Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1866-05-03
RUTLAND HEEAII
MONDAY, APRIL 80, 1866
Tbr President and Congress---xc
construction,


The delay in Congress to agree upon /
and hiring forward some plan Of recon. /
struction during the five months IN .
which it has been in session is calling
forth loud and bitter Censure from many
of the leading Republican press, 1t has
opnd time enough to attack the policy
ot President Johnson, but II has not
hen able as yet to adopt aay measure
n t. own, The New YCEE Times, we
all know, has a chrome habit OF scold
NJ Congress; but when such papers as
rbe Springfield Republican, Albany Jour
nal, the New York Evening Post, and
others that are now in onr mind, pa
pers that have differed from the Presi-
lent on several important issues, boldly
sustained the Civil Rights Bill, and re-
ioiced in its passage over the Presidents
Veto. complain Of Congressional mac
lion. the fact is significant.
We are not an aaqualifed supporter OF
President Johnson or Congress. We earc
not believer in the intalibility of Ell
ther. but so far as we think Congress
or the Executive right we are disposed
to give our hearty approval and sup
port. While we have had occasion to
deeply regret many things the President
has said and done, as both wrong in
principle and bad in taste, we must con-
less to belief that much that has been
said and done in Congress bears on its
lace the appearance OF impTudeut and
unwise antagonism to Andrew Johnson.
Mr. Johnson has said things that have
mortified and panied us and his veto
Of the Civil Rights Bill, without word
BY way Of suggesting d modification Of
it, or some other measure by which the
poor helpless Freedmen could be pro-
tected, met our decided disapproval.
But we yet believed Andrew Johnson
honest and patriotic in his intentions.
Although cOpperheads applaud and
praise him from sinister motives, as we
believe, he has yet declined to favor
them, or to affiliate with them. He
steadily declines to appoint any Of that
persuasion to office, although he has
been importuned to do so. lie still pro
fesses to be the friend OF the Freedmen; ;
but he processes also to believe that their
protection can be better secured, with
the Freedmens Bureau law now in
force by leaving them to the action OF
the States wherein they reside. He may
be sadly in error; but that he honestly
believes the States lately in rebellion
will feel and act all the more kindly and
Justly toward the Freedmen, if the Gov
eminent and Northern people will be
generous enough to so far contide in
them as to leave this and all similar
domestic affairs to their own State
legislation, we can not question,
The Executive plaA of reconstruction
was foreshadoTSed by President Lincoln
IN his Interview with the rebel commits
siQners in Hampton Roads. when he as
sured those commissioners that if tht
Richmond authorities would cause tn,
rebel arms to be laid down, the rebe
armies to be disbanded - if th'
Southern people would submit in gOQC
faith to the Constitution and laws o
4 the United States, and accept in lik,
good faith emancipation, they should
have all their State and local rights anC
institutions left to their own control, 81
Iar as the Executive had authority an(
influence over the matter under COnsid
eaatlon, This disposition was intimatet
oy President Lincoln on various Othe
occasions, and traces of it were seen il
the terms of Lees surrender, as well a
IN the plan of reconstruction which wa
lnaugurated in Louisiana and Tennesse
under Mr., Lincoln's Administration, ant
Which the late President declared in tn
last speech of his life he approved. Thi
liberal plan was also discussed, and it
4 outlines adopted in the last Cabine
meeting ever held by President Lin
coin.
Now President Johnson, coming int
the Chief Executive chair when Cor
gress was not in session, being in fu
sympathy with his martyred predece'
sOr, and having Mr.. Lincoln's Cabint
4 about him as advisers, no doubt te
Il hincumbent upon him to carry out,
Its general features, the programn
which he found already marked out
Still in the progress of events he adj
ed several conditions precedent TO Il
restoration of the seeded States, ar
we all remember how last fall, befo
Congress had assembled, he urged Il
Conventions of those States to proviC
for the total and absolute repudiation
all rebel war debts, the ratification
the anti-slavery Constitutional amen
ment and to make provision by Sta
legislation for the protection OF Il
Freedmen in their rights Of person al