The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1866-12-05
Daily PRESS.
PORTLAND
Wednesday Morning, December b, 1856

PORTLAND.


The tone of the Presidents message to the
two Houses of Congress contrasts very agree
ably with the angry falsetto of his public adj
dresses before the elections. There is moth
ing in the message about body hanging ON
the verge of the government, but wel-choseh
words instead about preserving harmony oe-
tween .sthe COORDINATE departments OF the
o. yernmept,n If Mr.. johnson had thought
of that before. it would have been better for
the country and better for him. He confesses
that the admission Of Representatives and
Senators from the lately rebellous States is a
matter which belongs wholly to the two
Houses, and takes occasion once more to pre-
sent his views upon that subject, with the
apology that it is his official duty to recon-
mend to the consideration of Congress "such
measures as he shall Judge necessary OF expe-
dent" This is great improvement upon the
dctatorial urgency of his former messages. It's
idle to inquire into the authorship OF the doc
ument. Mr.. johnson has at any rate adopted
it; it stands as the exponent OF his present
views; and it shows marked and gfatilylng
change in his notion of the respectful courtesy
which he owes to the representatives OF the
States and the people.
The theory which he urges upon their at
teution is familiar enough. year ago, he
says, the States in which the rebellion occurr-
ell were in promising way. Provisional gov
errors had been appointed, conventions called,
governors elected, legislatures assembled,
Congressman chosen, courts opened, custom
houses re-established, postal operations renew
ed--what more would honorable gentlemen
have? The States had peen recognized in va
rious ways by the Legislative, Executive and
Judicial departments of the government
They had even been asked as States to take
part in the high function OF amending the
Constitution. 1t was proper for Congress to
reject their Senators and Representatives, if
personally disqualified by disloyalty, but the
States were entitled to representation by ex-
press Constitutional provision. This, we be-
lieve, is fair statement Of Mr.. Johnson's
theory.
Now, let us inquire, what is the Constitu-
ton? 1t is compact, a bargain, entered into
by the people of the United States it express
es the mutual concessions which alone made
a national government possible. But bar
gain is not one sided. 1t does not bind one
party and leave the other free. When the
people of the rebelious States withdrew their
representatives from Congress and sought to
overthrow the government, it became thence
forward impossible for them to plead their
constitutional right to representation in the
national councils. L. is absurd to say that
alter breaking the bargain, they were still en-
titled to claim its benefits. 1t is impossible in
this world to keep your cake and eat it. When
the war ended, it was entirely optional with
the viciors to treat the Gulf States as con-
quered provinces, as Territories of the United
States, or as States in the Union. Legal
rights they had none. The only questions
concerning their treatment were questions Of
justice, mercy and of expediency.
The question of questions with Northern
statesmen was not, as Mr.. johnson would
have it, "What are the qualifications OF this
or that man who comes up with certificate
of election from Alabama or Georgian" That
is worth considering, perhaps. but not until,
the antecedent question, "By what constitu-
ency was this man elected" is settled. 1t is
not by virtue of his loyalty but by virtue OF
his election that man can have any claim
to seat in Congress. If anybody has
rights in the premises, it is first OF all the peo-
pie. Who are the people who send these
men? Well, Mr.. johnson tells us they were
lately rebels. What are their present inten-
tions? That is not SO easy to ascertain. Con-
gress took time to look into that matter, and
was not satisfied with its appearance. Mr..
johnson denies the right of Congress to raise
any such question. Yet if there were reason
to believe that a Representative from Maine
were elected by the votes of unnaturalized
foreigners, or by an active minority voting
six times apiece, Congress would probably feel
justified in enquiIing into the matter. Con-
gress would have laudable interest in find
ing out Just whom this individual from Maine
really represented. And there was cause
nobody can deny it-there was cause to dis
trust the Southern constituencies -Four
years of warfare against the United States do
not furnish presumptive proof of good inteG-
tons towards the United States. Men were
not trained in the rebel camps to discharge
the duties of good citizens. .aaa
Congress, looking into the matter, made the
mosbgenerous offer which history has ever re-
corded. Give us some security for the future,
said the two Houses, put ii into the compact
which you have broken that all citizens ct
the United States shall have equal rights be-
fore the laws, that perjured traitors shall not
again hold Office. that the national debt shall
he unquestioned and your rebel debt forever
repudiated, and all things shall be as they
were; we viii welcome you again TO the priv
ileges you forfeited. Tennessee was read
mitted on these terms. The other States, en-
Outraged by the Presidents vagaries, have re-
fused them 1t is well. If they will not re-
turn as States, they will be treated as Terri
tories The Presidents theory is at war with
the facts, and no theory ever came well out OF
such conflict.
WHIsKEY, so CALLED.--If the Temperance
societies would publish the revelations recently