The Louisiana Democrat., 1866-12-19
TIE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
OPINIONS OF THE PRESS.
fFron the New York World, Dec. a.


fFrom the New York World Dec. a.
The President adheres to his former
Tfews with resolute, indomitable steadi-
ness, but with the calmness OF conscious
strength What is certain, and what the
country is most concerned to know, is, that
the President remains ilnmovabie, and
Congress belligerent. The elections have
not awed him into any degree of submis-
siveness, and he re-states his position with
a masculine, convincing clearnesss, winch
must produce o favorable impression upon
all candid men. He does not delgn to pay
the Constitutional Amendment even the
cold compliment of a passing allnslGn; nor
ia there any reason why he should. 1t was,
TO be snre, the leading issue in the cleo
tious; hut the binding effect of the election
In any State does not extend beyond its
own Legislature, which is isthereby instruct
ed to ratify the amendmentfor that partic-
nlar State. The Legislatures chat decline
10 ratify are Just as much bound by the
will of their constituents, as the ratifying
Legislatures are by theirs; the popular
vote in each State binding its own Legis-
latnre, and nobody else. Congress ex-
hausted its whole authority in reference to
! the amendment when it passed it by two
thirds vote. The President expended has
whole authority, and discharged his whole
duty, when he caused certified copies to be
transmitted to the States. z
; The only question connected with the
restoration of the Union which has any re-
naming vitality, is the admission Of the
Southern members. The President refrains
from discussing or suggesting any, new
conditions of admission, because he recog-
nizes no authority on the part of Congress
to impose any. The States are entitled to
representation by the plain provisions OF
the Constitution and so long as the Con-
,stitution remains unaltered, their claim is
perfect and indefeasible.- They can be ex-
cluded only by fragrant violation of the
Constitution. Both the tone and the argu-
ments of the Message, on this leading topic,
are excellent. In dignity, decorum, and
chaste simplicity of language, few MESA
pes ever sent to Congress have been more
ereditable. 1t is entirely free from the
/. asperity sometimes too freely exhibited in
Mr. Johnson's popular speeches.
=. From the New York Herald
EVERYTHING LEFT TO CONGRESS.
~
= The Presidents Message is before our
readers They will find it, as an exhibit
of the working of the several Executive
Departments during the last year, an In
=. teresting, instructive and satisfactory State
paper, while upon the gteat ISSUE Of South
srn reconstruction it reads like chapter
from naThe Word before the Deluge. 1t is
an argument to the. court after the jury
had rendered their verdict. 1t may bt
,rompared to history of France, omittine
the revolution which overthrow the Bour
.-bons-as trial matter not worth mention
: ing in pleading their claims to the throne
Ii sindeed remarkable that after delib
erately submitting his Southern polio,
against the plan of Congress to the peopl
& in the late elections the President shoult
mot have word to say of the will of tn
people, as made manifestin these elections
;. He talks of the ancient land MARKS" a
>: if none of them had been swept away b
the late Southern deluge of fire and blood
as if the war had changed nothing and a
: il the recent elections had changed nothing
Taking it for granted. however, that thi
superAuous argument of the Executive o
his exploded policy is only an ingeniou
device, with his colors flying, for turnin
over the whole matter absolutely into th
hands of Congress, where it belongs, W
NAV dismiss this branch Of the Messag
:. without further remark. ~
= Passing over his summary of the depar
mental reports and the recommendation
In connection Herewith, the President
brief statement of our relations with Enl
land and France next challenges our a
tention. 5t
!, This is great subject, and next to til
paramount business of Southern recol
structioD, it should command the attentio
of Congress. Mr., Seward, in bis efforts
solve our foreign difficulties, has signal
failed, and the administration falls bac
upon Congress. Indeed, the gist Of Il
). Message may be stimmed up In. the simp
=. remark that it turns over to Congress Il
settlement of our domestic and our fOreil
troubles, and we can only hope that Il
two houses will rise to the demands OF ii
crisis and prove equal to the task assign'
them. ~
(From the New York Tribune.
It is not so much what the Preside
says, as what he declines to say. The fiji
impression of the message is that his .
cellency is chastensd He makes no all
sion to Congress hanging on the verge
the Government. This is something frC
an Executive who has been i'll the me-
unreasonable humor for so many montl
Mr.. Pierce could not havewritten weak
message. There are some good words frc
Washington and Jefferson, likewise JAG
son. We marvel that his Excellency nj
.lected the other fathers of their country
There is much that Mr.. johnson mig
Lave done. He has missed many gold
opporttinities-but none so gloriousas th
Congress came from the people magnal
NOUS and kind There was no dispositi
to remember anything that had been do
-snot even the shameless antagonlsm
the people in the recent elections
believe that there was no feeling of resel
inent to the President, not even in
hearts of the most Radical members
Congress, that would not have given W
sbefore the slightest tendency Of the Pre-
dent to harmoniSe the Country. In ]
message he shows flo such tendency.
elings to his dognias with as much tenaci
as when lie hoped to carly the country
the late elections. There is not one VIC
for the negro--not one word for the 10!
In the South--iiot one sentences viii
might not as we'll have been written
hundred years ago as to-day, for all I
comfort and truth it brings. !.
y We have no heart to dwell upon &
dreary, lifeless document. There is no
ing that any loyal man can read with CO
form or hope. Andrew Johnson is as mu
ID enemy as when he menaced the matt
from his White House steps ten mont
ago. He does not mean to aid us In
work Of reconstruction. The duty devo
Ing Upon Congress becomes more sole
and responsible, and we look to Congr
with infinite yeurning.e ~ i
From the New York News.l
sThs Presidents Message is before
country, and We preSume will be CRITICS
through all the degrees Of censure and
probation. In its treatment of questit
Of immediate domestic interest we ar
tts1. :. t. III L