Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1866-09-01
An ABLE ARGUMENT.
The President Judged by Him.elf.
From Harper,s Weekly. Aug 25.l


No event since the end Of the war
has so profoundly moved the country rs
the massacre at New Orleans, and none
of the circumstances connected with II
have been regarded with more painful
surprise then the action of the President.
Ever since the meeting of Congress last
December he has strenuously insisted that
the late rebel States, by conforming to
certain terms which be had named. with
out CONSULTATION with Congress, were
fully restored 10 their equal relations in
the Union with The loyal States. He
has publicly denounced Senators and
Representatives as traitors and disunion-
lists because they did not agree with him.
He has yetCei tie most important bills
passed by Congress, assigning among
his reasons in every instance that legisla-
ton during the exclusion from represen
tation Of the States in question was Of
doubtful constitutionaIity. He has uni
formly spoken of those States as 60 lon
ger in an exceptional situation, insisting
that war was over, that all its methods
were at al end, and that nothing remain
ed to complete the normal condition Of
the Union but the admission of represen.
taiives duly qualified.
Louisiana is one of these States. The
President told us that it was upon exactly
the same footing in the Union as New
York, and was to oe treated by the ma
tional authorities exactly as New York
is treated. He had recognized its local
State Government as no less valid and
Independent within its constitutional
sphere than that of New York, and how
ever opinions as to the constitutionality
or good policy or common-sense Of his
views may have differed, no one, we
suppose, doubted that they were sin
cerely held and would honestly control
his action.
But the President has suddenly shown
that, " bile lie donounces the Legislative
branch of the Government as disors aniz
ing or reasonable for not asserting to
bis theory, he does not mean to be bound
by it himself. While he and his sup
porters are vociferously accusing Con-
gress Of revolutionary intentions because
it does not Immediately recognize what
he calls the lawful representatives Of
Louisiana, he himself calls to account and
peremptorily disregards the Governor of
Louisiana, W HON be has recognized as q
lawful Governor as much as Governor
FENToN of New York. He does in thai
State what he knows would not be for
moment tolerated in this.
On the 21st of July the President
issued The following extraordinary order
to the Governor of Louisiana, who, let it
be remembered, he asserts is the peer of
the Governor of Pennsylvania, of Mas
sachusetts. of Illinois, or of any other
State. 81 hare been adViSed that you
hare issued proclamation concerning
the Convention elected IN 1864 Please
inform me under and be- Uh0t authority
tbs has been done, and By a0hat author
ity this Convention can assume 10 re
present the Cbole people Of The State of
Louisiana" This is the order Of su-
perior to subordinate agent This is a
message which the commander-in-chicf
may properly send to provisional lieu
tenant. But it is n message which the
President of the UGited States has 20
more rightful authority TO send TO the
Governor of New York than the Queen
of England has. And when such mis-
siye is forwarded by President who
has been for months tediously reiterating
that the rights of the States are in i'm
minent danger of being destroyed by
despotc Capitalization it is both ludicrous
and alarming; ludicrous, because the
executive act is such n ridiculous contrad-
lotion OF the executive assertion; and
alarming. because it shows either the
Presidents incapacity 10 comprehend
tie limits OF the executive power, or his
determination TO disregard them at his
pleasure.
TIE Presidents ''poIiey" thus proves
10 be the Presidents pleasure. When il
is convenient for him TO treat State rs
fully ia the Union the Presidents 'pol
icv" requires Us to assent. When it is
convenient to consider it as under absolute
military supervision the Presidents "pol-
lev" requires us to say Amen. If the
President blows hot, We must a rec that
il is warm. If he blows colo, we must
declare It is exceeding chilly. If he de
nounces Congress as revolutionary for
rot recognizing The representatives of
Louisiana, we must beg him 10 sweep it
out of the Capitol. If lie turns on his
heel and refuses to recognize the Cover
nor of Louisiana, we must vow that he is
the savior of the Constitution.
The whole melancholy history justies
Congress. 1t las steadily refused to act
upon visionary theory, a pernicious
abstraction" Familiar with the causes
Of the war, understanding the vast social
eonvulsions that always attend SO fierce
a struggle, and knowing that statesman
ship deals with facts, it has not foolishly
supposed that every thing was settled be
cause insurgents had laid down their
arms, nor assumed that States still quiv-
erirg with hatred aud hostility could be
admitted to a share in the Government
without patient inquiry and celebration.
Ii has asked only that the facts be ascer-
tanned, no; assumed. Without hostile
emotion, without vindetiveress, it has
required that no State deliberately with.
drawing its representatives, in order to
destroy the Government, shall claim to
have them readmitted except upon terms
81 raoeopol,a ,,Paoaut;op apd that rehel-