The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-01-26
Exua-oaicial Advisers of the President


From the Times
The danger of the President being left without
sufficient counsel does not appear to be among
the possible evils which the future has in store
for u.s. We have to-day an amended story of
certain recent interviews of prominent radical
men with Mr.. johnson, which is pertinent
enough to passing events to invite some notice.
The practice of elicIting "a few remarks" from
the highest official authority, with view to
their publication in sume outlying section Of the
country, has become not at all uncommon.
Whether it is a custom more honored in the
breach than the observance we shall not under
take to say. There is much in getting used to
these things The late President had very many
eXtra-official advisers.
We apprehend that those who we're foremost
in urging on President Lincoln the necessity of
compromising with Jefferson Davis; OF paying
four or five hun red millions of the Rebel debt;
OF making peace missionaries out of such sealli-
wags as Tucker and Sanders; and OF submitting
our affairs generally as nation-ln default of
any less disgraceiul settement-to foreign arbl
trament, are now the most assiduous counsellors
of President johnson in the business OF recon-
struchon.
What these advisers had to say in their more
recent interviews with the President we do not
learn in detail. But we gather much Of the
tenor of their advice incidentally from what the
President is reported to have urged in objection
to the theories offered for MS guidance. The
persistent tnkerlng OF the Constitution, Mr.
johnson is reported to view as having a tend
ency to upset the very foundation of things, to
weaken the force and sanction of that instru-
ment itself; and in homelier phrase, to make
its provisions like the work OF so many to wn
meetings. These are, presumably, the Presi-
dents views; the Y are most certainly the views
Of nine-tenths of the intelligent people OF the
United States.
The right OF both Houses TO Judge of the quail
fcations of individual representatives seeking
admission to Congress, the President has uni
tormly affirmed. But he draws distinction,
clear and positive, between that right and the
authority which demands and entorces the eX-
cluson OF States. The lately revolted States are
to-day more republican ana democratic IN their
forms OF State organization than they we're before
or during the war, and they are altogether more
in harmony with the spirit Of our Institutions
generally Denying their right TO any repre-
sentation under these conditions Is a denial OF
the existence OF the Union.
We can hardly credit that portion OF the story
which represents these extra official advisers as
expressing 10 the President tear that the return
Ofthe South viii reduce the Union party in Con
gTess to minority. Such cowardly forecastne
of disaster led to the Niagara peace conferences
But we should think that there was barely even
u Congressional faction weak enough to urge
such @ reason Tor DELAYING or trifiing with the
word of restoration. The States that are consi
dered fit to ratity constitutional amendments arr
surely not disabled from voting on those amend
ments in Congress; and the refusal TO recognize
this fact instead OF tending to prevent thu
Southern delegations from coming in as a sec
tional unit Iii It is ten years before restoration
Is completed-will simply make that issue ceI
tain Meanwhile the privilege OF debate in tn
is apparently growing conviction among mem
bers that Congress is a deliberative body, au
that the practice Of remittine all debate to con
mittees may be carried TO excess.