The Portland daily press., 1866-08-28

land I, OF bondage, not indeed, to recapture them
ior Si.Very, put to make them accept the new
conaltlons OF their freedom from the hands of
OF OF tnose who had enslaved them. OF course
new party Their rallying cry is restoration of
the Gnion. Their test will be that of allegiance
10 MI. Johuson, and full acceptance of Mr.
Johnsons policy. u -, -
put u remains to be seen whether the pro-
tecuonlst follies of some leading Republicans
give such a party as that of Mr.. johnson a
chance. The alliance with the Democratic
sectlon Is too obvious. The people will be like
~ 10 leei mat though the voice is that of Jacob
tne nands are the hands of Esau. 1t is perhaps
Detter Inat tne severance of Mr.. johnson from
ms own friends should be thus complete. 1t
places Inc issue more fully and Enthusiastically
before the people, and it seems to MS that 4
gives a 1ar better chance of decisive victory
to the party of Freedom and PROGRESS. - =
Perhaps nothing better represents the actual
divergence between Congress and the President
tnan the Dill which Congress has lately passed
IN one day over the Presidents veto At the
present time four millions of inhabitants of the
Southern States are in the condition of an in
ferlor class, politically and socially. Their en-
reimbursement has been effected against the
wish OF those who held them in bondage. and
in direct opposition to the laws and customs OF
all the States in which Slavery existed. The
Constitutional Amendment" which became
by It's due ratification the supreme law Of the
land, not only abolished Slavery. but in view
OF the difficulties which might yet supervene
expressly empowered Congress by Inappropriate
Legislation to establish freedom. a Itl.
The acts which the present Congress- has
passed with this object have been Vetoed by
Mr.. johnson. Even the Civil Rights bill, which.
ne says, renders the new Freedmen's Bureau
needless, had to be passed over his veto. and
now the bill continuing the present Bureau.
legaAIng and reducing to order the position OF
negro holders OF forfeited and other lands, and
proVlding more ample protection against vio-
fence, mas had to be passed over his veto. Yet
IN one passage of his veto message, Mr.. John.
son admits fact which quite justifies the bill.
The tact cannot be denied" he says, "that
since the actual cessation of hostilities MANY
acts OF violence, such perhaps as had never been
witnessed in their previous history. have occnr-
red in the States involved in the recent rebel
ion.'
Northern people say that Mr.. Johnson's nat
ronage OF the South has encouraged this South
ern vlolence-at least in the sense of not MAX
ing 1t aDundantly clear, as it ought to be made
that every case would be speedily investigated
and avenged. But the fact that such violence
exists, notwithstanding the Civil Rights bill.
proves the need of some further protection for
the freedmen. 1t is on the question of this
further protection that Mr.. johnson and Con-
gress have most markedly disagreed Congress
would protect the freedmen, if needful, at the
sacrifice OF all State rights and in defiance of
State laws Mr.. Johnson would leave the freed
men to the tender mercies of their tyrants rath-
er than override the laws or abridge the sove-
reignty Of the States. But here the old quarrel
surges up again. M go
q The war decided once for all that the well
fare of the whole Republic should be it's SUI
preme law TO let State rights couer the right
Of the achite to Cypress the 6lack-noac that both
alike are citizens Of the Republics to give back
to the South much of that for aclich 1t fought,
and OF a0hich the acdr depriUed it. And though
we have always maintained that the preserva-
ton OF local rights was most important to the
welfare OF the Union, and that the limitation of
the powers of the General Government is the
one condition OF the welfare and safety of the
Union, we cannot but feel that the policy of
Mr.. johnson and his friends goes in this direc-
ton to q most dangerous extreme. If, indeed,
the old fight is to be begun again, and the
South opens new campaign on the electoral
held with Mr.. johnson as its leader, we sincere,
~ hope it may be with the old result of com
plete Union victory. The true aceJare of the
Onion IS represented, not by Mr.. Johnson's Y,ev
allies, but By his old and mop torsaken friends.