, 1866-09-21
President Iohnson,s Record.

The radicals in their fierce warfare upon
President johnson, charge that he has
deserted the principles he maintained
throughout the whole period Of the war. If
this charge be true, it argues an inconsistenl
cy not creditable to him as public man,
although We by no means concede that 1t
warrants the charge of "treason," SO freely
hurled at him by presses and stump orators
in the interest Of the radical faction. In the
interest of the country, and to the end that
our readers may be enlightened, we propose
briefly to inquire into the Presidents record,
and ascertain the position he occupied at a
time when armed treason threatened the
life of the nation, and even the stoutest hearts
feared for the result And first, let us for
q moment advert to the ground on which
loyal men af all parties united at the outset
in support of the war. Three days after the
battle of Bull, Run memorable resolution
was adopted in both Houses of Congress with
scarce dissenting voice. That resolution
read as follows:
Re,olred, That the present deplorabe civil war
has been forced upon the country by the dis,
unionists of the Southern States now in revolt
against the constitutional government, and in
arms around the capital-that in this national
emergency, Congress banishing all feeling of
mere passion or resentment, will recollect only
its duty to the whole country that this war is
not prosecuted on our part in any spirit of OPP
preston, nor tor the purpose of conquest or sub
jugition, nor for the purpose Of oyerthrcwing or
interfering with the rights of established ustitur
tions OF those States, but to defend and maintain
the supremacy Of The Constitution, and all laws
made in pursuance thereof, and 10 preserve the
Union vith all the dignity, equality and rights
Of the several States uuimpairei, and that as
soon as these objects are accomplished the war
ought to cease
This resolution, although its paternity is
ascribed to John j. Crittenden, at that time
a member Of Congress from Kentucky, was
offered in the Senate by Andrew johnson,
at that date Senator from Tennessee This
was the ground, clearly defined, on which he
declared himself ready to sustain the war for
the Union. He was elected Vice President
of the United States on this platform, and
with this public avowal Of his principles,
which the Senate and the country solemnly
ratified; and yet to.day, for adhering to this
declaration the hounds of faction denounce
him as a "traitor" Right here the question
arises, "who has changed?" Andrew John,
son stands to-day where be stood when he
offered this resolution Do the radicals stand
where they stood when this resolution ses
cured their unanimous approval and became
the platform of the war party? Will it be
replied that circumstances have changed ?
They have indeed changed. Then slavery
existed not only in all the slave States, but
in the District of Columbia. Then rebellion
was in the flush of its strength, and fer the
moment threatened to be successful. Then
even the walls of the Capital were menaced
and the knees of New England fanaticism
smote in terror. Now slavery has ceased to
exist, the rebellion is crushed, the war is at
an end, and secession is forever destroyed
This is the change that has taken place-a
change which makes it doubly proper, be-
cause it is entirely consistent with the public
safety, to carry out the principles of the reso,
lutions just cited Yet the President who
proposes to do so in good faith, and those
who sustain him are denounced as cooper
-
now before the country, and it is upon the
issue thus presented that the people will
pass upon at the fall elections. We have no
fear for the result.