The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1866-09-03
The Kepublican p,,,f,,,,,

| printing the proposed amendment to the ON
stitution under the innocent heading of 'Fhe
Republican Platform" that we feel it incumbent
on us to render some further explanation, We
do not wish the Times nor any one else to ,up-
| pose that those amendments comnose the
whole " Republican Platform in all its detiIs.
By no means. Although the difference be-
tween the President and Congress has in the
course OF events, taken such shape that it
seems to hinge on the adoption or rejection by
two thirds of the States of the proposed
amendments, there are many other points,
| equally Important which have been raised by
eminent members of the Republican party, and
which it is quite as necessary to place before the
people. We believe that "great events pro-
duce great men" and in important national
crises men are raised up in whose noble char
acters and eloquent words are crystalized the
truths and principles most dear to the hearts
| and minds of the great masses of the people.
The government of this Republic rests upon
the people Their opinions are the pubic
standard and always, in great emergencies,
have found an utterance through some man il
body of men who have had the tact and the 81
| gacity to discern the great truth, the living
principle which lies deep down in the popuhr
heart and is the well spring of the national
life. We accept all and reject none of the,e
historic utterances, come from whence they
may. The declaration of independence tie
farewell address of Washington, the emphatic
| declaration Of Jacksonville Union must and
| shall be preserved" the splendid peroraton Of
| Webster in qis reply to Hayne of South Caro-
lima no OF l.. IA
Presidential message" With charity for al,
with malice towards none," all these noble
words of noble men have sunk deep in the
hearts of the people and are as much part OF
| the Republican Platform as the resolutions
| of the last Congress.
There is another prophet, who has been hon
ored in his own country, who since the assas-
| sination of Abraham Lincoln has uttered wise
and patriotic words which went straight to the
hearts of the people and elected their warm
and enthusiastic response. These we accept
also as part and parcel of the Republican
| Platform and if the Bangor Times has any
objections to the sentiments expressed we shall
be happy to answer them. When, after the
assassination of President Lincoln, Andrew
johnson was inaugurated President of the
United States, he, as well as all patriotic men,
was overwhelmed by the awful calamity which
Dereaved a nation of its most trusted and be-
loved leader. After recovering from that terri
BILE blow, the people were anxious to know
| what were the sentiments and opinions of the
| new Executive. Who can forget how the
| grand words of Andrew johnson thrilled the
| popular heart, when he said that this great
sacrifice of blood and --~es7urc should not go
| w1unouJ Its due reward, that the loyal people
of America, having indicated their national
ity should alone be entrusted with the recon-
struction of that Union which treason had
shattered and divided for four long years. On
| the 2lst of April 1866, just one week after his
Inauguration President johnson said to del
| egation from Indiana, with Gov. Morton at its
head:
1T is not promulgatng anything that
have not heretofore said to say that traitors
must be made odiOus, that treason must be
made odious, that traitors must be punished
| and impoverished.
They must not only be punished, but their
social power must be destroyed If not they
Will still maintain an ascendancy, and may
again become numerous and powerful, for, in
the words of former Senator of the United
states, When traitors become numerous
| enough treason becomes respectable, and
| say that after making treason odious every
Union man and the Government should be re-
Enumerated out of the pockets of those who
have inflicted this great suffering on the coun-
| try"
Further on in the same speech he announces
the same doctrine that is held by Congress. He
said:
eve have seen that the Government is COM
posdd of parts, each essential to the whole and
the whole essential to each part Now, if an
individual (part of State) declare war against
the whole, in violation of the Constitution he
as citizen has violated the law, and is respon-
sble for the act as an individual. There may
be more than one individual; it may go on till
they become parts of States. Sometime the
rebellion may go on increasing in numbers till
the State machinery is overturned and the
country becomes like q man that is paralyzed
on one side. But we find in the Constitution
great panacea provided 1t provides that
the. United States (that is, the great integer)
shall guarantee to each State (the integers
composing the whole) in this Union a Repub-
ican form of government"
In his speech ut Nashville when military gov
ernor, to which he refers above as part of his
past course" he said
Why all this carnage and devastation? Tt
was that treason might be put dosvn and traS-
tors punished; Therefore I say that traitors
ton. If there be but ipe thousand men in Ten
nessee loyal to the Constitution, loyal to freedom
| loyal to Justice, these true and faithful 0,en
| should control the aoorE of reorganization and
| reformation absolutely. sag that the traitor
has ceased to be citizen, and in joining the re-
bellion has become a public enemy He forfeited
has right to cote aCit loyal men hen he renounc-
ed his citizenship and sought to destroy our Coz
| eminent. We say to the most honest and in
| dustrious foreigner who comes from England
| or Germany to dwell among us, and to add to
| the wealth of the country, Before you can be
| a citizen you must stay here for five years. IF
| we are so cautious about foreigders, who volun-
| tarily renounce their homes to live with us.
| what should we say to the traitor, who although
! born and reared among us, has raised a narTi
cidal hand against the Government which al
ways protected him? My Judgment is that he
should be subjected to a severe ordeal before
he is restored to citizenship. A fellow who
takes the oath merely to save his property and
denies the validity Of the oath is a perjured
man and not to be trusted. Before these
rebels can be trusted, let them bring forth the
fruits of repentance"
In the same Nashville speech he went far he
yond the present, position of the Union Repub-
lican party. He said, and his words are full of
generous indignation and hatred of the crime
of treason
/ "Ah these rebel leaders have q STRONG nor
sonal reason for holding out to save their necks
| from the halter; and these leaders must feel
the power Of the government Treason must
oe page oG.oas, ana traitors must be punished
must be seized, and divided into small farnas
and sold to honest, industrious men. The am,
tor protecting the lands and negroes of these
authors Of the rebellion IS past 1t is high time
| it was.
In his speech to a delegation of Union rein.
gees from Virginia, April 9th, 1866 he said.
"The time has come, as you who have had to
drink this bitter cup are fully aware, when the
| American people should be made to nnder.
stand the true nature of crime. OF cr;roo
generally, our people have high understand,'
ing, as well as of the necessity of its nnn;sh-
ment; but in the catalogue of crimes there Is
one-and that the highest known to the law
and the Constitutional which, since the DAYS
of Jefferson and Aaron Burr, they have Ia
come oblivious; that is TREASON Indeed, one
who has become distinguished in treason and
this rebellion said, that when traitors become
ble,' and to become traitor was to constit,,ta
| portion of the aristocracy of the country