The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-10-04

very thing which the President il now attempt
ing. He IS constructing state governments, not
merely IN pieponderating part, but in whole,
from tie hostile element. Therefore he departs
openly from the policy OF the martyred Lincoln
The marty says to his successor that his policy
4 SIMPLY absurd" lie IS right, although he
night say more than this. It's absurdity is too
apparent, 1t Ie as IL in abolishiug the induisi-
ton, the inquisitofs had been continued under
another name, and TorqUemada had received a
fresh license Tor cruelty. 1t is as If King VII
liam, after the overthrow OF James III, had made
the infamous Jehries Lord Chancellor
common sense ana common justice cry out
agains5 n 'he outrage; and yet this is the Presi-
Dental 'ponCyn now SO passionately com
mended TO the American people Government
ACCORDING to Aristotle, is Partnership and |
accept TINS term us especially applicable to our
government. And now the President, in the
exercise Of the one-iDan power, DEGREES that
communities lately IN rebellion shall be taken
AT once lnlo ouI partnership / object TO the
decIee as dangerous 10 the republic. am not
t aga.nst pardon, clemency, or maenanmity, eX-
cept where they are at the expense or good
men. trust that they will always be practsed;
Dut insist tnat recent Rebe shall not be ad-
mltted without proper precautions to the busi-
ness or the firm. And insist also that the one
man power shall not be employed TO force them
into the firm.
THE PRESIDENT INCONSISTENT WITH HIMSELF.
Such are two pivotal bluIders OF the Presi-
dent. Ii IS not easy TO see how he has fallen
INTO these, so strong were his early professions
buC ONlGI Way luO DlNCIB OF congress ne lAu
distinctly admitted. Thus, as early as oath July,
1865, he bad sent TO Snarkey, acting by his ap.
polntment as Provisional Governor OF Missis-
slppi, this despatch:-'lt must, no Wever, be
distinctly understood that the restoration to
which your proclamation refers will be subject
to the will oil Congress-" Nothing could be more
positive; and he was equally positive against
tBe restoration OF the Rebels to power. You do
not forget that, in accepting his nomination as
Nlce-lresident, he rushed forward TO declare
that the Rebel States must be remodeled that
conhscahOn must be enforced, and that
Rebels must be excluded from the work of
reconstruction. His language was plain and
unmistakable. Announcing that "Roveru-
ment must be fixed on the principles
OF eternal JUSTICE he went on to declare that,
IF the man who gave his influence and his
means 10 destroy the Government should be per-
nitted 10 participate in the great work OF rcOr-
gani2aiOn, then all the precious blood so freely
poured out VIII have been wanJonly spilled, and
all our victories go Tor naught." True; very
true. Then, in words of SURPRISING energy he
cried out that "the g1eat plantauons must be
seized and divided into small larms,n and that
orators should take back seat in the work OF
restoration" Perhaps the true rule was never
expressed with more homey and vital force
than in this last saving often repeated in differ
ent fOrms:-"For Rebels back seats" Add to
this that other saying, so often repeated
Treason must be made odous," and you have
two great principles OF Just reconstruction
once proclaimed by the President, but now prac-
ticaily disowned 10y him.
HOW THE PRESIDENT FELL.
You will ask how the President ell This is
hard TO say. certainly without much planness
OF speech. MIR. Seward openly confesses that he
couuse'led the present fatal policy Unques-
tionaUly Mr.. BLAIR, fa her and son, did the
sane. 20 also doubt not, did Mr.. Preston
King. 1t is easy to see that Mr.. Seward was
not wise counsellor. This IS no. his hrst costly
blmder. In formal dispatches ne early an
nounced that 'lhe rights of the States ana the
CONDITION OF every human being will remain
subject to exactly the same laNs and forms of
adn Inistratlon whether the revolution shall sue
ceed or whether II shall fan" And now he
labOrs Tor the tulhmen: OF his own prophecy.
Obviously from tie beginning he has failed to
comprehend the Rebellion, W lile IN his nature
he is abnormal and eccentric, jumping like the
knight on the chess boarG ralher than moving
Oh straight lines. Undoubtedly the influence
OF such s. man over the President has not been
good. But the President himself has been his
OWL worst counsellor, as he has been his own
worst defender. He does not open his mouth
thOut furnishing evidence against himself.
The part he is now playing will justify me in
some deialls.
The brave words with which he accepted his
nomination as Vlce-Presdent resounded through
the country. He was elected. Then followed
two scenes, each of which filed the people with
despair The first was Of the new VIce-Presi-
dent taking the oath OF Utfice-in the presence
Of the foreign minister's the judges of the SUI
prenIe Court and the Senate-while III such Il
condition that his attempted speech became
name OF the Secretary OF the Navy, who is now
the devoted supporter OF hls policy, as he has
been his recent travelling companion. One
month and one week afterwards President LIN
coin was assassinated. The people, wrapt in
atlliction at the great tragedy, trembed as they
beheid a drunken man ascend the heights of
power. But they were generous and forglvlng-
almost forgetUl. lie was our President, anC
hands were outstrotched to welcome and sus-
tain him. His early utteranccr as President,
although commonplace, loose, and wordy, gave
assurance that the Rebellion and its authors
would lind little favor IRON HIM. Treason was
to be mace odious.
TEE PRESIDENTIAL MADNESS.
Meanwhile the Presidential madness has be-
come more than ever manifest. 1t has shown
itself in frantic efforts TO defeat the Consttu-
tional amendment proposed by Congress tOr
adoption by the people. BY this amendment
certain safeguards are established. Citizenship
is defined, ana protection is assured at least in
what aIe called civil rights. The basis OF repre-
sentatlOn is fixed on the number Of voters, so
that il coloIed citizens are not allowed 10 vote,
they will nor by their numbers contribute 10
representative power, and one voter ID South
Carolina Will not be able to ncutrallze two
voters in Massachusetts, or Illinois. EX.Rebels
who have taken an oath 10 support the Con.
stitution of the Unued States are excluded from
office, national or State. The national debt is
guaranteed while the Rebei debt and all
claims Tor slaves are annuled. But all these
essential safeguards are rudely rejected by the
President. The madness that would reject q
proposition SO essentially just, whose only error
rs its inadequacy, has broken forth naturally
III brutal uttelance, where he has charged per
sons by name with seeking his life, and has
stimulated a mob against them. 1t is difficult
to surpass the crimmality OF this act; bat thus
far the old Greek eplgram has been verted:-
"a viper bit CRppadocan's hide.
EnVenomed by the Dlte, the viper died.
Though the person thus assailed have moi
yet suffered, the country has. The violence OF
the President has provoked violence. His wJrd,
0rauoO'S uhi hay, al,