The Vinton record. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1866-1891, 1866-04-05
The Executive and Congress--The
Case in C Nutfhell.

Case in Nutfhell.
To the Editors Of the New York Day Book;
The position of the Executive is
this-I have authority whenever,
in my judgment, the Southern
States are ready, in good faith, to
accept the Constitution and Union,
to declare peace and withdraw
wholly the army and navy, and
leave the State Governments to
themselves as Of yore. From care
full investigation, l am satisfied that
the southern people are disposed
quietly to settle down in faithful
obedience to the Constitution
Therefore, it is the duty of the Ex-
ecutive, and to the interest of all
to do what | can to restore the full
authority of the Constitution, to
promote good feeling and the resto-
ration Of confidence; and it is most
emphatically my duty to avert all
acts which are clearly unconstitu-
tional and antagonistic to the ends
for which the war was professedly
inaugurated. The Freedman's Bu-
reau Bill is so palpably repulsive
to the vital spirit as well as the
letter of the Constitution, and to
every object professedly sought by
the war, that l have only the al
ternative to defeat the bill, or will
fully and reasonably to sanction a
bill as pregnant with mischief as
the Trojan horse"
The basis of Congressional ac-
tion is, simply, that the executive
is in profound ignorance of the
condition of affairs at the South,
and that Congress alone has full
and unquestionable knowledge and
infallible wisdom in the treatment
of the case, and absolute authority
to act according to its own will
The whole action of Congress is
based upon this arrogant assump-
ton, and nothiug else.
Beyond cavil, the tendency of
the Executive action is healing,
promotive of mutual confidence,
and well calculated to set in mo.
ton the elements of prosperity
North and South, and to save an
immense amount of money, and
above all, to restore the Constitu-
tion to its legitimate influence.
Who so bold as to claim for Con-
gress even pretense to such a re-
sui? With a barefaced audacity
it proclaimS its platform, to-wlt -
"The Southern people are ire
claimable villains; we will never
trust them; we will grind them
down; we will bind them with leg
islative props and with contribu-
tions from the Treasury, until the
white influence shall be submerged
beneath the negro sway"
These issues stand out so boldly
and so clearly that he who runs
may read.
On the side Of the executive
there will be arrayed all, who like
him, have just faith in the profess
sions and honor of the South all
who genuinely desire restored con-
fidence, restored prosperity and
diminution of Federal expendi-
lures; all who look carefully at the
value of Government securities, in
fact all who know the value to all
property, of peace, harmony and
full intercourse between all the
states, and all who know the inesti-
mable value of a reinstatement OF
the supremacy Of the Constitution
and tne laws.
In the very front of the conse-
quences of Congressional policy,
stands an indefinite protraction of
unconstitutional acts, the cultiva-
tion OF bitter feeling, the suppress
sion of industrial activity, and a
collision with the Executive to
prevent a restoration of the Consti-
tuition. Can any one demonstrate
mischief in the Executive policy {?
Can any one point out possible
good from Congressional policy?
Are Stevens, Sumner, Wade, Gar
rison,et i'd d0mne genus, men of such
record for wisdom and statesman
ship and patriotism as to render it
prudent to follow them in a policy
avowedly in hostility to the Con-
stitution and to the rule of law p
These are the true issues; choose,
we men of the Republic between
them! OMEGA.
March 16, 1866.
-<So&$-
H A pretty extensive move