The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1866-01-23
aaashrille SAniun.
WIZ. CAMKROS q co.. Publishers.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 23, 1866
THE PRESIDENT AND CONGRESS.
What Radicals Say.
Statements Touching the Presidents
Views.
wha. Radicals Say.

Statements Touching the President
Views.
Correspondents CT the Chicago Tribune.
WAsHrNGTos, Jan. 13, lS66.-The car
full observer OF the doings in Congre
T concerning reconstruction since tn
/ opening of the session, cannot help b
ing struck with the excellent tact an
good sense with which the members
the radical majority, notwithstandiu
the widest diyergences of opinion, hay
managed TO maintain smicabIe rel
tions with the Executive, and at th
same time pursue an independent
straightforward course of action in &C
eordance with their own conviction
and the wishes of their respective con
stituencies. We all know that tn
Presidents attitude was rather defian
than concilistory. In the first week G
the session there was an emphatic ez
preston of disapprobation of the execu
tive plan of restoration on the part o
both Houses. In the fase of this, an,
of the manifest desire of Congress /
assume charge Of the work of recon
struction, the President directed tn
Government of the several rebellion
States to be turned over to the s1uthori
ties elected under his policy, thereby
communicating it, as far IS he possibly
could, and obstructing and embarrass
ing in advance by this nearest posi-
bic contamination the intended actor
of Congress bearing upon the sam,
question. Yet notwithstanding thi
direct defiance and proyocation, th,
temper of the msjority towards the Ex
ecutiVe has been truly admirable
Hardly q word Of direct reproach o.
censure has been uttered by any radi
cal member All the speeches, made
SO far on the radical side, while reveal
ing the firmest resolution against the i'm
mediate restoration of the disloysl
Sta tes, have breathed the kindest
most forbearing spirit towards Mr..
johnson. But, while thus fulfilling
their duty of doing everything consist
ent with their convictions and the true
interests of the Republic, to avoid 8
rupture with the Executive, the radi,
cal majority, on the other hand are in
hexibly determined to treat the Presi-
dents "experiment" as q failure; to in
sist upon the right of Congress to solve
the problem of reconstruction in their
own way, and to act accordingly, de-
spite executive wishes, Establishments,
threats or sussion by dint of patronage
The wise course pursued by the ma
jority has already borne its legitimate
fruit. The kindly but firm temper of
Congress has reassured the loyal public,
and, what is still better, all but dis
armed the Executive and reduced him
70 a state of passive expectancy, in
stead of the aggressive position in
which he appeared before the holidays.
Had the radical majority shown less
steadfsstness in its opposition to his
Southern policy, the probability of a
rupture with him would have been far
greater than it is at this moment For
IN that event every point yielded
would have made him no doubt more
exacting in his demands Of concessions,
until the msjority would have had TO
choose between becoming 9 mere tool
in the hands of the Executive, or break
ing with him uuder much more pro-
voking circumstances As it is, the
frmness of the radical majority sHd
the evident universal Endorsement
of its course by the loyal public,
has produced natural hesitation in
him to push existing differences to ex-
tremes. Since the reassembling of Con-
gress, he has repeatedly declared to
members that he considers his part of
the work of reconstruction done, and
that he is willing to let Congress take
charge of and complete it, if it can, in
its own way If he be sincere in these
declarations-and he can well afford to
be, as he has certainly gone the fullest
possible length of his rope-and means
to put no obstacle in the way of Con-
gressionsl legislation regarding recon
struction, all will go we'll But, wheth-
er or not, the radical majority will un-
WaVeringly adhere 10 its policy already
so well marked out.
AUTHENTIC sTATEXENTs, (FRON WRITTEN
RECoRDs, OF WHAT TIE PRESIDENT SAYS.
Special Correspondents Of the Cincinnati Gazette
WAsHINGToS, Jan. II.
| have not been swift to rush into
print with garbled statements of what
the President said to Senator Smith
and Representative Jones, las retailed
by them on the Avenue,) concerning
his relations to Congress, and the ex-
isting differences of policy. have
thought it more respectful at once to
the President and 10 my readers, to say
nothing till could speak a1visedly.
1 ns~N. =. AI.k 81 ak,.Nrr
understand precisely how the Presi.
dent does talk, and how the represen-
tatives of the people talk to him. IfR
breach between them is widening, the
country should know who Eidens it;
if disposition to conciliate is shown
who shows it; if an Indifference to con-
sequences-Who manifest that have
therefore taken pains to procure cor
rect accounts of several recent inter
views with the President Careful
minutes Of some were made at the
time, and am writing with these be-
| fore me,
WHAT c0EsTIIUTIoSAL ANExDMESTs EATE
BEEN SUGGESTED.
In one csse several members, popu-
lsFly known as Radicals, said to the
President that if be would be satisfied
with constitutional amendments, bas.
ing representation on voters, making
all men equal before the law, excepting
in the matter Of suffrage, repudiating
rebel debt, and guaranteeing National
obligations, they would make an effort
to bring the party in Congress 70 an
adjustment of the reconstruction ques-
ton on that basis, and would even 60
the length OF admitting Tennessee in
advance Of ell the other States aud OF
the general adoption Of this policy by
the South, if she would individually
agree TO these amendments
WHAT TIE PRESIDENT SAYS OF CoSsrIrU-
TIoNAL ANESDNESTs
Without entering into any serious
consideration Of their subject matter,
the President said that he had objec.
tions on general grounds 10 any consti-
tational amendments He had once
been in favor of some hinself,and was on
the record in their favor, but these were
changed times, and the tendency was
too great toward unsettling the found
atiops Of things These frequent amend
ments were calculated to weaken the
force and solemn sanction of the Con.
stitation, and make its provisions like
the work Of town meetings AS 10 any
propositions for making the payment
of the rebel debt unconstitutional. he
considered them unnecessary, and
doubted their propFiety The Southern
people were in no danger of ever want
lag 20 psy those debts The objections
in the South to their payment would
every year grow stronger and stronger
How wORld il look to provide by con
! stitutiopsl smendment that the United
States debt should not be TepGdiated
Yet this would be no more iGprcpel
than the other. Furthermore, there
was gross inconsistency IN the proposes
b mode Of securing these constitution
al amendments They were TO be pro
J posed by Congress from which tn
South WAS exeluded Then the rebe
States, who were unit 10 Be representes
in Congress were to be considered 6
I 10 rstify = constitutional amendment
II they were expected IS States 20 &C
upon the question Of rstifying them