The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-09-24
The President and COngress-RcconCi
tiOn Demanded by the Country.


From the Herald.
The public sentiment of the Northern States
has, we think, been sufficiently developed
within the last two months to bring the Presi-
dent and Congress to reason, reflection, and
harmony on the great issue OF Southern restora-
ton. Excepting the singular political ele-
ments which hold the majority in this metropo-
lis, we have no doubt that the Constitutional
amendment now before the States will sweep
the North from Maine to California. 1t is not
what the radicals want, it is not what the Cop
perheads want but it is exactly what is wanted
by that great body OF the American peo ple
who, with their unstinted contributions of men,
m oney, arms, ships, and supplies Of all kinds,
put down the late gigantic and tenacious South
ern Rebellion.
At the beginning of the last session of Co n
gress, the relations between the two departments
were of such character as to justify the con-
clusion that harmonious cooperation would
prevail between them The President, in his
annual message turned over this business of
Southern reconstruction to the two Houses,
where it constitutional!y belongs. So far it was
well. But very soon the Jacobn leaders and
mischief-makers began in Congress their charges
of usurpation, treachery, and despotism against
the man at the other end of the avenue and
their hints of impeachment and their warnings
of the fate of Charles the First.
The President was naturally provoked, and
very iniudciously, we think, in public speech
or two paid Off his accusers in their own coin.
Then, resolved upon coercion, they commenced
and prosecuted their experiments OF negro sut-
trage, Freedmen's Bureau Civil Rights, and
other bills and resolutions, some OF which they
failed to carry, some of which he vetoed and
two OF which they carried over his veto. Thus
the original rupture between Andrew johnson
and Thaddeus Stevens was Widened into an ap
parently irrepressible conflict" between the
executive and legislative-the law-eXecuting and
law-making branches of the Government.
With the passage by a two-thirds vote in each
house OF the Constitutional amendment embrac.
| ing the ulumatum Of Congress for the restora
ton OF the excluded Southern States, this con
| fiCt between President and Congress should
have ended. The President should have ac
Cepted the amendment as a measure constitu-
| cerned. He so recognized it in submitting it to
| the States, through the Secretary of State, SO
| that in carrying before the people the question
| between his policy and the policy OF Congress
| it was rimply upon the expedieucy of this
| amendment. II is not a Jacobin measure-the
| Objectionable radical section originally put in
| was stricken out, and the amendment wai
passed without 1t, against the remOnstrances o
| such radical leaders as Stevens and Sumner.
| Subsequent events have shown that the Presi
| dent made a mistake in not accepting this
| amendment, so passed, as an end of his cOntlic
| with Congress. Unfortunately, too, instead o
closing, he has still further widened the breacl
in the speeches OF his late pilgrimage to Chi
| cago, in honor of the memory of a man whom
neither monuments nor Presidential pilgrimage
can raise above the calIbre of scheming an(
disappointed politician. In this excursion tn
Presidents denun Citations of Congress have fur
nished plausible excuses for more violent de
nunciations against himself by radical orator
| and organs over the length and breadth OF tn
land, to the scandal of our popular system O
| Government abroad and TO the moradcation O
the great body Of the American people of al
| parties.
Surely we have had enough of this. As be
| tween the President and Congress the hatche
ought to be buried, aud no better basis of
treaty of peace can be devised than this Cor
sttutional amendment Let the President ther
use his influence South in securing the immediat
fstifcation OF this amendment, and with tn
restoration on this platform of the Southern
States he will secure decisive victory over tn
radicals IN securing the balance of power 1
Congress. His opportunity and his advantage
IN this direction cannot be exaggerated, whil
IN pursuing the opposite course he must iney
tabiy leil,