Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-05-18
Conquered and Conauerors. >,

Under this caption the Toledo Blade talked
to The OHIO STATESMAN the other day.
The STATESMAN is set down by it as ian
ardent supporter of the President and an
approver OF his policy" and then it goes on
to say what the President did in the past
"did enough to establish the principle THE
STATESMAN finds so much fault with; :" that
at the close of the Rebellion, he treated the
Southern States "as conquered provinces
he overturned their State Governments
Governments of their own making, and to
which they had a much more valid claim
than they pretend to have to representation
in Congress !" that "instead of permitting
them to elect Governors of their own, he
sent Governors to them of his choosing and
backed them up with bayonets, in this
matter carrying out still further the idea
OF conquered provinces :" that "their Leg
islatures were not allowed to escape his
controlling hand !" that he told them that
they nlust-that was the word-MUsT pass
certain laws which he specified, and ,otieh
they lOathed and hated. and he bore so hard up-
on them in his capacity as conQueror that then
did absolutely pass those laps, not,oithstandtrg
the fact that they overturned their tohole social
system, and impoverished those ,oho cast their
un,0tlltng ballots in obedience to his commands"
The Blade tells us that it refers, "of course,
to the ratification of the Constitutional
Amendment abolishing slavery, the repu-
diation of the Rebel debt, and the various
acts he insisted upon in relation to the
freedmen"
The Blade wants to know whether, if
the President had the right to do this, he
has not the right to force on those people
further humiliating and degrading laws
and constitutional provisions. Inasmuch
as there is prevalent notion that "might
makes right" he, perhaps, has the right. By |
that power we suppose we could extermin-
ate them. Hyou recollect, when we start |
ed out in this war, the understanding with |
a large portion Of our people was, that there
should be no prisoners taken; but that
every Southern man taken in arms aiding
the Southern Confederacy enterprise should
be summarily executed. Such disposition
Of the Southern people, If 1t had not incon-
venienced some of our own soldiers, would |
have produced great gladness, and it
would have been justified by grrSss many
on the ground of right. ,-alI .r. |
It don't at present matter whether Presi-
dent JOHNSON in the past did right or wrong.
The question that concerns us now, and it
concerns the whole people, Is whether he is
doing right-whether the policy he is now
pursuing is one calculated to promote the
welfare, the happiness, and prosperity of |
our whole people. You say that President
JOHNSON compelled the Southern people,
by way OF giving to our people guaran-
tee that they would render faithful obe-
dience to the Federal authority henceforth,
to pass certain laws 'whieh they lothed and
hated"-laws that Overturned their whole
social system, and Impoverished those who
cast their unwilling ballots in obedience to
his commands" o.f.. -
In heavens name, is this not enough
And because he did this--did 1t to satisfy
the demands Of the Republican party; forI