The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1866-04-10
The President and the Republicans.

We see 1t stated thdt Plouliuen'
southern rebel remarked in surprise, after
reading the Presidents recent messages
and speeches, that if this policy had been
observed before the war there would nave
been no rebellion. The amodnt OF this
ia that If the south is always allowed tol
rule and have its own way, 1t VIII not
rebel. 1t revolted 10 1861 because itl
knew that Mr.. Lincoln could not be used
bv it. and the meaning of the statement
above quoted is purely aud wholly that II
the south could have had guarantees that
the policy of the newly elected Admins
tration would have been Southern, 1t
would have acquiesced. This leads to
the Inference that the present policy of
Mr.. Johnson is southern and sectional
If the published declaration of the rebel
referred to above does net mean tha: ex-
actly, we are mistaken in the force OF
language. He rejoices in the policy OF
the President, because be saw 1t TO be
wholly southern. So does every man IN
the south who participatedin the rebellion,
as we'll as all those who ever were pro-sla-
very. We do not mean to say, by any
means, that the Presidents course lden
tifies him with the subjugated rebels and
their past crimes, for that would be q
crierous misstatement. But we do mean
20 say that the President has given to
his administration a rctrograde character
that is in keeping with the spirit OF the
pro-slavery factions north and south, now
a-c---I :. e-rfSrug 10 substitute SIea'
system of caste bondage for chattel slavery.
We said, in speaking Of the Presidents
position lately, that his conservative Re
publican friends, who have made SO many
sacrifices to sustain him, are less Informed
of his purposes than the Democrats, and
we are constrained to repeat this IN reply
to an article in the New York Daily
Times urging the need of a compromise
between the President and the Republl-
can majority in Congress. This is just
what, so long as it seemed practicable, we
have been advocating. But if the Pres
ident himself be any authority on the
point, he has distinctly avowed himself a.
opposed to auy compromise. He says IN
30 many words, that no man can at the
same time support his policy aad that OF
Congress. We think so too. A com
pro Else between the two is scarcely pos
sible now, though 1t might have been
otherwise before his last veto message.
That has settled his position as not being
in harmony with the party whose nomi
nation he accepted. He seems to be
pleased with the support afforded him by
those who opposed his election, and to be
very a alxious 10 have every one under
staud that he is not in accord with the
policy of tie great mass of the Republl
caus. The essential element, therefore,
of compromise is wanting here TIE
Pre- ident desires DO agreement, and he
takes paius to let US know IL.
Soft words and empty phrases will not
answer when great principles and mighty
interests are at stake. We are not dis
p sei to think or speak harshly Of the
President He doubtless is sincere in
lis opinions, and We feel grateful for the
aid he rendered to the Union cause in a
try ~ emergency. Bat the Republican
party b IS no sympathy with the views he
has ouunciated 10 his ve;Oes, aud the ex
erciso Of little commOa-sense reasoning
might have taught him that before I've
accepted our nomination. For him to
treat us now to homllles in the old pro
slavery style, and profess to feel surprise
that we do not agree with them, Is !ather
too innocent. If be has a history and
record of his own to consult, has not the
Republican party also Ii be must needs
be retrograde now because be was pro,
slavery before, must the Republican party
ignore its aDti-slaVery record and its op
position to the damnable heresies Of dis
integration aud publication to suit him.
The demand of the President, if we
understand it at all, is that the Republi.
can party shall, to suit him, stultify itself
aud its whole past career and principles
By this simple process he has managed to
make the term radical Synonymous with
the entire mass of the dominant party,
and to separate himself from it so com
pletely as to leave it matter Of wonder
how he ever got where he is. We may
be prepared for temporary defeat, for we
have learned to bear that aud toll on pa
tiently to the victory which 10 detection
can preventou our gaining ultimately; Dat we
caanot agree to surrender, and thePresident
NAV as well know it. If any of his ad-
risers have persuaded him to believe that
ne can destroy the identity of the party
aud create some new organization upon
its ruins, we beg him to be undeceived,
for SO surely as be persists in the error,
he must separate himself irrevocably from
the mass of Union men who have sup
ported the late war from beginning to end
The Democratic party came into exist
ence because there was necessity for it.
The Whig party arose from similar