The day book. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1857-1867, 1866-09-05
Cheering signs.


Mr., JoHNsoN's reception by the peo-
pie in his progress, shows that his reliance
upon the sympathies of the masses has not
been misplaced. Day by day we behold new
evidences of the fact, that he is at the head
of a powerful party, which lacked only the
organization of its strength to make it an in
vincible enemy to the Radicals That organi-
cation was effected at Philadelphia, and if
any there be who now cavil at its action, we
should like them to tell US what better plan
they had to offer. Some action ioas necessary,
and the results which have followed so close
upon that taken, and now before the country,
show that it was the most mastery and
damaging blow to Radicalism which could
have been delivered With this organized
support, Mr.. JOHNSON has gone before the
people, and in every speech which he makes
in his progress, he presents to them the SUI
preme issues of the hour, in the plainest and
most ineligible language E..# 1
The issue involves the restoration to the
South of liberties which have been held
in allegiance; the tranquility necessary to
restore material prosperity; the removal of the
Freedmen's Bureau; and the free administra-
ton of our internal affairs, without military
supervision.
To the North the issue is not less i'm
portant. The restoration of trade; relief
from the most fagrantly, corrupt, and profit
gate legislation that ever disgraced any
country; and the preservation of the Union
for which they fought, and the theory, modi-
fed by events on which it was constructed.
Pregnant with these and another issue, still
graver presently to be noted, the struggle
goes on, each day to become more intense in
its interest to every thoughtful man; and as
we follow Mr.. JOHNSON in his progress, it is
cheering to see in his speeches that he feels
stronger with the people as he advances
But, as we have intmated, there is yet
another issue nvolved-an issue which,
though but dimly presented, is for all that de-
pendent on the turn events must take in the
present struggle. This issue involves the re-
lations of the white and black races. If, on
the one hand, the Conservative party, born
at Philadelphia, like MINERVA from the brain
of Jove, triumphs, as we trust and believe it
will then the negroes can be made to under
stand that their freedom means, as Mr.. JOHN
SON has told them, the liberty to work hon
estly, and to enjoy the fruits of their till.
The disturbing elements now at work will,
in part, subside, and Cuffee can hew out, &C
eording to his ability, a path for himself.
Hog and hominy will be synonymous for
peaceable behavior and systematic toll, and
he will improve in a direct ratio to his COM
prehension of this fact But, on the contrary,
if the Radicals should perpetuate their power,
then q war of races, difficult to prevent at
best, will be precipitated; and the picture of
what would occur, beggars all description,
In this conflict the negro would disappear,
and one of it's most lamsntabe features would
be that the many, who are peaceably in
clined, would fall with, the comparatively,
few who are vicious There can be no doubt
in the mind of any man who has studied the
relations of these two races in other countries,
where the experiment we are now working
out has been tried, under better safeguards
than we have thrown around it, that our be-
lief is well founded The events Of the past
six months fully sustain our opinion, and
there can be very little doubt that the Radi-
cal leaders have deliberately calculated on
making use of this element of our population
precisely in this way, in certain grave con-
tingsncies, which they have eonfessedly dis
cusssd in secret and more than intimated be-
fore the people,
In view of ali these issues, TO which others,
hardly less grave, could be added, we confess
feeling Of unequivocal satisfaction at the
evidences that We daily receive of the strength
of Mr. JOHNSON 5 policy, which, as We have
before said, if not so liberal as we could de-
sire, is still shaped, as far as it goes, upon
constitutional principles, and adjusted to the
exigencies of the period of transition in which
We live,