Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1866-09-13

Il
in Congress nothing? We have not
thus interpreted the Constitution ani
principles of our government. MOI
will the American people ever sub
nit to this one-man power.
But let the people examine his re
cord upon this question for them
selves. In his North Carolina pro
clamation. he expressly declares,
that the rebellion has deprired he Peo
pie of North Carolina Of all eiva gop
eTnmeId. In the same proclamation
he orders that convention be elec.
ed to organize a government for thai
State, thus admitting the fact thai
no loyal government then existed II
that State, and further declared thai
the "portion of the people who were
loyal to the United States should
vote, and that only such should bt
members of the Convention" Here
is the Presidents own official act, by
which he assumes and executes ar
alleged authority of the United
States over the rebel States. He
did not then ssv to them, as he noT
says-the war is ended, your treason
is blotted sut, you are as States re-
stored to your full power in the
Union, and neither l nor any branch
of the federal government have any
power to impose conditions upon
You, or in any way to interfere in the
domestic affairs of your State gov
ernment. Such was not the position
which Mr.. johnson then held to-
wards the rebel States. On the con
trary, he then declared them to be
without civil government, and took
it upon himself to direct the manner
in which, and 10 prescribe the con-
ditions upon which, civil government
should lie reorganized in all those
States. He was not then under
copperhead and rebel influence, and
therefore not so jealous for the Con
stitutional rights of rebels and trail
tors, and again we are compelled
to ask, il the overthrow of the re-
bellieA at once reinstat ted the rebel
States in all their former rights
under the government, from wha,
source did the President derive his
power and authority thus to inter
yene in the internal affairs of those
States, to order holding of conven-
tions therein, and to prescribe the
qualifications of the members and
electors of those conventions? The
truth is, that at that time the Presi-
dent fully adopted and acted uron
the principle now held by Congress
and the Union party, that treason is
4 crime, and that traitors should be
punished. He has since learned
new truths from the lips Vallandig-
ham and Wood.
Again, in a communication to
Gov. Perry, of South Carolina, in
November 1865, the President de
clared that he considered the adop-
ton OF the Constitutional Amend
ment abolishing slavery "indispeHsa-
bic to the restoration of South Caro-
lima to her relations with the ether
States" There is your doctrine of
conditions precedent, winch he now
so loudly denounces. The Presi-
dent may"consider it indispensable" :"
but if Congress should consider the
same thing, then Congress is declar-
cd to be "rump," and all loyal men
denounced as traitors. Again, in
his first message TO Congress. he
says: ''it is not to much to require of
the States which are now resuming
their place in the family Of the
Union, that they giDe pledge of perpet-
uf loyalty and peace" Here too is
your doctrine of guarantees, pro-
pounded by himself and recommend
ed in his annual message to the Con
sideration of Congress, and yet to-
day he Is loudest in its denuncia-
ton.
Again, on the oath Of July 1865,
Mr.. johnson wrote to Gov. Sharkey,
of Mississippi, as follows:
''It must however, he distinctly
understood that the restoration TO
which your proclamation refers, 1ciH
be subject TO the wW Of Congress.
On the 18th of September 1865,
to Governor Marion, of Flo rida, he
says:
's1he government of the State
shall be provisional only until the
State Government is reorgsnized
and the basis Of that reorganization auiil
be subject to the decision Of Congress. y
Here is the Presidents own ad
mission, that the final settlement OF
this whole question of reconstruction
rightfully belongs TO Congress, and
vet when Congress assumes to exer-
cise this power, they are denounced
as "traitors On the other line" and
threatened with dissolution. But We
need not comment farther. The
Presidents record speaks for it.
self.