congress, or of their 10y
altv. Congress was its own Judge and
he had no dream Of interfering with its
constitutional rights. -"
Such being the oft repeated views of
the President, it requires superlative i'm
pudence and effrontery in the Herald to
claim that he holds that the Southern
Representatives should be admitted to
seats in Congress at once, :" without re
gard to whether they took part in the
civil war or not Brookville American.