The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-11-20

FROM TIE Tunes.
On the general principle that "where there
smoke there is fire." we may assume that th
floating rumors touching the President and tn
policy to be pressed upon the South are no
entirely destitute of foundation. There may b
good deal of guess-work in the despatche
received from Washington upon this subject
and doubtless there is more or less exaggeration
Still, q substratum of fact remains, sufficient +,
show that the President is not Indifferent to th,
recent manifestations of Northern opinion, OF
to the obligations which the present aspect OF
the country imposes upon him.
This, at any rate is now apparent.- Tho pra.
sident no longer reposes hope In the purposes or
the future OF the Democratic party. The cleo
uons have dispelled whatever deiusions loud
Doastlng may have fostered, and have proved
the lnaDlilty OF the party to render him the
slightest service. The support upon which for
some months past he has seemed disposed to
rely has tailed him most signally, and he finds
himself face to face with controlling Republi.
can majority in Congress for the remainder of
his term. His common sense and his life-long
respect tor the popular will could hardly allow
him to listen 10 the Democratic recommends.
tion--that he should defy Congress- and throw
himself upon the South and its Democratic
friends for strength to carry him through the
crisis. He has evidently--and for the countries
sake 3 ana ,. MS own. most stnappiy-discarded these
think we discover evidence of his resolve to re-
consider his position in relation to Congress
and his duties in relation to the South.
The reported determination to push no fur.
ther the business of removing office-holders
because OF their opposition to the views of the
Executive, is notable sign OF altered purposes
ana feeling. SO long as reasons existed for
tnlnKlng mat the country might be induced TO
pronounce a verdict in his favor we contended
for the fulles latitude to the President in the
matter OF removals. His right to remove for
pa pa'Sy M reasons; OF which he should be the judge,
nod
once TO protest against the blunders perpetrated
IN respect OF the new appointments 1t is nos.
slbie that discovery OF the errors into which
he has been led in the selection of Copperbeads
as the successors of radicals, have contribnted
TO the change which Washing ton correspondents
report. BE this as it may, lt is satisfactory tn
know tnat the policy of removing ofice-holders
without other cause than that of opinlon ia IN he
abandoned. And as persistence in it could only
serve to add bitterness to the controversy with
congress, and to provoke the adoption of re-
taIlatory measures, so we hope that its abandon
ment arises from desire to avoid furtber-and
In the circumstances, useless-auarreIs with
the party dominant in Congress- If this is the
motive, It merits recognition as q peace offering
to accept ~
More important, however. than the question
OF appointments is the question of restoration.
ana the night in which the decision of the States
represented In Congress is considered by Presl- |
dent johnson. His opposition to the Constitu. |
tlonal amendment cannot have blinded him to |
the all but universal support given to it by the |
States In winch elections have been held. Hence |
itls not surprising that within the last ten days
ne mas been known to have had the subject |
under consideration, and to have held inter |
views with prominent men of the more extreme
hePuDncan party. Whether these consultations
hdVe leo to any decided modification of his
views, or point to the probability OF any COM
mon ground OF action when Congress shall re-
assemble, is for the moment comparatively i'm
material. Much Is gained when one in the pre-
hla hohi mol
so iar recedes as to admit the eXpe iiency of
revising his conclusions, and reviewing availa
PIE forms OF compromise. The misfortune of
the last session was, that with each succeedinp
deDate, and with every new measure the breach
between Congress and the President was rem
9ered wider and deeper. And it will be graft
ISIng nna 70 learn that When Congress shall again
meet the President will have made up his mind
10 acqulesce in the general purport of the coun-
CrVs verdict, and his readiness to adapt mis- own
views In respect of restoration to the purposes
committed oe 'e' "iS
Wehave DO expectation that this course on the
part OF the PRESIDENT VIII lead him to formal
IaPproyai OF the amendment in its present shape
Inc refusal OF the South to ratify it, and the |
tact that 10 this refusal the ten States out of the
Union will be sustained by three States in the
Union, may, in his judgment, be sufficient to
warrant the PRONUNCIATION of other terms of ad-
1mlssion. he may plead that since thirteen |
states reject the amendment it can have no |
constitutional validity, and that the question |
Shotooie hieesJ small restoration be indednitel |
postponed, or shall another basis of restoration |
DC constructed?
The President will evince both prudence and |
sagacity II he couples any statement against the
amendment as 1t ls with some definite PROPOSE |
ton in regard to another amendment in its |
scope equally acceptable to the country. The |
South erTs in its blunt, unconcliatory rejection
of the terms now proposed. IL looks like def
ance, and defiance from conquered States is |
what the conquerng States are not likely to |
endure. In the same way, and for similar
reasons, the President would commit fatal !
mistake If he were simply to step aside with |
the attitude OF passive spectator as between |
the North and South. With the South and the
Executive both unyielding Congress would be |
put upon its mettle, and either the present !
amendment, or another amendment of more |
sweeping character would be engrafted upon |
the Constitution. Toe time is not distant when |
the Pacific Railroad will bring three, four, or |
even five. new States into the Union. Or, if |
delay be deemed iuexpedient the doctrine may |
be acted upon that the States now represented |
are the only States whose approval is necessary |
to adapt the Constitution to the results of the |
war which they prosecuted successfully. Issues |
OF this nature we would gladly see avoided. |
And the only sure method of avoiding them is |
TO settle the question of restoration as early as
possible, and in conformity with the objects |
which the Union sentiment of the country has
made its own,
1t is with reference to these features of the |
question that the altered purposes ascribed to
the PRESIDENT possess special significance. He
is represented as inclined TO favor a plan of |
qualified negro suffrage for the South as the |
best available form of guarantee and with this
1T Is said, he would associate nearly compIete |
amnesty. One statement is, that he contem- |
plates an amnesty proclamation: but we trust |
that this is mere conjecture, He shouId con.
slider his actual work concerning restoration |
ended. and should neither grant Individual mar.
dons nor encourage thoughts of amnesty pend
haIOnOg Al furthaI IL, AZ