The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1866-08-17
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your attention to the markeu ullici
encc in the department of the Iresi-
dent and tic Union members OF Con-
press in the matter Of reconstruction.
1t is not my province to become the
advocate or accuser of g thcr. J am
neither r uical nor c n5ervativ,,
If by either is inca more or lc' s
than a hearty membership OF the Tn.
ion party. 1t cann)t have escal e'
you, or the country, that in regard TO
the many complicated and difficult
questions relating to the legal cond''
ton, and the mode OF returning TO
the insurgent States their forfeited
rights and privileges, the majority in
Congress, as betN cen them and tie
President, have shown the more con
ciliatory spirit. In tact the Presi.
dent has made no concession, assum
ing that because oi the failure OF the
rebellion in not taking the insnrgcnt
States out of the Union, thai they
were restored to all their ancient con
stitutional rights by the establish
mont of pcacr, AMI therefore entitled
to their Immediate representation in
Congress upon the same terms with
the loyal States. lie has rigillY ad
hercd to that 20 ition, and made 1t q
ground for opposing almost every
thing done ny Congress for the re
construction Of the rcbcIlious states.
1t is in the determined maintenance
of tins position, and its constant as
scrtiOn hy the President, in which we
find the origin OF the breach between
him and Congress, and which, | fear,
has contributed in no small part to
the revived utteranccs and acts of
disloyalty in the South, to the injus-
tice and cruelty i'm the treatment OF
freedmen and Union men in the in.
surgcnt States, and to the bold dc
mands of leading traitors for the po.
litical control OF those States, and
their alliance with the Democratic
party of the North for securing the
control of the Federal Government,
which they hope to accomplish, IN
some way, under the favor of the
President On the other hand, the
Union members of Congress have
asked, in their first plan Of recon
struction, az we have seen, hardly
anytime not approved by the Presl.
dent, AMI nothing not Indispensable
to the safety Of the nation.
THE FIRST PLAN OF RgCoNsrRrCTIoN.
When Congress met in December
last, and some time thereafter, among
other important matters relating to
recon struction, urged by prominent
Union members of either House,
were these:
First-That the insurgent States
had, by the act of rebellion, forfeited
all their rights rs States, and should
be treated as Territories until their
local governments should he reorgan-
lied upon the rules prescribed by
Congress.
second-That all acts of the Pres.
ident, recognizing them rs States,
are unauth~Ized, except so far as
Congress migin approve them.
Ihird-Ihat il NaS not less due to
justice as a punismneh, to leading
traitors, than Indispensable to Good
faith TO the freedmen who hau hccu
true to the Government. and tho
Union mcu or the South who hnf
been despoilcd of their property by
the rebellion, as well rs necessary to
enable the Government to meet its
obligations, incurred for the sup,
preston of the rebellion, tha! the es
tates of such traitors should be con,
fsc1ted, and appropriated, or theil
proceeds, to the uses of such freed
and Union men, and the payment oI
the public debt.
FOurth-That the changed condi-
ton OF the freedmen from slavery
tolerated only by their former mas
ters because protected hy the Gcncr
III Government, made it necessary
for the free and safe enjoyment oi
their rights, to establish, by Federal
authority, universal, or Mt least, i'm
partial, suffrage
l need only say that neither o
these propositions was insisted upon
and neither is found in the Congress
ional plan of reconstruction. Al
were waived, and the final action O
Congress confined to the few meas
urcs TO which have called your at
tention. ! cannot dismiss this sub
ject without expressing my deep re
gret that the President did not fee
it his duty not less in view of his re
annna hililin4 40 thn Exaou,iva thnl
his obligations to the Union party
to approve the constitutional amend
ment, and to give the influence {
his administration for iLs ratilicatiO
by the State Legislatures.
WHAT HONOR DEMANDS.
! yenui to say one word NOR
claiming no right to Judge OF Il
motives Of others, and knowing ho
often injustice is done in the forum
of such judgments, and claiming
even less, ANY right to prescribe ruiz
for the conduct Of others holdiu
public trusts. For myself, and
speak only for myself, in receiving
public trust because of my membe
ship OF political party, rccogni'
1t as moral duty to no longer no
1t when doing so will probably iuhi
injury upon it, and more, when
might threaten the existence Of Il
party, 1t was because OF this,
part, that felt it my duty to wit
draw from the Cabinet of Preside
InInunn no I IaI ,oo.n,, O., i,i;o