The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1866-02-14
The Presidents Position.

epation to President JOHNSON; it omit
ted, however, to give us any account OF
the speech made by the President in re-
: ply. That speech has now come to hanu
through the medium of the eastern pa
pers. and, like the talk addressed TO
FRED. DOUGLASS a few days ago. serves
to illustrate the policy by which the ao'
1ministration has been guided and which
it is determined to still pursue. Inc
President plants himself squarely upon
the doctrine that the Southern states
never have been out Of the Union ana
that they are as much members OF tne
Federal Union to-day and as much gov
erned bv the Federal constitution and
entitled to the rights guaranteed By It,
as they ever have been in the past tie
demands. of course that the State gov
ernments shall be in the hands OF men
loyal to the constitution and that ioya!
men be chosen for representatives but
he does not seem to think that to be 10y
al to the government at the present time
it is necessary for man to swear that
he nerer has been engaged in rebellion -
Many, indeed a majority, of the appoint
uents made by the President for Pro.
yisional Governors II the Southern
States and for various executive Offices,
were Of men who had been engaged IN
the rebellion and who never could have
taken the test oath required by the radi.
Gals in congress and i'll this State. 1t is
also well known that he did not disap-
prove the free election by the Southern
people to various offices 10 their State
governments of men some 81 whom had
been prominent in their opposition to
the United States government iii the
late war Past disloyalty does not, in
the estimation of the President. disqual-
ifv men from voting or holding office; all
that he desires from the Sonth is the
election of nieu Who ate loyal 10 The Fed
sral government n5U and are honestly
determined to maintain their allegiauee
in the future More THAI this 10 reason
able man should reqnne, aud more than
this 10 is impossible Ton ihe Sunthern
States to give
How wide the tseecl between The
President aud the rMNth STEVENS fac
ton has already become aud hos little
likelihood there ~ 81 h,~ yirldiua t. their
demands may he gathered FROM The fol.
lowing extract from hi, speech 10 the
Virginia delegation:
Il do not intend 80 -al lnyth,ug per.
sonal but at the beginning Ottne recent
gigantic struggle between different sec
lions NORTH and south. there were eN
IRENE men North and extreme men
South Tbisigreat government was Kept
upon the anvil aud hammered upon du-
ing the rebellion, aud it has been mann
rneTed since the rebellion and there
seems to be disposition to continue The
hammering until the government is de
stroyed | have opposed tLat system
Away | oppose u now
The government u IG5 assertion uI
its powers, aud Va maintenance ut Tie
principles OF the constitution, has taken
hold Of one extreme, and, With The strong
arm of physical power, bas put down
the rebellion. Now, "a we swing ag9uEd
the circle Of the Union with a fixed and
unalterablo determination to stand by It,
we find the counterpart u duplicate Of
the same spirit that played TO this feeling
and theseIpersOn5 in the south Til Other
extreme Cbieh tGad. ca lie rag NUT 5s
got out Of Il The government must
stand, mistaken and unmoved apon its
basis The government must y prs
served
Certainly that language as sufficiently
strong and canuot easily be misUnJs,
stood IftEa u2rtheru jestguctive~ IL
not heed It. he strong arm Of physical
po~er" which has crushed one extreme
MAJ be put forth to make the other cot
OUT of the way and no draft Vii, De
necessary to obtain soldiers fay Ia; war.
Notice has been given 10 ths whole radi
cal crew that they mast stop ''hampcr-
ing" and three-fcurths Of the people
stand ready to back up hcdem&nd.
But we do not think that the strong
arm of physical power" viii be found
necessary to vanquish the radical ~,
IRENE God forbid tnat in our efioyt, cot
the perpetuation of the repuIl.s Any
:. more blood shall De She'd The nation
- =. wants peace harmony and domestic
quiet, and Is SUBJECTED With the horrors
and nisories vi war But what one set
OF men has been forcibly crushed fer at
tempting, another SET of men should not
bepermitted to do without rebuke The
~hammering" which is intended to de-
stroy the government aud eject 4 negro
despotism upon its ruins, is just a. dam
gefous as the secession which threatened
to destroy the nations unity. 1t Stands
in the way" of the national prosperity
y and happiness, and mast be got out of
it. We look to the votes OF people who
q arefse to vote to thrust aside and out of
sight the northern extremists VINO are
now the only enemies of the govern
ment and perchance, "ag we swing
around the circle of the Union with a
fixed and unalterabe determination 10