The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-06-18
that o interest in connection with tho present po
sitca condation OF Italy.
| The Negro Queseton. gss
/ EFFECT OF THE RADICAL WAR AGAISsr rxEsfDESI

The Negro Quesetor. gsG
EFFECT OF THE RADICAL LwAR AGAIssr PRESIDENT
JOHNSON AND RECONsTRUCrION.
From the London Times, May 3ei
would be hard 10 cxaggerae the prpcxities of thc
question which embarrasses the Legislature OF
America and places the Congress and President OF te
United States In direct opposition 10 each other lhe
Congress- present constituted l. essentially radical,
while the President is practically coaserrancc but these
differences OF opinion which might otherwise be OF IT.
tic consequence find intensity Of expression ON tho
great question OF the negre We know from our own eS
pcrience the'iimcu'tcs cenecied whh ,he sneec' ~
settlement; but IN America these enbarrass-
ments hTc been snmcasuraey Increased oy
the circumstances OF the times. rebellion,
n civil war, victory and an ontbirst Of oil the
passions Incidental 10 slch result have Combined 10
cucumber the original question with pereSites not rs
Tho question of the negro would be impractcable
enough if dealt with alone, open question: on
grounds II pure policy or cvpedency America IL
has been made party question aso, and Is sptcysd 10
keep section OF politicians In power danoiher on
oil office Then the subject u insepalaby connected IN
the mind OF the people with the nsufIccon and the n-
surgents that doctrines of philanthropy arc prolcssed
recommended out OF mere spite 10 the South In ad
don 10 all these disadvantages we may say Thai tue
question Il materially obscnred by misapprehcnsions
for ,hore many Americans Of the Northern States
have practical acquaintance with the actual TO
ston and prospects OF the negro in the south.
In this embodiment the most satisfactory feature or
Pre,id ut himself We should be begging tho question Il
we sad that this policy was The only true one but " -
at any rate uniform in character and reasonable N pu
pose, doubt that u has been honestly con
ceived and honestly entertained. No6odg accuses
Aadrec ohnsn o political ambition o. a'fg"e He has
declared that he has affection for power and no n
have his OF Office prolong He Is southern
er by extraction, and knows from experience what te
slave States were and can guess what they likely
become He knows also what The negro IT, and If hi i'm
presons this point rather nnfavorable to the per
fectiby OF the black, he could produce abundant a
thority support OF the conclusion But he Ia certainly
not hostile Ia tho negro indifferent TO his tate on The
contrary he propounds his policy in the interest OF tie
membefed has cmancpated, suddenly and violently,
three millions OF negroes and has left them free citizens
among SIX millions Of whites. What Is to be their posi-
tonY They form distinct race-s race always looked
upon inferior and lately held In bondage. They are
, NOW 'ee o." ,nsy ss nc, s po Da nay cq"n % o
and they must nnd have found for them, some posi-
tion In the social body What IN It's general features
Mr. Johnson MAINTAINS that IL would be impoltic, II
not mpracicabe TO establish the negro In any position
Convictions founded on these views must necessarily
place the President IN opposition to the dominant party
~ o n Ina, s Sjy @" % nca u es for
litica interests Of It's own would deal with the question
very different spirit The radicals desire TO >sa,
white They would give the negro the right Of suffrage,
and remove all his disabilities !, has even
been proprosed 10 present every emancipatcd slave
with homestead OF conascated land, aud by
elaborate system OF administrative machinery
TO make the negro and keep him the equal o. his former
master To ali these proposals. apart from their ntrn
SIC justice or injustice, Mr johnson objects that they
would tend to the ruin OF the black and practically
snmmaie his doom by making the white hrs enemy
The old spirit VI tn Southernerss spirit wnch Il Is
impossible TO eradicate In moneni-was mover IN.
friendly towards the negro regarded ~ dependent but
II always rebeled agsinst the notion OF masng him
eq al u tho blacks are set up in the position conlen-
plated by the radicals they VIII have the hand Of
white man against them, and that enm,y can never be
compensated by government protection. The radicals
know full well thai the adoption Of eic policy tea r.
laJ'ish everlasting fud be cecg Hs tro N, ) a
but their desire 10 depess and humate the souherne
s strong that 1t governs their views OF the entire
question They profess 10 expect that by special legsls
tion and Official agency they could protect and maintain
the black in this artificial position against all the ea
ousy hatred OF the whites They know that society
in the South would be in state Of war not peace but
they think they could make the negro strong and his
former master weak, that The Ri might be sustained
Mr. J0hnaon replies thai lis Ii imlosshiy thai the
six millions Of Southern citizens must prevail against
tho cumbrous and uncertain action OF department and
that II the negro In tho South IN deprived OF the syni-
pathy aud good VIII Of the white population he will in
the end, degenerate, die out and dis ippcar
IL appears 10 that the President has not only the
balance OF reason on his AIDE but tue advantage OF sn
certify also When Mr. Johnson states his views We do
not suspect that he is influenced by any other motives
than those which he There H. indeed no ground
for supp0sng that any part of his policy
lie has been actuaed by any bu, honest aud s,rsish
forward convictions Bat much cannot be said Tor
the radicals We not entitled 10 condemn them IA
body but their proceedings IN Congress during the
present session essbly suggest the conclusion tbai
they animated much by the sp rit of party ~
by any pure political pnneipe We cannot imagine
tba, nr johnson has any wish bot 70 do what he thinks
best, whether rightly wrongly, for tho American
Union. We very easily imagine that the radicals
themselves in and that when they propose
their legislation for the Southern blacks they really
aiming blow Al their political opponcns tn southern
whites In the meantime, however question wh Oh
would tax 10 the utmost the wisdom of the wcgt gov
ment is thus debated gro,nds ,c.h which rdo has
nohig do and Of the greatest problems oi modern
days left 10 ind Its solution in the accidents and
chances Of party conflict