Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1866-01-10
DAILY DEMOCRAT.
PRESIDENT Jonnsoa's MESSAGE.


From the Pail Mali Bag 0ssstte. Dec. 10th.
The rSfepsotes suutained in The message
to iasssnal topies ere vague. bot - ss0e ex
tsst Interesting. II 10 satisfsetosy to find
that the army has been reduced to &c, 900
men, though even that moderate number 10
considerably higher than the figure at Viii n
the forces stood before the was. The e.
timatss for this branch Of the service ksve
been put down from over E6O0, 00O, 00J to
something over $4,000. 900. AL honest
critics Of the institutions and conduct Of the
States must admit that these results are .
wonderful proof, not merely Of the material
resources Of country which can re absorb
into peaceabls pursuits. without perceptible
incou venience, one or rather two Of the lar
gest armies ever raised in modern warfare,
but Of the generally healthy condition ofthe
country In which, on the termiustion Of .
civil var Of unparalleled severity and mag
nitude, peace is 80 readily re established.-
There 10 not much that is new, but there 10
certainly something Characteristic, in the
opening passages OF the message. in which
the President speaks Of the progress OF re.
construction, and Of the terms on which it is
proceeding and must hereafter proceed. He
10, naturally enough, reserved in his refer
ence to what has taken place; but it must
be owned that the wish that there should be
legal recognition and affirmation OF the
principle that treason is crime, and that
secession Was illegal, is rs natural and mod.
crate wish as the ruler of great nation
could be expected 10 form under the cir
cumst9nces. Hitherto there has been no
ground At all for charging the authorities Of
the United States with any approach to
cruelty in their conduct toward the con.
quered party. No European government
ever behaved SO humanely after suppress
ing rebellion, and the Presidents message
gives 10 every reason to believe that this
merciful policy will continue to be pursued.
The importance Of legal principles and
their extraordinary power over large masses
Of men was never 50 strikingly illustrated
q in the whole course Of the war Of which
this message commentaries the conclusion.
Something like it may be traced in the his
tory Of our own civil wars; but in most Of
the conflicts which have taken place du-
ring the last 100 years in every part OF
Europe, law has been cast to the winds by
both sides - soon IS they took arms into
their hands. 1t has not been 80 with the
AmeSicAne. A certain number Of viOla-
tions Of the letter ofthe law, no doubt, did
take place during the actual conflict, though
even in those instances legal Qualifications
always were sought for with the greatest
care. and were often really discovered but
in almost every case the law always was
appealed to, and the powers which it con-
ferrcd upon the public authorities were
found amply sufficient for every purpose
This in itself is most remarkable fact, and
It is one which the critics Of democracy
ought to bear continually in mind. 1t has
been very common to write upon the sub
ject as if, by the necessity Of the case, .
democracy was hardly entitled to be con-
sidered as a regular government. 1t is to
be hoped that the events Of this war will
show that it not only can be government
bnt that il can be the most energetic, the
most regular. the most legal form Of gov
eminent in the world