Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1866-02-16
THE SITUATION.


cfCongresa have elapsed, and none of the i'm
.portant measures have yet been acted upon
The Stevens Amendment. and the Negro suf
frage Bill, arc still pending in the Senate
whilst tho Senate bill for enlarging tho Freed
mems Bureau has only recently passed the
House The various measures for the reduc.
tion Of the army, the improvement of tue rev.
enue system, the regulation of tho currency
md the redemption Of the public debt, have
yet received no consideration. IN the mean
time Congress has no. been idle. Some seven
ty propositions for the amendment Of the Con.
stitution have been submitted to the Recon-
structicn Committee, and that Committee have
intimated that they have yet many propositions
to offer, which will place the seeded States
in such relations with the general Government
as will secure the guarantees which are de-
manded by the Republican party. Tho sole
object of the Republican majority is to secure
their party triumphs by the exclusion of the
South from participation in the Government
until after the next Presidential election, and
this is the true key to the legislation of the
present session.
No issue has yet arisen, TO call forth the ex
ercse of tine executive veto but The an ta gonisrn
which exists between the policy Of the Admin
istration and the Republican uajority in Con-
gress is manifesting itself daily The Presi-
dent in late conversation with members Of
Congress and others has clearly eignificd his
firm adherence 10 his restoration policy, and his
unqualified disapproval of the action Of the Rad.
Gals in excluding the Southern members. lie
has pronounced the pending amendments to
the Constitution, rs entirely unnecessary and
as unjust as they are impolitic. These d.clar-
ations have provoked the undisgused hostility
Of the Radicals, and which " as especially mon
tested in the debate upon Mr.. Stevens Amend.
ment. The leader went 80 far as to pronounce
the course OF the President, usurpa,ion in
Tolving the privileges of the House, and "mad.
in such way, that centuries ago, had it been
made to Parliament by British King, it would
have cost him his head" The issu. is ,hus
clearly defined. The policy on the one side is
Southern exclusion for party purposes on the
other, Southern restoration for the sake of the
general welfare. The varoue Constitutional
amendments, and the proposed legislation will.
respect to negro suffrage, and human rights,
are only SO many schemes for excluding the
South mud efecting party triumph. The OBJ
ject is to exclude the South from this Congress-
aud the next, and from the Presidential election
of lses and to effect this they would avoid
practical issue with the Administration.
There hos yet been no direct conflict between
the Congress and the Administration but it can
not be much longer Delayed. The President
would seem to be prepared 10 follow his prin-
ciples to their practical conclusions Whether
or not he will veto the Stevens Amendment
or the Freedman's Bureau Bill may resolve it.
selfinto question of policy, but he IA go cenr-
)y. committed against the principles of the No.
gro Suffrage Bill that there seems to be no
question as to his course, with regsrd to that
measure. He believes, and 80 stated in his re.
cent interview with Fred Douglns and the col
ored delegation, that the extension of The suf
frage would lead TO a war Of races, and would
involve consequences prejudlcial to the best in.
terests of the country.
From intimations Of Washington letter.wri-
ters, it would seem that the President ia not
disposed TO await the issues which NAV be
forced upon him by Congress, but is prepared
at once to make an issue with the Radicals,
md Upon that issue 10 90 before the country.
A resolution is to be offered in the House, by
MIR. Raymond, declaring the views of the Ad.
m;nistration on the subject Of the relations be.
tween the States and the general Government
taking the same ground with the Crittenden
resolutions Of 1881 and declaring that as the
war vas waged to preserve the Union upon
its termination, the relations of the States to
the Union should he resumed. Should this res.
olution be rejected or evadsd by Congress,
then, it is said the President will make an oren
rupture and by Proclamation declare the full
restoration of the Southern States to their Con.
stitutional rights in the Union. The President
IL organizing party and making extensive ar.
raDgements 10 givs it effect and success. He
70 confident and hopeful and enjoins opou
Southern men patience, and forbearanee. Al
be recently said to a delegation of citizens from
montana Territory, he has no political a.pira-
u0ns to gratifyor political consequences to
tear, and therefore can afford 10 do fight-he
re'athEms the principles of his message. and
pledges himself to the restoration Of The rnion
a. the highes. object of his ambition.
RAI1oNs.-Genera1 Richardson of ths-M,,,-
tary District Of Eastern South Carolina. bs,
Aeuo0 circular In he NJ. ~ .f L:-