Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1866-03-29
CHARI.EsTowN, THURSDAY, MARCH %, 1866,
President ] Johnson & the Disunionists.

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President Johnson & the Disunionists.
From. tie London aad Parif Go v'qpoli'sa, fes =.
At no period during .hc late civil war In
America was there manifested a IAoTc Intense
and bitter feeling Of ,lami'oa ;laa exists at.t'ie
present moment, both in Congress and out 81
Congress; both in the Nortlcanil in the Soaih.
We do not mean that tllcfe ars tS-slas aay open
advocates of rebellion, or ANY avJwed tisuiiiph-
lists but as for unity q! sentiment, unity 81
principle, unity Of purpsc--an eSasie pms :
The Conservatives aud Radicals are waSiug Just I
as fierce contest, only with less de;riiy we's-
pons, as that which has SO recently dclnsc'l the I
land with blood sacrificed two millions Of lives, /
and saddled the present and future generations /
with an intoerable burden OF debt and taxa /
ton. Subjugatien is not peace, emancipation (
is not freedom The de.pot' heel does moi IA
spirc the breast iterushes with any very alec I
tionate attachment for the oppresscr; aud tic (
liberated slave who never felt the bond that I
9ound him, except as guarantee OF protection,
Eas little cause to thank tie . philanthropy |
that confers on him tie liberty to starye aud
die in the hole or the gutter, Of his own free
choice, The war of blood and death, fought |
with sword and musket, is over for a time in |
the "model republic of the United States:
but the political antagonisms were never more |
active in the hearts Of the opposing factions,
and the utterances of tongues and pens were
never more bitterly hostile A state of war
Of moral war-still exists peace reigns in ~
merica only in name 1t is no longer mere
sectional strife, with Mason and Dixon'sli
dividing the conlbatants; and Yakeelom and
Dixie no longer define the respective sections
of the enemy. The battle lines have become
longitudinal, and the opposing forces are scat /
tered through al the States from Maine to
Texas. In every city. town, hamlet the angry
contest is going on. Instead Of epauletted gcu-
erals leading hostile armies into the jaws Of
death" behold a host of civic warriors--heroes
of the tongue and pon-commandmg The ears
of the Senate and the columns of the press
while using both to infane the passions and
strengthen the preiudices Of the masses Be
hold the everlasting disunon TRADE of the crack
Drained SUMNER filling thirty columns of the
Congressional Globe, every word of which is
like drop of poison corroding and weakening
the links of the Union So long as this mass
of crotchets, this cultivated Boston scholar
cultivated, like an old field farm, to barren
ness, leads the Senate, and supplies the arsenal
of abuse to the Radical rank and file" gentle
men maycry peace, peace, buttherc isno peace
no. nor Union either. We take it for granted
that no portion of the United States IS more
anxious for genuine peace, union, and harmony
than the States lately in rebellion under the
name of the Confederacy The people OF the
South deliberately seeded, heroically struggled
terribly suffered, and manfully submitted
They have accepted the fiat of Might as mex
orable as Fate or the laws of gravitation Ihey
return to the Union in good faitb, and win
untarnished honour. They are wiling 10 90
to work in earnest to repair damages anu 10
assist the Government in its policy OF recon-
struction, and adapt themselves to the new
condition of society following.the violent man
omission of a, 100000 of slaves. The late pc
cessionsts have become Unionists par e1cet-
lenee while the Loyal Leagriers and " Union
Sbreikers of the North are open, active, ire
nressibc disumonists Of the most malignant
tvpe SUMNER, STEVENS, BUTLER, BRowS-
Low. ct id omne genus, are infinitely worse enc
mics of the Union than any Secessionist that
ever drew his sword inthe struggle for Southern
independence. Opposed to thisturbulcHtseaof
fanaticism, whose rising tide threatens the very
foundations of the Republic, President JoHS-
sox's executive win is the only present security
and future hope Of the nation. That ne may
have the wisdom, the courage, aud the strength
10 hold firmly the helm Of the Ship of State,
now fearfully rolling on the troubled sea oil
fanaticism; and that history may write these
words in marble after bis name; g The pilot
that ,ceailtcrcd be storm, must be the prayer
of every good man, not only in America, but
throughout the world.