The West Virginia journal. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1864-1877, 1866-07-04
The Would-be New Party.


few days sgo,. when tho President, BY
his open and unc.lled for attack upon
tho peoples representatives in q matter
in which hc had no constitutional duty
to perform, except the ministerial one
Of sending to the Governors Of the States
the proposition Of Congress to amend
the Constitution, it was made clear to
their minds that Andy johnson does
| not desire to act in harmony With q
loyal Congress. Other matters had been
Transporting which excited the suspicion
that Andy johnson wns about to initiate
the example Of his illustrious prcdcoes'
sor Capt. TyIcr, but those suspicious
wore moasurably allayod by the utteran'
ces from the White House, through Gov
Cox, Gov. Yates, Secretary Stanton md
other good Union mon, who claimed
that the differences between the PrcsI'
dent and Congress "werc not irreconcl!'
able" The extremists iu Congress, who
had served the President as prete1t
for the breach between himself aud that
body, having abandoned their iupracti'
cabc policy and united with the more
moderate and practical Union majority, it
was thought That there was now too slight
az occasion for disagreement to mako
tho rupture permanent. Indeed, Con-
cress had met tho President moro than
halfway to effect compromise 1t
bod adopted pretty much such measures
rs ho had recon mendcd, with the single
exception Of granting tho southern ro'
bcllious Statcs immediate representation,
and participation in the adoption c?Such
measures as arc deemed necessary to
protect the Government from evils grow.
ing out of the rebellion. Andy johnson,
as Union man, should have been sat-
is6ed as servant Of tho people Of the
United States, to cooperate with their
loyal representatives in Congress, in
carrying out those moderate measures
recently adopted. MIR. Lincoln would
have done so cheerfully. But Mr.. Lin
coin was patriot and statesman, md
no demagoguo aud would'bo dictator, as
we fear Andy johnson is.
Instead Of pursuing this patriotic
course, Andy johnson is seeking to de-
stroy tho Influence Of Congress, and by
tho corrupt uso Of his patronage, defeat
tho Constitutional amendment, which
embodics tho policy Of Congress towards
the rebel States. This is not in accor.
dance With his radical course and speech.
es at the beginning Of the war, nor
during its continuance while Military
Governor Of Tennessee nor while he was
a candidate for the Vice Presidency, nor
when taking the exalted seat made va.
cant for him by the hand of tho assassin
Booth.
He was then for being the "Moscs to
lead the colored people out Of bondage; !"
was in favor of comforting the elective
franchise on loyal men alonc, DO they
white or Jlack. Ile was for making
treason odious, and Furnishing and i'm
poverishing trnitors, and insisted that
rebels should "tako q back seat" while
the loyal men should reconstruct and
govern tho country. Ills present policy
i, not only to pardon all the rebols, and
to restore them to power again, by rc'
cciviug their representatives into Con.
gress, but to allow them an opportunity
to 60 to plotting with the copperheads Of
the North for the overthrow Of those
principles settled by tho arbitrameut of
tho sword in the late war.
1t is argued that tho test oath will
prevent any but loyal representatives.
from the South taking seats in Congress,
but wo understand that mutter in West
Virginia. We arc we'll aware that thcrc
arc great many men in tho Southern
States who arc willing to tnko tho tost
outh, who arc also willing to DO tho
obedicnt tools Of tho rebels. They be.
licve in tho Calhoun bcrcsy Of Stu:e
Rights, and indeed tina. secession, though
impolitic at the time, was right 10 priu.
ciple; aud it is this class Of men, and
not any, or but few, truly loyal men, who
will be sent from the Southern States as
long as the rebels exercise the elective
franchise. These men can accomplish
the wish of the Southern rebels equally
as we'll iu Congress as they could thcm.
selves, and there is no doubt about their
readiness to do so.