The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1866-05-02
From the Quincy Herald.
LETTER FROM HON. 0. ii: BROWN
ING.
A Defence Of the Presidents Policy.
WASHINGTON, D. c., April q, 1866.

Col. John c. Cox, Quincy, Illinois;
DEAR SIR--l regret to see fierce denuncia-
ton OF President johnson by q portion of the
repub lican press of Illinois. The motives
which prompt this, do not propose to in
qulre into; but the fact Itself is well calcu-
lated to excite our wonder. From the begin
ming OF our unhappy wer, Mr.. johnson has
been one OF the foremost, Staanchest and
bravess OF the friends OF the governnent-oue
OF the ablest defenders OF Its course. He has
done more, p-rllIsoexnore, aud suffered more
tor the country than any OF his revIiers-
more than many combined. He sacrificed
friends, fortune, time and health and put his
life at hazard TO defend the constitution and
preserve the Union, whilst those " no now SO
hlppantly deDounee him as d traitor were
most OF them, remote from the theatre Of War;
IN the bosom OF peaceful communities: secure
from danger; and 10 full enjoyment of ease,
comfort and prosperity of domestic lie, and
tor which they were, IN part Indebted 10 his
heroic efforts in the common cause of the
country. Whsrever may be thought of has
present policy, the memory of the past should
nave protected him from the coarse abuse
which mas been iaylshed upon him, and, the
lnputaSI0ns OF treason which heated partl-
zans have not biushed to make. No candid
person who knows the president will doubt
or question his patriotism, the perfect lnteg-
rity of his purposes, or the earnestness and
sincerity Of his intentions to adopt and pur-
sue such measures as will rebound to the
highest good OF the entire country. But his
policy finds its strongest support in its inner
ent wisdom and justice, and lis conformity to
the Constitution. and TO the principles which
lie at the foundation OF our entire strue-
turs of government. He adheres now to the
ho md rha
party recognized and acted upon through the
entire progress OF the VISIT; aud il is only
necessary that the people shall be fully in
formed what his policy Is, to ensure 90 it
their hearty approval and support. What
then IS his policy, about which 80 much is
said, and upon which SO much passion 10 ex-
pended? give you o synopsis of what
understand it to be. as gathered from mis- pu b.
lie declarations:
LIST. tie mai ntalns that n one or more states.
less than the whole, Can rightfuIy dissolve tbs
Union, aud that therefore the ordinances of
secession which assumed to aecompIisn thar
result, by carrying portion OF the states out
OF the Union, and aOsolvlng their people from
their Obligations TO the constitution and laws
of the Union, were absolutely null and void.
and that, Notwithstanding the ordinances the
states which adopted them remained ia the
authority of the general governments
in all things, as they were before. This
was the very issue between LOYALTY
and rebellion. This was the issue upor
which we fought and trium phed-tais the
vexsd question of three quarters Of century
which was definitely settled by that triurnph
Through ali the war, every department OF tn.
government acknowledged and acted upor
this as the true constitutional doctrine. prea
ldent Lincoln, In all his messages proolaroa
tions, and other state papers, whenever he hac
occasion to aiiude to the rebel states. smoke O
them and treated them as states in the Union
Congress, IN all its Legislation, recogna ed then
as sncn-lnciudeu them IN the apportionmen
OF representatives under the census of 1866
-districtsd them, by law, into judicial cir
Quits, putting come Of the states which he,
attempted to seoede with loyal states, in tn
same circuit, and apportloning the direc
tax among them as states. Their votes wer
counted as states upon the constitutions
amendment, and were recognized and re
CURED as necessary to its adoption. The gu
preme court, at all times, had cases upon it
docket from the states IN rebellion, and, froI
time to time, we advanced into the terri
tory, and overthrow the usurping govern
menfs, the president appointed fedora
judges to administer the laws OF the Union j,
such stases Nons of these things could nav,
been done II the states were out of the Union
Indeed, the war Itself can be justified on NJ
other theory than the ipsesr;ty Of tho TGn;on
and the nullity of the ordinances Of secession
If the ordinances are null and void as ali low
al people maintained then the states On nevs,
,var,t o.t of the Union, but arc in IL s,;,i r.
.ha ordinances are not null and Void :, -
.ha, are valid, and the states went ont 10 :"
fully and if they had lawful right to 9,
out, we could not, at the same time, have
lawful law right to make war up0n them to con
would be absurd. 80 ot mi, -
.,;d hnt actually dissolved the oonnectl'
t between the states and the general goser
%sus, they equally dissolved the people fro
their allegiance and Withdrew them , from q !.
Jurisdiction Of the general government, al
people Of the states .. 50 saa W.