The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1866-03-31
Letter from s. n. Wood.
CoTToEwooD FALLS, Kansas.
March Goth 1854

much surprised in reading over three or four
of your last papers-aIsO number of others
of my faVorits papers-papsrs that I had
supposed would never swervs in their low
atty to GoFsrnment-papers that were en-
thusiastie in their support of Lincoln and
his policy, and which insisted that Support
of the Administration was the true test of
loyalty. Some of US who did not favor
the denomination of Lincoln and continue
ton Of his policy, were not only read out of
the Repdbslca party, bat were denounced
as "Copperheads, and now we are all
"Copperheads' for sustaining President
Johnson in carrying out the policy inaugu-
rated by Lincoln. Even Seward, and Henry
Ward Beecher, notice, are being read out
of the party; and what astonishes me most
is that the Patriot, Statesman, and Chris
tan, Lane, should have fallen from grac e
and turned "Copperhead."
Did not Anthony, as Mayor of Leaven-
worth, make men swear to support the cad
ministration, as a prerequisite to voting
It strikes me that you were in too much
haste at Emporia in reading the President,
and such men as Sc ward, Beeoher, DENIM
son, Wells, Dixon, Doolittle, Sherman, &c,
not only out of the Republican party, but
out of the Union party; and I now ask you
aud your readers in all candor, what has
been the true cause of all this tumult and
trouble? Secretary Seward declares, in his
New York speech, that the policy now being
carried out by Johnson, was inaugurated
by Lincoln. and marked out by Seward
which we all must admit who have cared to
watch our national affairs for the past six
years. Not only Lincoln but the Admins
tration, as well as Congress, took the posi-
ton that State could not secede-could not
Withdraw-could not get out of the Union;
that the people might rebel, but whenever
the rebellion was over, the States were in
tact. How often did Lincoln proclaim that
all the rebels had to do was to quit fighting,
lay down their arms, and resume their rela.
tons to the Government! Have you and
your readers forgotten Lincoln's proclama-
ton, where be agrees to recognize State
Governments whenever one tenth OF the vo-
ters participated in the cleo ton? Electing
members to Congress was the test, yet Lin
coin was laudsd to the skies for pursuing
this policy, and Johnson for coutinuiug the
same policy, is denounced as Copper
head and traitor" "Oh, consistency, thou
art a jewell But 1 am asked what excuse
have for the veto Of the ''Freedmen's Blu
reau Bill 2" Those who have, without pref
udice, read the veto message must admit
that the President had very good, if not
sufficient reasons, not the least of which was
its unconstiiutionslity. President johnson
had sworn to support the Constitution, not
as you, or ], or Congress understood it, but
as he understood it, and believing az he did,
s that act was unconstitutional, it was
his duty to veto it. Had he not done so, he
would have been perjured scoundrel. And
/ now venture the assertion that any intelh-
gentleman who, without prejudice, will read
FIRST, the Constitution: second, the Freed
mems Bureau Bill; and then Johnson's We
to message, will come to the same conclu-
sion that he did. The next objection made
by the President to the bill was the almost
unlimited power it placed in the hands of
the President, and the door it opened for
fraud and corruption-very grave objections
Iall must admit. Just think of the whole
country being virtually under the control Of
set of men appointed by the President, not
upon merit, but on the recommendation OF
some member of Congress, as reward fol
political labor, and such men to decide all
questions between blacks and whites. Up,
on the one hand, whites could be fined tc
any extent for the benefit of the black com
plainant, and the agent receive half the mon
ey; or dozen planters could combine, raise
few thousand, and thus get the entire con
troll of the agent, from whose decisions
there was no appeal AS an instance, 81
Shreveport, last fall, white man struck {
g negro-struek only with his open hand
Had he thus struck white man, he would
I have been fined perhaps So, which woulC
have vent to the school fund; but in THU
case fine of $500 was assessed for the ben
eft of the negro; whether the agent got hal
am unable to say only mention this
to show the unlimited power that was thu
placed in the hands of these agents. Fol
one believe the President did Just right il
Vstoing the biIl-did Just what any homes
man would have done under the ciFcum'
stances.
But am again asked what excuse have f
make for Jonson's ed of February speech
reply that regret the speech; not s.
much as to what it contained, as do tina
the President should have stopped to MOTTO
his enemies as he did. But there is som
! tpaliation for even that speech. Both Sum
!, ner and Stephens had commenced war up
! lon the President, in the very commence
3 ment of Congress; both seemed determine
to ALLEVIATE and drive. him from his party an
friends- One called him q ssWhiteWashe
lof the Frank Pierce school.'' The othe
spoke of him constantly, as the ''man 70
3 fellow at the other end of the Avenue"
Nov Mr.. Editor it seems TO me that it i