Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-10-29

indscrimnate prescription .islremembered
since the days, of Phillip IL of Spain, IL is
not to be.expected, that, in this age and
country, and with our race, maj0Flty Of
the educated men of ten States will long
submit to be excluded from all share in
making and administering the laws by
which their lives, liberties and properties
are to be judged without the presence and
pressure of o force. to eoerce obedience.
The adoption OF this amendment will in
volve the necessity OF maintaining an army
to enforce II. which Of itself would be dam
gefOus to liberty and add greatly to the
burden of taxation already grievOus.'l
can see no good to result from the proposed
amendments. | see much evil. We had
better adhere to the form of government
which our fathers gave us. 1t is In my
Judgment the most perfect political prO-
duction of human wisdom and patriotism.
For three-quarters of century it Secured
us uneXampled prosperity, and ab the end
of that time enabledi hs to meet and over
come one of the most stupendous rebel
ions in the history of the nations. Why
change it? For seventy y-fiye years we have
hardly known that we had Govern
ment. When we did know it we knew1it
only by its bcnefcence, and it has shown
itself as strong rs benefcent, capable of
successful resistance of the fiercest and
most desperate assaults that it is possible
to make upon Government. Why change
| it just as it has yindicated its power, and
| lifted us to an eminence among the nations
of the earth we never till now attained?
We have tried the old Constitution and
know its capabilities. We have not tired
the new, as proposed. but can readily see
the confusion aud disaster which it would
bring. We had better let well enough
alone; buff we should change itat all, we
should not change it now. Thepublie tom
| per was never less auspiciOus to calm, con-
| scientious, wise consideration of great
| questions of state. Passion and prejudice
should never lay rude hands uDOn funda-
mental and organic laws. In a day they do
mischief which years of repentant patriotic
labor will not repair. In day they may
open PandOra's box which the patriotism
and craftsmanship of century may not be
able to shut. | do not regard the recent
and pending elections rs indicative of the
| judgment OF the people, OF the Northern
States upon the Constitutional amend
ments. They are really not the issues pre-
sented to and considered by the people,
They have not been calmly and dispas
sonately discussed and reflected upon
The people have had their fears alarmed
and their passions and prejudices arous-
ed, and perhaps never formed more
delusive ideas as to the character of
issues before the country. The peO-
pie, have been assured that President
johnson is q traitor and usurper. He has
nsurped no power. When the inshrree-
tionary Governments were overthrown and
expelled, the States were left with Con-
stitutlons which, according to the most sol
emn sanctions of the Federal Constitution,
| had been declared republican in form, and
under which those States had for many
years maintained their place as constituent
members of the Union, but they had no or
gahizations under their Constitutions. The
President, therefore, deeming it, what it
was, his imperative duty, as Commander
in-Chiet to do. and what he would nave
been most culpabe for not doing, pfey ycnted
anarchy by appointing temporary Pr6vis-
| ional Governors, under whose advice the
\ people broughtitheir regular Governments
again into operation under their C0nstitu-
tions. This was q, thing with which Con-
gress had nothing to do. 1t was matter
/ purely of military cogiizance. The pub
\ lie enemy had just been eXnelled by milf
\ tary force, and itwas the duty of the Com
mander- Chief to see to it that anarchy
4 and confusion did not ensue, and that the
machinery of the Legitimate Government
II was again put in operation for the preser-
II
1 liberty and property from lawless violence.
\ 1t was the duty of the President, too, as
the executive head of the nation, to see to
| IL that the national laws were executed, aud
that the relations between the States
and the Federal Government were re-
stored. President lincoln had taken pre-
cisely this action i'll respect to Virginia,
| Tennessee, Louisiana and Arkansas,
II for which he was applauded and indorsed
\ by Congress during the first three years of
| the war, and thereafter Vehemently de-
nounced by the same men who now most
violently ldenounce President johnson for
l precisely the same reasons. A protest was
| issued by the Radicals against Mr.. Lin-
| coins denomination to the Presidency, and
\ aeohvention called at Cleveland to super
oede him as the candidate for resOlutely ad-
herring to his restoration policy. which both
Houses of Congress had repeatedly in
| dorsed during the first half of the war. In
the appeal then made by the Radicals from
President Lincoln to the war party, they
were overwhelmingly defeated, and his
policy Endorsed by the party and country.
President johnson strictly adhered to the
policy of Mr.. Lincoln, and 1t was not until
long after the governments of all the
Southern States had been reOrganized, that
any noticeable objection was made to that
action. In fact it seemed to meet the hearty
approval of all sections and parties until
last December, when Congress assembled,
| when the old issue made against Mr.. Lin-
coin, and decided by the. people then, was
revived against him. IL President Johnson
had in ali other respects pursued precisely
the course he has, but insisted on negro
suffrage as condition precedent to restora-
tion, does any candid man doubt that he
would be high imfavOr with the party
which so bitterly depomces him p
Last spring, Senator Stewart offered in the
Senate a proposition for universal amnesty
and universal suffrage, as the best ADJUST
ment of all existing difficulties. 1t was
eagerly accepted aud advocated as the
grand panacea of all our political woes by
Messrs. Sumner, Wilson, and the leading
Radical Senators. There was no longer
any wish expressed to make treason odi6us.
If the States could be coereed to bestow
the right of suffrage upon the negroes, all
opposition to the re7epfranchisemen of
traitors who had fought to destroy the
Government, and whose hands are red with
theblood OF our sons and brothers, was to
be Withdrawals aud they were at once to be
re-admitted to the full enjoyment of all the
rights they had ever possessed. There were
to be no more test-oaths, no more military
commissions, no more horror of the desecra+
ton of the halls of Congress by the presence
| Of unwashed and unrepentant traitors, Lde
1 not complain of this. do not say that the
men who advocated the measure did not
believe il to be thebestl and embellishments
of restoring peace, fraternity and .pr0sper+
| ity. / do not say they were not thoroughly
honest, conscientious and patriotic in their
convictions. am willing to believe they
1 WERE But mention II OnlV TO show that