Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1866-01-09
The President and the Disunionists,-
Then and Now.

PRESIDENT through Hon. Mr.. Wilson, of Illinois,
with ''serous opposition unless be shall man
age affi's to suit them, and when the relations
Of the National Iateligencer to the Administration
are cous dered, the following article from that
stad aud able journal will be read with great
interest, AS it plainly fore shsd ows the conflict
impending between the Radicals and the Pres-
dent and the supporters Of his conservative pol
icy:
There is one point which the Radical party, its
leaders and its press, with their usual audscl;y.
now assume as matter of cou in tine wicked
. controversy which they have forced upon the
President. Theylay down as leading premise,
and expect the country to grant it in silence,
that his present position is Inconsistent with his
former record the su bj ect Of the late rebellion
and the parties which were respons BILE for its
creation. They. now confront lin in hostis ar
ray, assail his administrative policy. ask him to
surrender all the powers and duties of his great
flee INTO their hands, and because he ressts
their assam It's despises their threats and refuses
to Yield to their insoent d. M snds, they cry OUT
with an Indignant air Of injured innocence that
he has ed mis- hack on his friends; that he is
false to his ancient aud loving lies, Nd that he
4 has betrayed his party honsnho!d.@ How often
in all the relations of lie are such selt-compla-
cent assumptions the strategy OF the deadliest
enmty and tie cloak for the secret operations
Of the most peri dious treache ry! Radical mem
be rs of Congress have re Gently visited Lin, and,
with wonderful modesty and good taste, assured
him that, after a seven months trial, his policy
Of RESTORATION is ia lure, but that they will still
patronize him 18th their magn animous forbesr
anee if he will abdicate in their favor confess
hat he has done nothing as yet worthy of ratif
catisa. by the American people, and promise to
keep silent while thoir superior wisdom supplies
he plac Of his weakness This is the climax
Of even this pha risacal and arrogant factions
and per haps no more proper time could occur
than now to recall to their minds and to the re-
collection of the country the well. attested fact
hat the President never their friend, never
had party affiliations with them, never courted
their favor, but always, at all times, and under
all circum stances, denounced them enemies
10 cir country, in favor of disuDion, and the
allies of the Southern secessionists. 1t may as
well b. clearly understood that the present an
tagonsm between this furious faction Of radica,
lrevoutioniSts and the President is nothing new
an need surprise nobody. 1t is an old battle,
partially spended during the war, while the
Northern disunonists were forced by public SEN
timent To profess an irsncere love for tue Union,
and while Andrew ohnson was struggling for
the great in fields of danger where they
never ventured. 1t is renewed, however, as
soon as they meet again, as certainly as tina
rig BIT and wrong, truth and taIsehood, continue
their ceaseless confic for The supremacy We
10 not charge that the Radio 81 faction is incon-
s!stent IN its attack upon the President. On the
Contrary that fact proves its inconsi stency; but
the President is likewise consistent when he
pnrsues his own policy in defiance of theirs.
Let US what opinion the President entertain
ed of them in February, 1861, when the doc
trines Of secession Ind disuuIon We're making
havoc in tha land, and when their authors were
justly ezecrated b, every friend of his govern
ment. Speaking in the Senate Of the United
States n reply to Jefferson Davis, be said
But, Mr.. President, recurring TO what [ said
Yesterday, there are two parties in his Country
hat want 10 break up the Government Who
they The nnilltiers proper Of the South
the sec ssloniss or dIsunionists, Tor use them
a as Synony nous terms. There is portion Of
! them VIII" per Sc desire the disruption of the
dIZemt Mt l dc net charge upen them that thew
want TO break up tfe Government tor the bur
pose OF affecting slavery; yet l charge that the
lreaking up OF he Government would have that
effect; the result would he the same. Who else
Is ft breaking up thlS Government? refer 10
SEINE had men in the North. Tb, re is set of
men called ADolilloulsis, and they wan; to br. ak
mp the Government. They are disunlonists:
they are s>i"nlsts; tb, y are nnllifiers. Sir
Tho Abol'tlonists an / the distinguished s na,or
from N issIssippi (Mr. Jefferson Davls) and his
party both stand in the same attitude, to attain
The same end, dissolution OF the Union the
one party believing that il will re, MT in tie r
own aggrt ntizetneut SO Ith, and The other be-
ievlng that Twill result IN the overthrow of the
institution OF avery. Who are tho utsupion-
ISIS of the North! Who the ssailies'' OF the
Distinguished Senator from NJ sslssippi :? We
fad that IA re solution was adOpt ed at the ami
versary Of the Mass hlsntts Auti Sav-ry So
eiety, conv rned in Boston, in these words:
! 'rRks LIVED, That the one gr at issue befo re
the country is the dissolution OF the Union, in
Comparison VII h which ali other issues with lhe
slave power are as dust IN the balance: There
fore, We give ours Ives to the work of annuising
his covenant wIrh death essential o our own
innocence and the speedy and ev erasting over
/ brow Of the slave S, stem.''
! Thisr solution pas ed by the Abolition
Anu Slavery Society OF M issachuse it's rhey
think dissolution Of the Uaion would result IN
lic u0St1 uNIiou VI ofo'Vi), dDSOlV0 tHeN
from this covenant with DEATH and attest
their inn ocence SO far the Government is con-
cernet. On that we find that VIZ. Wendell Phil
lips made tle following remarks:
81 entirely accord with tie sentiments of that
last resolution. thi nix all We have to do is to
prepare the public mind by the daily and hourly
presenta ION Of the doctri OF disunion. Events
which, fortunately for US, the Cove rnm ent itself
and other parties producing with unexam-
pied rapiIity, are our best add
Mr.. Johnson then proceeded at length to cite
other authorities in support OF hi, position tn at
the AboIitonists who followed Wendell Phillips,
Lloyd Garrison, and the Liberator, and who now
hail Charles Sumner and Thaddeus Stevens as
their leaders, were disunionists, conspir ators