The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-08-30
THE NEW YORK PRESS.
EDITORIAL OPINIONS OF THE LEADING
JOURNALS UPON CURRENT TOPICS.
COMPILED EVERY DAY FOR EVENING TELEGRAPH.
"My Policy" RsvIewed.


His policy has not been without interruptions
ana spasmodic summersaults and gyrations; but
such as it is it remains the nondescript policy
known by the name of the President.
First. The President laid down the principle
that State In the Union is always in the Union,
whether it rebels or not, manifest absurdity-
according to the Executive Interpretation. Else,
it was gross wrong to fight for the purpose OF
bringing back States that were already in the
Union, and entitled 10 all its rights and prv-
leges Else, why were not General Sherman's
and Johnston's terms of peace and surrender
promptly accepted and ratified by the Govern
ment, with Mr.. johnson at its head? Is it not
manifest that the President has been laboring
OF year 10 do what General Sherman, in ac-
COrdance with Mr.. Andrew Johnson's professed
principles, proposed to do IN a month, If the
people would only permit II?
Second. Acting on the principle that the
States we're dtlC0qS in the Union, and entitled to
all their rights and privileges under the Consti-
tuition, the President proceeded to treat them as
conquered territories, imposing on them mill
tary garrsons and provisional cove rnors.
Third. Sill acting on the principle afore-
sand, the President orders conventions OF State
representatives to remodel constitutions; pre-
ecrlDlng what amendments shall be passed, and
insisting, in several instances, that the conven-
hons or legislatures, shall undo their work. A
plain case OF dictatIon, surely, If States are never
Out VI Jue OulOH anu sovereign Wlen IN
Fourth Proceeding in the DEVELOPMENT of
this doctrine, the President declares his intention
TO reconstruct and restorep the several States
though 1t Is plaIn, according to the Johnsonian
doctrines, that States never ont OF the Union
cannot be restored.
Fifth. AdUenciag steadily 10 the rear of his
theories, the President recommends the adoption
OF an amendment basing representation on
white population-thc same in effect and sub
stance as the one put forth by CONGRESS, which
the President now repudates and denOunces
AT the same time the President writes to Gov
ernor Sharkey that "restoratlon" will be Sub
ject to the viii of Congress- which the President
with strenuous consistency now violently assails
and endeavors to overawe and oyerrule.
sixth. Sui moving on steadily by summersaults,
the President ordalns that elections shall be
held, whereby leading traitors are sent to the
door OF Congress 10 demand admission the Pre-
sident backing then loudly with abuse of The
leaders OF the House and Senate. Notwith-
standing all this, the President declared that
TRAITORS should be punished and treason made
eaious,r
Seventh. Pressing on ndomitably, the Presi-
dent continues the operation of the pardon
mandatory, whereby Rebels are reconstructed
into voters. million of unranchised loyalists
receive no paraon Tor the color of their skin,
though the Pre- esident once professed to be their
"Moses and claims the right to Manufacture
not only voters by the thousand, but Judges
legislators, and governors by the score,
Eighth. The States being dLlCdyS in the Union
The President declares that such as are out of
1t are not yet restored TO peace At the same
time, in virtue of his early Mosaic character
The President recognizes the right of an armed
Rebel militia to uisarm loyal blacks whence
result lew murders not wrh mentioning.
Ninth The States in rebellion having been
reconstructed, primed with legislatures and
capped with governors, all pardoned for the
purpose, the President declares that they are
now in the Union and entitled to admission to
Congress, whatever Congress may say as 70 any
right in the premises (see Presidents confession
TO Governor Sharkey) to control the work of
restoration.
Tenth. Pending all these acts, the President
recognizing the binding force of enactments OF
Congress, proceeds to appoint Rebels to office in
plain and direct violation of such enactments
regarding special session of Congress to deter
mine on the affairs OF the country as entirely
supeTerogatOry.
Eleventh. Texas being, according to General
Sheridan, place comparable only to the lower
regions and, according to General Custer, uu-
sale for Northern men, and reasonable all
over, the President thinks that, in virtue of the
doctrine OF State sovereignty, 1t ought to be
Iecoenized and admitted, Notwithstanding that
1t ls impossible, under the condition oil things
IN that State, to bring TO tair trial hundreds of
Rebels indicted for capital crimes against
Northern men and Unionists, while blacks are
imprisoned for many years tor trivial ofenses.
Nevertheless, the President proclaims peace.
TWelfth. Almost at the same time the Pres-
dent writes a telegram directing the military to
take part with the Rebels while the latter were
engaged in @ trightful massacre of undoubted
i0yahsts@Whlte and black-a massacre which
General Sheridan says was contriVed by Rebels
but which Mr.. Johnson and his supporters
aVoW vas altogether due to an illegal Conyen-
lion, which, nevertheless, was held in pursu-
ance OF United States authority emanating
from General Banks and President lincoln
The President, likewise, having restored a soye-
reign State always in the Union) mt ont his
hand to destroy it by interfering to deuose its
lawfully elected Governor.
Thirteenth. The Supreme Court being the
chief tribunal of the land. before which cues
tions involving the legality of rival bodies
claiming TO rule in State must, of course. be
tried, the President recognizes the verdict OF a
petty court as sovereign preteXt for telegram
and riot-the first, the most unfortunate that
could come from a President and the second
the most atrocious and criminal that could ever
assall an innocent people. All this the Presi-
GehI dld IN respect to sovereign State" whose
Governor he overturned.
Fourteenth. Early believing that Tennessee
ought to be admitted, as soon as possible, into
the Union, the President laIterly threw obstacles
IN the way OF Its admission In order to defeat
the Constituuonai amendment which he himself
proposedl
Fifteenth. The President, having thus con-
hdently completed his "work of RESTORATION -
turns on Congress and calls its acts usurpaton
notwltnstandlng that Congress has never ordered
the calling OF legislatures appointed provisional
governors, dictated constitutions, or set aside
the governors elect of the people. Congress has
power over the subject Of reconstruction-Iet
the President be witness for it,; but the Presi.
dent asserts that 1t has no other business excent
TO approve what the President has arrogated
Unless Congress chooses TO admit the men whom
he caused to be elected, without any further
constitutional guarantee equally binding on all
the States-a guarantee in perfect corresnond-
ence with the Presidents own original recon-
mendation-he declares that Congress is usurpa-
tory. Who is the real usurper! The Congress-.
which stands by Mr.. Johnson's original profess
siOns, or the President, who repudiates all that
I'M qafn