The national Republican., 1866-11-17
DANGER OF REJECTING THE
LESSONS OF HISTORY.

Whether the lscpuDnc ls saVeu UT iost IL Ii
certain to become apparent to the American
people that there has been great, very great
danger in the rejection by Congress of the
lessons Of history. Among all the republics,
from that of the Hebrews, under the Judges,
down to ours, not one remains where civil
discord prevailed for any considerable length
of time. And no ripe statesman, from the
times Of the Hebrews down to the present
time, has left on record any other opinion
than that internecine strifes perpetuated al
ways destroy the best Of governments.
1t is because President JOHNSON hecds
these admonitions Of universal history, as
well as because his own ripe judgment die
tates the same conclusions that he is so
firmly convinced that there is perpetual dan
ger in delaying the admission of loyal repre-
sentatives from the lately rebel States. OF
course their immediate admission is of no
more importance to him, either personally
or politically, than it is to THApDEus STEVENS,
or any other radical member ,,of Congress
who is disposed to try the experiment of dis
union a while longer. If the Government
perishes, the catastrophe will be no worse
for him than il will be for those who differ
with him. But, as the executive head of the
Government, charged with the responsibility
of guiding, so far as in him lies, its destinies,
it ought not TO be expected that he could
disregard all the admonitions Of past history
in this respect and consent TO the dangerous
experiment Of keeping the country disunited
any longer.
The fact that the people Of the Southern
States rebclled and undertook to break
away from the Government does not relieve
us from the danger. 1t increases it. So
many relations were broken by the war that
the bonds of our Union are tender be-
cause the temper of the insurgents is yet
more or less disturbed. Any failure on the
part of the Government to keep faith with
them is magnifed in their eyes to unreal
proportions. So long as they are left to suf-
fer any wrong whatever atsthe hands Of the
Government, that wrong will be fostering
thorn in their bosom to instigate new scdi.
tions and outbreaks Anything like an at.
tempt to keep them in coventry or durance
will only aggravate the difficulty.
Nor does the fact that the Government dis.
persed their armies, and might do it again
relieve us. Although coercive measures to
reduce rebellion is justifablc, everybod!
knows, and none better than the late rebels
that our Government rests upon what is cx
pressed in the books as the voluntary sys
tem-upon the popular sentiment long snc'
educated in the doctrine that taxation ant
representation are yoked together. If thu
Government shall much longer refuse tn
people Of the South the one, it will, ere long
be compelled 10 desist from the other. !
has never been possible to wiring heavy take
from any civilized people without incitin
them, sooner or later to use every effort
their power to rid themselves Of the burdeI
1t is not in the nature Of Anglo-Saxons t
kiss the rod that smites them; so that it
unsafe to ny upon the physical power of tn
Government to relieve us from the DANCE
If Congress shall, upon assembling, col
tinue to reject the admonitions Of history
this respect it will augment its present r
sponsibility to fearful extent. BY doin
his full duty concerning this subject Tn
President is now free from it.