Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1866-09-05

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ment. As States, as a people, they had
swept away the organized form of politi-
cal existence, and had deprived them
selves of all Legitimate government what
ever, and he issues his order: for what
purpose To organize a government?
What becomes of your doctrine of to-day,
that these people have all along had a
governments State government, which
might even have claimed to be represent
ed In the Senate of the United States?
| say that whatever johnson or his sup
porters claim now, it is not true but false
that that was his doctrine only last sum-
mer. Then his doctrine was the same as
ours, that these people have destroyed
their State Governments, and for other
reasons 1t was necessary that their gov
ernments be by some means organized
again.
AgainI say it is not true that johnson,
at that time, when the war was over, CON
sidered that no conditions of return ought
to be impossible. They say now John
son and the Democrats, and this new and
unbaptized party say that the moment
they laid down their arms these people
were all entitled to the same rights you
and | as loyal citizens of loyal States were
entitled to. What did johnson say then?
Let me refer again to the record. As
late as the first of November last, find
johnson, himself, through his Secretary
of State, addressing letter to one of his
Provisional Governors, his Excellency,
VIM. Marvine, of Florida, in these terms:
"He regards the ratification BY the
Legislature of the Congressional amend
ment of the Constitution of the United
States, as indispensable to a successful
restoration of the true legal relations be-
tween Florida and the other States, and
equally indispensable to the return OF
peace and harmony throughout the Re
public"
He regarded compliance with certain
conditions on the part of Florida in this
newly organized Government, which he
was attempting in the adoption of the
anti-slaVery amendment to the Constitu.
ton of the United States, as an indis-
pensable prerequisite to her restoration
to the Union. Then it was not the doc
trines they held out that you could i'm.
pose no conditions. Take another oil
these letters addressed to F. Perry, Pro
Visional Governor of South Carolina, da.
ted Nov. 6, 1865:
''The President considers the accept.
ance of the amendment (abolishing slaYe.
ry) by South Carolina as indispensable to
the restoration of her relations with the
other States of the Union"
What becomes of your new tangled
doctrire. that no conditions can be i'm
posed? All throuhg the time when they
were occupied in that reorganization up
on his provisional plan, he was imposing
and insisting upon conditions prelimi
nary to restoration in all these States.
Again say it is not true that the Pres
ident at that time arrogated to himselt
the sole right of judging to the exclusion
of Congress what should be the form and
plan, or basis on which the States might
return to their full relation. Let's refer
again to the record. On the 18th of Ju.
ly, 1865, he wrote to Governor Sharkey,
Provisional Governor of Mississippi, say
ing: "The government of the State shall
be provisional only till the State govern
ment is organized. The basis of that or.
ganization shall be subject to the decision
of Congress" He had not yet become
inculcated in this new doctrine.
In July last, while going on with this
organization, he writes Provisional Cover
nor Sharkey that the provisional Govern
ment which he has established must con-
tinue until the matter is submitted for
the decision of Congress.
Now 1 call Andrew johnson to the wit
ness stand to oppose Johnson's present
position. You will remember that I
called in August and October last, upon
johnson at Washington, and held con-
Versstion with him in regard to his inten-
tions. repeated this conversation a
year ago to the people represent, and
afterward to him what 1 had said, and
he observed to me in our last interview
that l had neither misunderstood nor
misrepresented him. He told me in Au-
gust, and repeated it in October: at was
a matter of record that his course in re-
gard to these States was intended to be
merely experimental, to see whether they
would develop into sufficient DISPOSE
ton of loyalty to be restored to ther for
mer place in the Union, and that moth
ing was further from his thoughts than
to withdraw the matter from the action
Of Congress"
With this l was satisfied. came home
to you, and all through that canvass, and
spring, and although my distrust Of him
because of his conduct and his associa-
ton with rebels and Copperheads-was
excited, hoped against hope, and did
not give him up until the mask was
thrown off. Now the mask is off, and he
goes over to confederate with rebels and
to make up a new Copper
head Johnson party. Still he pretends to
occupy the same ground which he took
at first. He took the ground, 1 repeat,
that those States had lost all civil govern
ment, and could not be restored except
upon proper conditions, and that what
ever those conditions were the whole
basis of arrangement must be submitted
to the decision of Congress before it could
be binding.
One of the conditions reluctantly,
grumblingly they have been
to comply With-that is the
of the anti-slavery amendment
to the Constitution. Last fall these DEM
0crats, now so we'll satisfied, and ready
with the rest of the rebels to accept the
situation, were making war upon that
Now they admit it to be
right. Although they say we had no
Ilsub W III pOSo COuulblOuS, tu0J are Will
ing that conditions which have been COM
Piled with shall rest. If other condi-
lions had been insisted upon, and if Con.
gress had been consulted, and proposed
Them at that time, they would have been
adopted, 1 doubt not, Immediately after
he rebellion, as well as the anti-slavery
Unfortunately, however,
here has been change. We have been
We have not been sus-
aimed. Controversy has arisen with re-
yard to the two policies-that of the
President and that of Congress. Imme.
lately after the war the rebels were
and with bated breath were
'eady to ask, what can we get from the
government Of the United States? Now, |
instead of that modest inquiry, the ques- !
ion with them seems to be, as disclosed |
~ Stephens and others, what shall we
Iccept from the Government of the uni
ed States? And johnson and the Phil 1
Idelphia Convention, and those who sus-
ain them and ''my policy" if they have
heir way, will bring on a condition Of
hings which will induce rebels next to