The weekly standard. (Port Gibson, Miss.) 1865-1867, 1866-01-06
PORT GIBSON, MISSISSIPPI JANUARY g. 1866.

political prospects hereafter by oppo-
sing the wishes of the people. Presi-
dent Johson is aware of this, and be
doubtless viii not be slow to avail him
self of the power and influence which
it gives him in carrying out his policy
of reconstruction.
If Congress should, however, keep
the Southern States out of the Union.
or only admit part to representation,
as we intimated few weeks ago.
the members from those States should
rect in convention, or in congress,
whichever it may be called, and is
sue an address. to the people of the
country, setting forth the circumstan-
ces of the whole case. This, it strikes
us, would be the true course; but to
make it effective, there should be no
division among the Southern reprcsen-
tatiyes, for the. exclusion Of some and
the admission of others, may be adop-
ted as the policy of the Radicals, as
we strongly suspect it will. To accept
of different ruling in the case of Yir-
ginia from that which may be applied
to South Carolina would, by dividing
the Southern delegation, weaken its
strength, and leave the Radicals still
free and unembarrassed in the accom-
plishment CT their designs. Negro
suffrage is their main purpose, for with
the vote in the hands of the negro,
they could hope to still continue in
power. This is the secret of the bill
which has. already been presented in
the Senate by Sumner; and if it should
pass both Houses, it is almost certain
to bring about an open conflict be-
tween the President and Congress, for
the Executive still holds to the Demo-
cratic principle of State rights, though
in a modified form. The power of
conferr1ng the right of suffrage, he
maintains, rests with the States; and it
is particularly deserving of note, that
while he was Governor of Tennessee,
law was passed not only of refusing
citizen rights to the negro, but the
right to testify in the courts of justice
Upon the question, therefore, of UNI
versal political equality, he is not in
harmony with the Radicals, and, on
that point at least, is States Rights
Democrat. Let him succeed in main
tanning this position, and the power of
the Abolition party is broken forever.
It is the only principle of cohesion
which they have, and they must stand
or fall with it.
In the meantime, it is clearly the du-
ty of the Democratic minority to meet
the policy of the Radicals with bills for
the repeal of the prohibitory tariff, for
a return to specie curreney-the only
kind of money recognized by the SUI
preme law of the land, the present pa
per issue being unconstitutional; for
the repeal of the Confscation law. and
other arbitrary measures passed during
the war. The interest on the public
debt should and must be reduced, and
the taxation of the people for the
bench of New England manufactur-
ing monopoly, should not be tolerated |
much longer by the great producing
classes of the other portions of the
other portions of Che country. VEL
a11st haue free trade, and The agitation to /
secure 1t should be commenced at once, IF
9ce desire to bring together once more
he scattered fragments of the Democratic
party and aoield them into a solid mass.
In such an issue there would be com.
mon bond between the Westand South
that would annihilate radicalism and
restore to the whole people the bles-
sings of Constitutional Government.
AS to the action of Congress, we
nave less to fear from its extreme rad
from its fanatical legislation
n behalf of the negro, than we have
rom its affected moderation. Let it
lot hoist false colors, and the people
viii not be SO easily deceived The &
Democratic members, although in a
minority, can do a great deal, at least, /
owards exposing their secret policy
md designs, by forcing them into OPP
POSITION with popular measures, like
hose to which we have already allu-
led. +
NEeRo SHoT We learn, says the !
: