New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-09-14

ingpapers:
7fsJ Dear FrieRd--I am obliged to you for your
letter. j am sorry that my friends and my congre-
cation are grieYed by my Cleveland letter. This
feeling, however, has no just grounds, whatever
may be the seeming. ta.
have not left and do not propose to leave or
pc put out Of the Republican party. am in SYM
pathy with its aims and its great principles, its
army sofnoble men, but took the liberty Of crit
R5ang its policy in single respect and to do what
could to secure what believed, and still believe
to be better one. Ill s. 81 :sae f.. -
SI am, and from the first have been, fully of the
1pinion that the amendment of the Constitution
proposed by Congress, equalizng representation
ii the Northern and Southern States, was intrnsi-
eally Just and reasonable, and that it should be
aought by wholesome and persistent moral agi-
eaton: but from the present condition OF the pub:
4e mind, and from the Presidents attitude,
deemed such a change to be practically impossr
BILE, in any near period, by political act m; and q
niap Of reconstruction based upon tina seems to
me far more like plan of adjonrning Ieconstruc1
Gon for years, at least, with all the liabilities OF
mischief which are always to be expected in the
ductnatiQns Of politics in free nation, It's not
Tie North that Chiefly needs reconstruction to ITS
regular sphere. Either the Union Is fallacIOus, or
the continuous exclusion Of the South from it will
breed disorder make the future reunion more diff
cult and especially subject the freedmen to the
Fery worst condition OF society which can well
exist. No army, no government, and no earthly
power can compel the South to treat four million
men Justly, il theinIlabitants, whether rightly or
wrongly, regard these men as the cause, or even
The OCCASION Of theirunhappiness or distranchise-
uieut.
But no army, or government or power, will be
required when Southern society is restored, pccu
pied, and prospecting in the new Union. Then the
negro will be felt to be necessary to Southern IN
dustry and interest viii join with conscience and
Kindness for securing for him favorable treatment
from his Fellow-citzens. H5#
We that live a loig distance may think that the
social reconstruction involved in the emancipation
of 600, 900 Of slaves s simple and easy az it is
to discourse about it; but such change is itself
one OF tile most tremendous tests to whlchindustry
and society can be subjected, and to secure its
favorable issue is required every advantage pos
sibli.
le lohger therefore, the South is left IN tur-
moi the worse it will be for the negro Ii there
wei no other reason, if the white population
wel ! NOT our fellow-citizens, if we had lost all
kin mess and regard for them, and all regard for
the Union as in part represented by Southern
es, and confined our attention exclusively to
fhe negro, the case would be strong, beyond my
power Of expression, fora speedy return of fed
eral relations with all the States If this is TO
disregard the negro then all natural and social
laws have been studied in vain. Neither ami
johnson man, IN any received meaning OF that
term. ! accept that part of the policy which he
fayors, but with modification | have never
thought that it would be wise to bring back all
the States in a, body and at once, any more than
it would be to keep them all out together.
One by one in succession, under a practical
Judgment, rather than by wholesale theoretic
rule would have them readmitted. | still think
amiddle course between the Presidents and that
aof Congress would be wiser than either. But
Il with this my agreement with the President ends
Il have long regretted his ignorance OF Northern
Ideas ana sentiments, and have been astonished
fana paiuaN at his increasing indiscretions. I'm
4 consciously with reference TO the readmission of
Southern States, it is enough that lie is known to
favor measure, to set the public mind against
2jt; but it is largely owing to his increasing mpru
J der+ conduct. believe him to be honest, sincere
hat a tho T1ul.
but slow and unapt in receiving help from other
minds. Proud aud sensitive, firm to ORstinacy,
resolute to fierceness, intelligent in his own
sphere, which is narrow, he holds his opinions in
AeXibly. He often mistakes the independence of
his own convictions for strength of evidence
Such man has a true sphere in periods Of peril
when audaciOus frmness and rude vigor are
needed but in the delicate tasks of adjustment
which follow civil war, such nature lacks that
tact and delicacy in moral intuition statesman.
Mr.. Johnson's haste to take the wrong side at
the arocOus massacre at New Orleans was
shocking. The peryersiOn and mutilatiOn Of She.
Fidan's dispatches need no characterization. do
not attribute this act to him, yet it was of such a
criminal and disgracetul nature that not to clear
himself Of it by the exposure and rebuke of the
offending party, amounted TO coIlusion with the
crime after the act
What shall say of the speeches made in the
wide recent circuit of the Executive? Are these
the ways of reconstruction? Yet Mr.. johnson is
TO be our President for the next three years to
come, clothed with a'power which belongs to few
thrones Besides the honor which people owe
to him as the chief magistrate. We must be Chris
tian citizens credit him his real eXceileucies his
real horror OF secession, his bold resistance to
treachery, his persistent and set-denying heroism
in the long, dark days Of Tennessee.
i We must not forget that he has jealousy re-
sisted Capitalization of power III the fedora!
government; that lie has sought to dignity and
i secure true States rights that he has tried TO
retain simplicity of manner and true love of the
common people Its our duty, likewise, to fore
stall aud prevent as much as possible, by kind
and faithful criticism Of his errors the one hand
4 and by sympathy and kindness on the other those
" dangers to which he is liable under attacks which
he is peculiarly unable to bear with ealmness, and
/ those dangers OF evil cOunselOrs which more and
more graYitate toward him. So long as it was
possible, have been silent upon Mr.. Jolmson's
Faults and now speak so plainly only lest should
seem to cloak them.
And now, Jet me express some surprise at the
turn which the public mind has taken on my let
ter. If ] had never before spoken my sentiments
can see how friends might now misapprehenG
my position but for year past | have been ad
Vocating the very principles of the Cleveland let
Ter in all Eastern cities, in Boston, Portland, But
falo, Philadelphia, Springfield Harrisburg Pitts
burg, and Brooklyn, At the Academy of Music
last winter these views were reported, discussed
agreed to- or differed from, PRAISED and blamed
abnndantly, but no one said or thought, that
remembered, that had forsaken the Republican
party or turned my back on the freedmen. NJ
4 recent letter but cOudeuSeS the views which, TO
twelve months, have been earnestly engaged il
nrgng upon the attention of the community.
am not surprised that many dissent, but this sud
/ den condemnation, and this late discovery of tbs
nature Of my opinions seems surprising. l coul(
not ask better service than the reprinting of tina
sermon of last October, which first brought upoI
me the criticism Of the Tribune and the indie
pendent.
foresaw that in the probable condition of par
ties aud the country, we wouldnot carry suffrage
for the freedmen by immediate political action
When the ablest and most radical Congress of GU
history came together, they refused to give suf
frage to negroes, even in the District of Columbia
and only in an indirect way, not as a politica
right butas the hopeful result of political selfish
ness, did tbgg provide for it, by an amendment tt
the Constitution. What was prophecy with me
Congress has made history Relihquishing politi
cal Instruments for gaining tie full enfranchse
1nent Of men, instantly turned to moral means
and enunciating the broadcast doctrine of manhoo
suffrage, | gave the widest latitude to that advc
eating the rights of black and white men am
wom3 ~ote. If any man has Iabored NOR
opeaLs SSTSSa broader principle and with more
assiduity, [ do not know him. More ability ma
have been Shown, but not more directness of pun
pose, nor underwriting consistency. l attribut
5he recent misunderstanding, in part, to tn
greater excitement which now exists, to the mar
rowing of the issues, and the extreme acerbaton
Mr.. JOhusOn's imnrudpnt Snpprhps hnV