The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1866-05-10
The Cabinet and Congress.

question OF restoration. The recent con-
stitutional amendment reported by the
Committee On Reconstruction is OF such .
compromising, equiyocal character, and SO
closely resembles the plan agreed upon by
the New York delegation few days ago.
thas We thought it not improbable that the
Secretary had made some suggestions cou>
cerning the terms of agreement Il seems
however, that his tactics but not his opin
ions were adopted by the Committee His
newspaper organ, the New York Ttaacs
has condemned the amendment proposed
by the Committee in such severe terms
that it cannot do otherwise thanSdbere 70
the condemnation Mr. Seward stand.
firmly by the President and by ths other
members of the Cabinet in opposition to
the disorganizing disunsou scheme re-
ported By the Committee. At the Cabi-
net meeting on Tuesday, when the bject
was under consideration, Secretary Harlan
expressed no opinion, and Attorney Cen
cral Speed was absent
When Mr. Harlan was elected z. S Sen
ator, we said the Legislature OF Iowa would
be very unlikely to elect him to that Office
unless he gave distinct pledges to unite
with the radicals in Congress III their wars
fare against the President. How he can
reconcile his continuance in the Cabinet
with honor and manhood while opposing
the President and two-thrds Of the Cabi-
net upon the most important questions of
policy, is mystery TO those who have any
respect for the usage which has decided
that there should be harmony of opinion
between the President and his Cabinet
The late action in Congress looking to a
restriction of the appointing power in the
President, and the arguments employed in
advocacy of such restriction, will not avail
to shield Mr. Harlan Even admitting
that it is proper to provide against the re-
moval from Office of all appointees who do
uot sustain the policy Of the President, ii
will not be claimed that the President
should not be permitted to choose his con-
stitutional advisers. IF Mr. Harlan re-
spects himself, or hopes to retain the re-
spect Of others, he will say plainly, and
without delay, whether he is for or against
the pending amendment, and If he is for it
he will at once resign. Any other will
prove him to be a mere treacherous place.
hunter.
What are the radicals going to do about
the detection Of Secretaries Seward, STAN
ton, McCulloch and Wells Attorney
General Speed is comparatively an un-
known man We DO not mean to speak
disparagingly of him in saying that his in
/ fluence would rot greatly affect any party
to which he may ally himself; but the
members Of the Cabinet who have declare
against tho pending amcndmcnt and the
! Committee scheme are men who wieid an
immense influence in the republican party.
We shall be much surprised if the de-
cis!vc manner in which they have declared
against the amendment does not materially
influence tho action of Congress in rassne
upon il. They viii bring t, the support
OF the President all OF the conservative ele-
ment IN that party, and radical politicians
who hope for continuance in office and
power Will hesitate In pressing measure
which cannot bat rive in the centre the
republican organization. Were there a
hope that the party could maintain itself
should Congress recede from its position
the radicals would make haste to abandon
the bantlng of the Committee.
The proposed amendment i. no. satis-
factory tc them. They only accept it be-
cause OF the patent, partisan necessity OF
agreeing upon something. Says the New
York Tribune
"Our own preference for mueh short
er and simpler programme is well known
Universal amnesty-impartial Suffrage
such are It's conditions. and the whole Of
them. We would amend the Federal Cons
stitution to this extent only:
Cart. =. All persons born in the
United States, except Indians not taxed
and the children Of foreigners who choose
to remain subjects Of some foreign power,
are hereby declared and are liencefor;b to
be regarded as citizens Of the United
States
ART. - All citizens of the United
States are citizens of the States wherein
jhey respectively reside and none of then.
shall be disfranchised &c by State laws or
constitutional provisions which bear im>
partially on men of whatever race or col,
or.
And again:
Our adversaries have too long tauntei
us with our inability to agree on plan of
reconstruction. lie. Us all now resolve
that we can and sha:! agree. 1t is derlor-
able that the precious months have been
lost; let us resolve that May shall not pass
till our matured plan, adopted by Con
gress, is before the States for ratification
Men and brethren delib.ration is we'll in
il. place but it is high time that we should
act -
We doubt whether more shameful ex,
hibition Of subscrviency to partisanship
and desertion of principle has been given
by newspaper of this country. The plan
of reconstruction reported by the Commit.
tee is in direct opposition to the one wanted
by the Tribune, but it counsels Congress
to agree upon it Immediately and the re-
publican party to endorse it. This con.
fesscdly, upon issues the most importan,
that ever engaged the attention of the
country.
1t is indeed high time that Congress.
should act" 1t has agreed upon plan
\Ve Shall CO, ,vbotlar ~ will ot.o,,rt -,