Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1866-02-27
VOLUME XVII.
TO Our Yrlends in Congress.


ton Of the. 22d express the earnest
desire of the loyal men of Indiana that
there shall be q 'sreeonstruction% Of
amicabIe relations between Congress and
the President. They do not look With
complacency upon the prospect of the
restoration Of the Copperhead faction
10 power, 10 consequence Of antagonisnns
between the Legislative and Executive
departments, which ought not, and they
believe need not, to exist The language
OF Thaddeus Stevens towards the Presi.
dent. and his rem ark that the expression
of opinion of an important public ques-
ton, IN private conversation, was an Of
tense that would in some countries, and
in oiher times, have brought the head OF
a king TO the block, was an outrage on
decency aud official dscorum that ad-
nits Of no justification aud on the
other hand, We regret that the President
saw ct to mar his discussion of the differ
ences between himself and Congress, In
bis speech f the 22d inst, by indulging
in bitter personal remarks aginst Mr..
stevens and other individuals who had
given him off .nse, and especially that be
should have singled out that notorious
Ishrnaelfe, Wendell Philips, who has
no official position, as of Importance
enough to juRify an allnsion TO him on
such an occasion.
We do not expect TO see any recon-
ciliation between the President and Mr..
Stevens, as their differences are more
personal thar. political but we see no
evidence that the mass OF the Union
members of Congress are in the same
category; and that majority will not be
wise if il permits Mr. stephens or any
other individual, to shaps the legisla-
ton of, the country i1 such q way assto
crafty bis feelings Of personal hostility.
We believe that the most popular
thing that Congress could now do,
would be to destroy the COMMITTEES of
Fifteen, and take up the case Of each
State, or Of each person claiming seat
as a member from State lately in re-
bellion, By itself, and decide each Ques-
tion.upon its own merits.
In his speech at the Cooper Institute
meeting, Mr. Seward adverted TO the fact
that Congress had been three months in
session, and that, while disagreeing with
the Presidents plan of restoring the
Southern States, it had given the country
no plan of its own, and that the commit
tee to which that snhject had been re-
ferred had done nothing bat recommend
an amendment of the Constitution,
changing the basis of representation.
Even that amendment haa met the
strenuous opposition Of Mr.. Sumner, and
it is said that enough radical Senators
swillsvote against it to insure its defeat.
III the committee is to be sustained as
party measure, its recommendations
should also be treated as party measures,
and be nnitedly sustained. But If Mr..
Sumner and other extreme men do not
feel bound to support the propositions 1t
presents, why should. the whole Union
strength of Congress feel bound TO ac-
quiesce in it's continued existence q
l In contest before the people, be-
tween the President, who has q well de-
fined plan for the restoration ofthe late
| rebel States, and Congress-, which has
/ no plan. and does not seem likely TO
agree upon one; it is not difficult TO
| predict the result. If the COMMITTEES oi
! Fifteen can present better plan than
that OF the President, they should do SO,
or If 1t determines that those States
ought to have no representation at
| present, or for definite period, let il
say so. Confined delay keeps the
public. mind in feverish state, and
gives an advantage to the CDpperhead
party that il ought not TO enjoy.
If the Committee is unable to cope
with the problem committed to it's charge
we ask what sacrifice of priuciple is in.
volved in adopting the theory of Presi
dent johnson, that all loyal Representa-
tives and Senators elect-men who cat
Itake the test oath, and whose record Il
cIear-should be admitted to seats il
| Congress-, and those who disqualified
themselves by engaging in the Febelliol
should b. sent homer That plan GER
tainly has this merit, that it will encour
age the true Union men of the South
and at the same time keep ex-vebels, anC
prevent rebels out Of the national eouu
cila the Copperheads lhave conmitte
themselves so uureservedly to the Pres
dents policy, and have burned so muc'
powder iuehis honor, that their mouth
would be closed against all demands TO
the admission Of their rebel friends
Nothing would 80 efsctually checl
-tbe now hopeful Copperbead party, as q
, adoption by Congress Of this suggestio
, OF the President; and nothing would Z
: surely tend to its signal overthrow, q
1 the restoration of harmonious relation
ihetween Congress and the President.
Unless our friends in Congress ca
present some other and better schem
we submit to. them whether il il not st
4 part Of wisdom aud patriotism to speedi
admit the loyal men who have bee
{ elected from the South, and say to th
} people of thai section, that ell such her
after elected will be admitted to Coz
gress, and no cthers2-I Indianapol
Journal. q sr.f9~}fsa
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