The New era. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1865-1871, 1866-03-22
Consistency OF Indretr johnson.

Consistency OF And,eW Johuson..
One of the charges which the Radicals
persistently make against Andrew
johnson is that the policy he has an
nounced with regard to the reconstruc-
ton of the Southern States is inconsist-
ent with his past course and the princi-
pies upon which he was elected. The
Radical organ in this city, which has not
the boldness to come out openly against
the President, insinuates this daily, by
garbled extracts from his speeches and
select cuttings from the Radical journals
Of the North, detrimental to his fame
For ourselves, we think that a very
brief examination of the platform laid
down by the Baltimore convention of
1861, which nominated Lincoln and
johnson, and a reference to the pre-
liminary action of that body, will salts
fy any candid mind that the inconsist-
ency complained of is not with the Pres
ident, but altogether on the side of the
Radicals in Congress. Let us make a
hasty review:
1t is matter of history that the theo-
ry of Mr.. Lincoln throughout the war
was that the States of the South never
were out of the Union, and that the sole
surrectionWithin them, andcompel there
sumption of constitutional relations with
the Government. This was the identi-
cal view of Congress, when by solemn
resolution it declared that the war was
waged in no spirit of conquest, and An
drew johnson was Well-knoWn to COIN
eide with the President and Congress
upon this vital point. With such light
before it the Republican convention of
1864 met, nominated Lincoln and John
son as the opponents of its principles,
and adopted a platform which spoke
only of bringing rebels back to their al
legiance, and to submission to the Con-
stitution and the laws.
The subjugation of the South was no.
where limited at, and the abolition of
| slavery was proposed to be effected, not
by force of arms, but by a constitutional
amendment. All Of these purposes have
since been accomplished, rebellion has
ceased, the abolition of slavery has been
consummated, the insurgents have re-
turned to their allegiance and obedience
to the Constitution and the laws and the
President naturally thinks, the avowed
object Of the war having been accom-
plished, that it is time for the States to
resume their old position in the Union.
This conclusion is logical, and how far
the Convention of 1864, the recognized
representative of the Republican party,
committed itself to such sequence, let
the record show. 1t is to this that we
desire to direct particular attention.
| When the Convention met, and tenn
porary organization had been effected,
Hon. Simon Cameron, of Pennsylvania,
rose and moved that all the States becal-
ed, including those which were in the
military possession of the Confederates.
| This Thaddeus Stevens violently OPP
posed, declaring that he saw more dam
ger to the country than from the rebel
lion itself; but, in spite of his objections,
the motion of Cameron prevailed, and
all the States sUere called, from Maine to
Tsras, thus distinctly conforming to the
| President, that the Southern States could
not, Ly secession, put themselves out of the
| Union.
The call being proceeding with, Of the
Southern States, Virginia, South Carroll
ma, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi,
Louisiana, and Florida presented dele
gates. A committee upon credentials
was then raised, who made report, in
which they proposed that the Southern
delegates should be admitted to the
privileges of the floor, but not to the
right of voting. The Convention, how
ever, by the decisive vote of 80 to 151,
overruled the action Of the committee
in this respect, and admitted With fill
rights and privileges the delegates from
Tennessee, Arkansas, and Louisiana,
three States whose representatives now
In vain knock at the doors Of Congress
for admission.
The others wereexcluded upon grounds
of informality or insufficient cOnstitu-
encies; but the fact that the States they