Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1866-02-01
The views the President.

Agate" the Washington correspondent
of the Cincinnati Guse,tc, processes 10 give
un accurate and reliable account of the Pres
ident's views and policy as cuunciatcd in
his interviews with members of Congress.
The President declares that he considers
Congressman AsHLEY's bill treating the
South as conquered territories as virtually
bill for the dissolution of the Union, for
which he had riskcd his life and fortune. -
He thought the Union party should WELDON c
the South back with open arms. According
to Agate" the President continued his
talk, as follows:
I'm fact these States were entitled to be
represented in Congress all through the re-
ocllion. Indeed there was greater reason
for their being then represented than there
was at any other times. Congress had re-
peatedly dealt with them as States during
the rebellion. Members from Virginia, for
example, We're admitted. Direct taxes were
apportoned among them just as among 9th
or States The ninth section Of the act of
the 1th of June, 1862, in its latter clauses
recognized the same principles.
'Thc rebel States are, therefore, now in
the Union. Indeed their. governments arc
more republican, more democratic, more in
harmony with the spirit of our Institutions,
than they ever were before. If Congress
would only look out there now it would see
legislators, Governors, State officers of all
grades, members of Congress, all elected
by the people; courts in session, taxes being
ing collected, mails being carried. Surely
these make States III the Union, if they
were ever in it.
The President expressed himself as OPP
posed to their numerous constitutional
amendments that are pending before Con
gress, ascalculatcd to impair the sanctty OF
that instrument. Upon this point the
President continued:
''As to any propositions for making the
payment of the rebel debt unconstitutional,
he considered them unnecessary and doubt
cd their propricty. The Southern people
were in no danger of ever wanting to pay
those debts. The objections in the South
TO their payment would every year grow
stronger and stronger. How would it look
to provide by constitutional amendment
that the United States debt should not be
repudiatcd? Yet this would be no more i'm
proper than the other. Furthermore, there
was gross Inconsistency in the proposed
mode securing the constitutional amend
mendmcnts. They were to be proposed by
Congress from which the South was cx
cludcd. Then the rebel States, that were
unfit to be represented in Congress, were
to be considered fit to ratiiy constitutional
amendment If they were expected as
States to act upon the question Of ratiying
them, they should be permitted through
their representatives in Congress, to act,
also, in proposing them. In effect, he did
not think it right to demand the adoption
of any constitutional amendment as a condi-
ton Of admitting Southern members to
Congress, because those States were in now
and entitled to all the rights Of States"
These are sound views, and if the PrcSi
dent will only carry them into effect, (as he
has the power to do, if he is so disposed, J
his Administration will be success and a
blessing to the country.