The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-05-05
RecOnstI IuctiOn-The President and the
Committee of Fifteen.
From the Herald.

From the Herald.
Congress made war on the President as one
who had gone against the true interests of the
country. Prominent men in the Republican
party denounced the President as a traitor, aud
tneychosen phrasemonger of that party declared
that Andrew johnson had given up to the South
the fruits OF the Northern victory; that he had
shorn our triumph OF all that made it valuable.
On the floor oil Congress he was mathematical
as an executive usurper and despot." He was
charged with an intention to destroy the Con-
shlution by substituting for It's equable distribu-
tion OF political forces zone man DO Wer.D He
was habltusly called, in entire disregard of pub
lie decorum, 1.-THE man at the other end of the
avenue" and in the Senate member bias
phemouslY thanked God Tor the visitation OF ILL
ness that kept iIom their seats men who would
II present, have voted 10 sustain the President
JUDGING from all the obloquy thus heaped
upon the President, the country naturally
thought that he had been guilty of some
helnous act The people, 1t is true did not
know what his crime was. SO tar as they could
see, the President had been engaged only in
one great labor-tbat of restoring the Southern
States 10 their relations with the Union. But
this the people thought was carrying to its ulti-
mate result the great purpose tor which the
country had gone to war, and therefore they
thought his efforts at reconstruction entltled
only to praise, and to the more praise as they
were evidently successful However, trusting
their parry leaders, many of them accepted the
TACT that The President had committed some
great crime, and hoped to learn what the crime
was 6y-and-by. They waited patiently. 1t was
known that committee of Congress, appointed
on reconstruction was busy bottling and label.
ing the radical wrath soon TO be poured on the
devoted head OF Mr. Johnson. This committee
was to see weigh, argue, inquire, Judge, and
report. No one could say what horrors, what
wonders OF political villany that report might
reveal. Impeachment of the President was
vaguely whispered as one Of the less consider
1lnsN 10 hln,
reconstruction would, at least, show, by their
direct cohtraTiness TO what had been done by
the President, that he had de6ed Congress-
common sense, and the country. Congress
after all it had said.
This Congressional committee of fifteen has
rerolted. Shut up in dark room for nearly
hve months, 1t had abundant time to frame,
mature, and elaborate that report that was to
include the great radical plan, and has finally
laid its labors before the world. And the first
and most obvious fact in relation to this radical
programme is that it not only does not object
to any single act of the President in the matter
OF reconstruction, but absolutely accepts all
that he has done, and indorses his course in the
strongest possible terms. ut is eXpedient -
says the committee, 'that the States lately in
insurrection should at the earliest day consistent
with the future peace and safety of the Union
be restored to participation in all political
rights" These words embrace the whole basis
OF the Presidents course; they express the very
spirit OF his policy. Not one word against the
acts ofAndrew johnson. Not even little clause
to involve or imply rebuke for or to point
out TO the people the acts that made hlm a
"usurper and despot."
BY this report of the Reconstruction Commit.
tee Congress swallows its words-almost swal.
lows itself. 1t tells the country in the most
emphatic way that the President was right all
the time, and that its reconstruction commit
tee, alter patient search OF i've months, cannot
put Its finger on point in the Presidents plan
to justify its abuse. What must be the result ?
Simply tnat the whole mass of the party arrayed
against the President must go over or 90 under
simply that the party must perceive Immediately
OF the insane Stevens, and rectify that error.
Already this is begun. Mr.. Stanton adheres to
the President. Finding that nothing can be
said against his policy, that there is no other
course to lake, he gives in his ALLEGIANCE to the
great practical reconsrucronst, and thus sig.
na!lzes the commencing dlslntegratlon of the
radical focuon.