The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-06-12
What the President Thinks OF the
Final Report of the Reconstruction

Final Report of the Reconstruction
Committee.
We have not for a long time met with
more trenchant criticism than is contained
in Yesterdays National Republican upon
the final report of the Reconstruction COM
mittee. That paper, like ourselves, holds
Mr.. FEssESpES responsible for the report !;
and no doubt for the same reason-not
that the chairman necessarily writes a
committees reports, but because no other
member had the ability to do it so we'll.
The following argument is ident'cally the
one we employed in our article OF yeSter-
day:
"Tbis Government has been monstrous
engine Of wrong and usurpation TINS war
has been crime Of unparalleled atrocltS
and infamy; and every American soiu'cr
has been a murderer of his fellow-man i'll
fact and intent, unless every American
STATE Is an integral part of this Union, and
every person born and residing in them is
an American citizen. Under the great
charter Of the Constitution our armies
went upon the territory where revolt eH-
listed to make the rebellious citizens submit
to the laws, and enable the States as
turbed BY individual insurgents to resume
their functions and exercise their riShls,
or else the national presence there was uh-
unsuitable, and each man who upheld the
flag on that soil was an invader. Yet TINS
astute committee does not consider the
debate on this question necessary II
dared not face the issue for to admit that
the eleven States were ever out oil TINS
Union would be to confess that either their
act of secession was legal, or thelr act oi
resistance successful"
The Republican next alludes to the TACT
that the committee dared not recommend
any of the Presidents work of restoration
TO be undone. awhile Congress, through
ats chosen agents, cannot produce an in
"stance of wrong to be corrected, or a
"superior policy TO be pursued in causing
"the States to rcappear, il should have the
"modesty if not the manliness to be silent
ain its opposition and condemnation OF the
president.
But the best paragraph in the article Is
the following reference to the committees
SANDERS upon the southern people. The
reader will see that the Presidents organ
goes farther in its denunciation of Con-
gress than we did yesterday, though we
thought We were saying hard things:
"The report, in its opinion of the
loyalty of the southern people and its can
vass of southern affairs, seems to have sunk
all respect for truth and all claim to states
manship. According to it there is through
ont the south an evidence of an intense
hostility to the Federal Union We pro-
nounce this false. The organic law OF
! every southern State recognizing its fealty
10 the National Government, the almost
universal quiet and order Of the southern
populace, the unexceptionable teaching of
the southern press and pulpit, which now
inculcates obedience to the laws. the ex-
ample ofthe conspicuous civil and military
leaders, all stamp this statement of the
committee without foundation and with
out excuse. We also deny the right to in
terpret dislike othe Thirty ninth Congress
and its disorganizing influences, aohether
at the south or north, as AN evidence OF
hostility to the Federal Government 1t
is love and reverence to the Government
that causes us at least TO be hostile to
Congress-"