The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-04-21

that crisis, when both parties standing armed
for the struggle, bis word, and his 100000 bayo.
nets offered to either VIII prevent war; or win
make the one certainly victor. And vet It must
be, even TO the French Emperor dif1icult path
to choose. With Prussia, he looses all chance
and hope of securing the Rhine; with Austria,
he takes the side unpopular in France, of oppo
sition TO Italy and the liberation of Venetia. So
doubtful would war be in its issue for him, that
our hopes OF peace now may well rest in his
interest in peace, and on his influential advice
prevailing e"
President JohnsOn's Speeches to the Sol
dIers, Sailors, Citizens, and CoIOred
People. Cn g. Oal3 12lEL
From TIE Herald.
We published Thursday the speech of Presi
dent johnson to the soldiers, sailors, and clti-
xens who called to serenade him on Wednesday.
Yesterday we published his speech to the colorcd
people Of Washington. Both OF these speeches,
like everything else which has emanated from
President Johnson, are full OF plain, sound, prac
tical common sense and sturdy, uncompromis
ing honesty and independence OF opinion. Those
who have expected him to falter or quail before
the storm of radical abuse and vituperati5n will
be disappointed by these speeches. He places
himself fairly and squarely in contrast with
those Senators and Representatives who have
mahgned and abused him, and appeals to the
American people to decide who is most worthy
OF confidence.
To the soldiers and sailors he compares his
own brave conduct during the Rebellion with
the conduct OF those politicians who remained
at home in ease and comfort, while he and other
patriots we're at the front of danger. To the
. colored people ne says that their truest friends
are not those who are using the negro race to
ride into political power, but those, IKE himself,
whose sympathy is practical and whose actions
are dictated by a sincere unsel6sh regard for
the best interests of the freedmen. The SOL
diers, the sailors, the citizens and the negroes
RTeete0 PrpSI6pnfjG
astic cheers and he may learn from this inani-
nous applause that the hearts of the people are
still with him and will always be, so long as he
Is true to the great principles which he avows.
On wednesday, alter reviewing the other or
deals to which this nation has been subjected,
the President came to speak of that latest and
greatest ordeal-the recent Rebellion. In a few
strong and unanswerable sentences he explained
his whole theory OF reconstruction. He showed
that although the war tor the Union is over the
Union Is not yet restored, and ne denounced in
terms only less vigorous than those of his 22d of
February speech the Northern Rebels who are
now conspiring to prevent restoration. The
plea OF the radicals that the Southern States are
out OF the Union was logically annlhlated.
When the rebellion in Massachusetts was put
down, that State was not declared out OF the
Union. The Dorr rebellion in Rhode Island did
not make that dead State. The whiskey re-
bellion In Pennsylvania did not transform that
State into territory. And yet the Senators and
Representatives from these very States are now
loudly clamoring that the South is not in the
% Union because Rebellion has existed and been
suppressed there.
This argument is irresistible and the radicals
will not attempt to retute it. Quite as convinc.
ing is the logic by which the President proves
that his plan OF reconstruction is both practi-
cal and constitutional. Since his accession to
office he has given the Southern States courts
and Judges, he has restored the postal service
he has reopene1 their blockaded ports, he has
81 authorized elections of Governors and State
Legislators, and in all this there has been
nothing contrary to the Constitution. Now he
fOr
Congress to allow the States the right of repre-
sentation. @ "-"'' .-
He then shows clearly that the talk of admit
ting traitors to Congress is all nonsense, since
each House can examine the LOYALTY of the
Southern delegates for itself, and send back
those who are disloyal. WlCh equal strength
he retorts upon the radicals for calling him
usurper because he has written as many vetoes
as Washington did; and, after Indignantly de-
manding what he had usurped, he quoted JEFF
terson and others to prove that there is a
tyranny of the many more to be dreaded in a
republic than the despotism OF any President
In this Mr.. johnson is undoubtedly correct
Our President is comparatively powerless; but
this radical Congress can legisiate itself into
ofhce for life, and become an uncomfortable
arstocracy. (. ..l .......
In both these remarkable speeches of the Pre-.
sident he bids mis- hearers to wait and see who
will be most faithful, and who ls the real friend
OF the freedmen; and he promises that they will
not have to wait very long These significant
declarations will inspire the utmost curiosity
among all parties. From them we infer that the
President IS about to take some decided and i'm.
portant action before many days, and the pro-
liabilities are that he will commence by dis
missing the radical members of his Cabinet We
say that this is probable: but if the President is
about to do anything, a reorganization OF the
Cabinet IS, in fact, indispensable. The radical
strength in Congress must be broken, and the
only way to break it is to remove the Cabinet
which supports and inspires it. The fate of the
veto OF the Civil Rights bill has shown that so
long as the radical leaders can maintain their
present ascendancy it is useless to attempt to
check congressional action.
Besides this, there is no plan which the Presi-
dent can frame that can be carried out without
the cooperation of his Cabinet Ministers, and it
Is evident that some of his present Cabinet
retain their places for the express and avowed
purpose of thwarting all his plans As Presi-
dent johnson is a practical common sense man,
he must perceive the absurlity of an effort To
make Stanton, Speed, and Harlan assist him in
any conservative measures. Why, these very
persons hold their port not at the pleasure
of the President, but at the pleasure of Mr..
Sumner and Mr.. Stevens, and will only relin-
quish them voluntarily when Mr.. Sumner and
Mr.. Stevens command. Ii is a matter of public
notoriety-it has been repeatedly published i'm
the radical papers-that certain members OF
the Cabinet were about to resign when the
Freedmen's Bureau bill was vetoed but con.
clude1 70 remain at the request of the radical
leaders.
An administration thus divided against itseii
VIII be powerless to assist the President in the
action which he is about to take. That TINS
action 10 TO be prompt and important is evident
from the TACT that In both his speeches Mr.
johnson Is careful to reiterate his promises to
stand by the conservative masses OF the coun
try, though everybody else may falter and fail
and 10 prove himself before very long the bes
friend of the white man and the black, The
President weighs his words well, aud when hi