Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1866-12-04
THE AGGRESSIONS OF THE RADI.
GALS, FN


THE AGGRESSIONS OF THE RADI
Gals. W0E
The Washington correspondent of tn,
Cincinnati Gazette says, in his dispatch
Of November 30:
AS Congressman arrive, it is quite evi
dent that they come laden with the indig
nation which the people feel toward Mr.
johnson, and it is also made clear by these
indications that the people have advanced
greatly since the elections. Whether there
will be an attempt at impeachment or not
1t seems certain that those now here are
determined to so strip Andrew johnson Of
power, as 10 make him pOwerless for
harm.
"The opinion that the Fortieth Congress
will by law assemble at noon on the 4th OF
March next is almost universal, and to
such an extent does this prevail that the
organization of that Congress, and its proba-
bic work, is talked of quite as frequently as
the meeting and measures of the coming
session.
The subject of ignoring the present
State governments, unless the rebels show
less obstinacy and defiance, is rapidly gain
ing ground. Gen. Grants position, that
unless they adopt the amendment they may
go further and fare worse, seems to be the
real key TO the situation. The statement
of General Grant to leading rebels, that
they were Invested of all rights, and Con-
gress alone could restore them, is sufi-
cient indication of the strength and direc-
ton of the political current" - r
We have in these paragraphs state
ment of the aggressions which the Radi-
Gals propose to inaugurate in the present
Congress First, the President is to be
shOrn Of the power which the constitution
placed in his hands Of making removals
and filling vacancies where, in his est
nation, the public service requires such
action. Then the fortieth Congress is to
meet Immediately upon the adjournment
of the present, that the President may
have no opportunity to make such re-
movals and appointments. He is to hold
his Office, as the Queen Of Great Britain
does hers, simply to register or execute
the edicts of the party in power. And
finally, the State governments in the South
are to be ignored and these States, to
whom at the last session, in common with
the other States of the Union, was sub
mitted for ratification the most important
change Of the organic law that has been
proposed since the adoption of the eOnsti;;
tuition. Finding that the Southern States
will not ratify the amendment, it seems
these Radical architects of ruin" have
set themselves to work to declare the
Southern States simple territories wrested
from a conquered enemy which have yet
to go through the process Of organization
and admission into the Union as States
before they can perform the functions of
States. The Legislature of Tennessee
having ratified the proposed amendment,
this State has by formal resolution been
readmitted into the Union, so there is no
probability that we shall be thrown back
into territorial existence. But the
other Southern States must perform the
work demanded of them or their State
governments win be ignored ard they de-
clared territories. The proposed amend
ment can be ratified by three-fourths of
the States then composing the Union.
The men engaged in this work are the
same who insisted most Justify during the
war that it was waged for the preserve
ton of the Union, and when Mr. Lincoln,
in his anxiety to prove that there was an
element in the South favorable TO restora-
ton, issued a proclamation opening the
way for the rehabilitation of any State
in rebellion when one,tenth Of its voting
population signifed their desire to be re-
presented in Congress, without the im-
position Of any condition except an ac-
acknowledgement of the supremacy Of
the constitution, there were none to
raise voice against this plan of restora
tion Of the State governments. The Re
publicahs were then willing that the
Southern States should return upon this
very small proportion of their population
simply yielding obedience to the censtitu-
ton of the United States. Now the
Radical wing of that party, desiring not
only to engraft their views upon the gov
eminent, but TO perpetuate their as
tendency, demand that the Southern
States shall ratify an amendment to the
constitution in which they had no lot or
part in proposing, and failing to do 50,
hey are threatened with being blotted
from the'rOn Of States 5 Do B 80 -
The main point upon which the Radi-
Gals have split with the President is in
regard to the representation Of the South