The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1865-1866, 1866-04-13
Affairs in Washington.
MR.. SEWARD.

MT. Se"aTu is cquaIiJ ITee III tHe eA>
preston of his opiuion TN the present
status of affairs. lie is essentially con-
servative, and with the President in his
policy. lie believes that the Southern
people arc acting in good faith in this
work of reconstruction; that they are
from their past history and life, acting AS
we must rxprct they would ac: that,
with their feelings aud knowledg", We
could have anticipated nothing else
They cannot change in a day. Their
principles, feelings and h'liefs are the
growth Of years. lie believes that all
will come out right; that the Union party
cannot be destroyed, as there will always
be il. this country ma j"rity of its pe"-
pie in favor of the unity and integrity of
this republic, and VIII" will find means to
make known their wishes for the mains
tenancc of the Constitution and the prin
ciples upon which this government is
based. The name of this party IS very
irumaterial. lie says that if you look at
the class of men who have been elected
as members of Congress and Senators
from the reconstructed States, You W II
6nd that they arc not secrssionis's, and
never we're; that they fought this brresy
ia tn" beginning, and only went with
their States when they were forced to g..
citing the examples of S'erh"ns and
MANY other leading men who have been
elected from tie ff,.rrnt States of the
South, whose last votes in their Legisla
lures were cast against secession, and
whose last speeches before the war took
place were in denunciati"n "f separation;
and that not one Of the old original se-
cessionists -th. extreme flre-catlng dis.
un,onists of the Snntil had anywhere
been elected to Office; out that those who
are elected are the prominent representa-
tive men of the Southern country. and
inst such men rs We must expect to he
elected to represent tie sentiments OF
their penplr; that they are now working
in go"d faith to bring their States back
to their old relations with the General
Government, and that they ought to lie
admitted to Congress, and that the test
oath ought to he so far revised aud re-
modelled as to permit these men to take
their seats in Congress. "As for me, y
SAYS Mr.. Seward, Il am constitutionally
one of the h"peful kind. Dean Swift, "
said he, "who Was something Of S a,cs-
man as well as divine, said that 10 every
government there were two classes of
men-tho>e who always believed in and
hoped for the very best, and those who
always despaired of any good and feared
the worst; and that the truth was about
half way between the two. ] belong,
constitutionally, to the former class; but,
sir, my reason, Judgment and experience,
and nv trust in Go'l, all lead me to be-
lieve that this naIion is but entering
upon her great and glorious career. /
have firm faith in all over.luing Provi.
dence, that will bring us through this
contest, as it did through the struggle Of
arms just closed"
Mr.. DENNIsoN.
Mr.. Dennison, Postmaster-General,
sees everything coueur de rose: believes
that Congr.ss. aud the President will
harmonzc; that just at this time there
is dark cloud iu the political horizon
which. CASTS souIbre shadows upon poll
t,cal affairs; but, with the eye of hope, he
penetrates beyond this cloud and sres
the sun Of triumph lighting up the view.
He does not believe that the President
intends or desires to separate. lr.,m the
Union party, but that The present con
test is SOM thing like the Wade and
Davis attack upon Mr.. Lincoln. with the
exception that Mr.. johnson does not
show the wsd"m and quanini'y mnni-
tested 10y MIR. Liacoln in his CONTEST
He believes that Mr. J"lnnscn IL equally
pure, true, and patriotic, aud desires very
earnestly that unity and harmony may
speedily come. Hs desires to remain in
bis present place, and will work to maiu-
tain hsr'n"ny and to keep that. place; but
1t may be put down as fixed fact, that
wherever the President goes, Mr.. Denni
son will always he. found within the lines
of the Union party. Mr.. Dennison is
geu'lemahly and'yielding, to u fanl,; Int
underlying all this sof ness and plac,dity
there is a gIanilic strata thai is genuine
and true, and that can always be trus,>
ed.
MR. SPEED, ATTORNEY GENERAL,
Is unqualifedly with the Radicals of
Congress on the question of negro suf.
frage, and opposed to the policy of
the President. Mr.. Speed is discreet
in the expression of his opinions; does
not unnecessarily harass or oppose the
President, but stands firmly to his
convictions Of what he believes to be
the true PRINCIPLES in this contest.
MR. STANTON.
Mr.. Secretary Stantor ia ret;cent