The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1867-03-07
Veto of the Reconstruction Bill.

johnson upon the ssAct for the more
efficient government of the Rebel
States popularity known as the Re-
construction Bills in this issue
The most superficial reader must adj
nit the Message to be a very able doc
ument:. The critical reader, however,
will easily discover its lack of fairness,
and the presence ofabiasl that. hardly
admits Of a candid argument, The
document is lawyers plea-not the
decision ola Judge-the argument of
an advocate who only sees one side of
the question. The reader will easily
believe the paper came from the pen OF
the Attorney General, whose legal abil-
ity no one will dispute 1852 81
The tone of the Message will disap-
point those who looked for document
that Should narrow rather than widen
the breach between the Executive and
Congress. While its tone is diGnified
and respectful, it conveys the impress
sion that the President will not will
ingly execute the law, and from the
Message the disloy;l spirit Of the
South will take great courage, and be
come even more arrogant than now
There is nothing in it which tends to
make treason odious, Oh the other hand,
lit directly tends to confirm the rebels
in their opinion that the rebellion was
not crime, but, at worst, a mere mis-
idemeanor.
When the traitors of tile rebel States
| read this Veto Message, they will feel
as did the criminal on trial for his life,
who, on hearing the appeal made by
I his counsel in his behalf, exclaimed,
that he had no idea he was such an
abused man. In that message they can
find justification for everything save ar.
raying themselves in arms against the
Government, and the document may
well be characterized as an excuse for
treason after the act One sentence in
the brief synopsis of the remarks of
Of Senator Reverdy Johnson contains
very Just criticism upon the message ::
there were many propositions con-
s'tained in the Message which could
mot be maintained, many errors Of
Judgment which, npon examination
I''would be apparent
L
promises, hence arrives at an erroneous
conclusion. In fact the first issue
which the Message takes with Congress
governs all the other Issues. If the
preamble of the law be not true, then
| indeed we might easily accept the. con
clusions of the Message. But the coun-
try will belive that preamble to be true !;
| +bc s.uo o5nouofa ,lrotaotioo To. 1.fo
and property exists in the ten rebel
States. To doubt that is to doubt the
plainest testimony which daily comes
4 from the South, to the effect that South
ern Union men are cOntracised, that
Northern men are prosecuted and muir
dered, and that the Freedmen are NAL
Etreated and abused. an .
The law is severe one, but bitter
experience has taught that nothing but
military force will exact justice at the
South To-day Federal army officers
are insulted, a social ban is enforced
against them and their families, and
nothing but the presence of the .bayo-
net enables an officer to live "a rebel
State. Tie person who denies this,
will believe nothing that runs counter
to his prejudices. ea, ..s -.
The argument of the Message, found
ed upon the provision made for. the
termination Of military rule under the
law, is very unjust one. The loyal
men held out the olive branch in the
shape of an Amendment to the Consti-
tuition, which contained terms fair and
inst. That Amendment was the least
that loyalty could exact; going no fur
ther than bare security against repe-
tition of the rebellion required. That
Amendment was spurned, thus proving
1 treason was but scorched, no. killed
The rejection ofthat Amendment prov
ed that power could not be trusted in
the hands of the whites, and hence the
NECESSITY for making such terms as
tshall protect the present loyal voters
at the South, and so add to their mum
I bers as to secure loyal governments
+ The whole thing turns upon the
| truth or falsity of the preamble to. the
act. If that be true, military power is
Unnecessary, not only for protection tt
! the Union men now there, but to those
q who seek to go there. That the South
ern people are desirous of reorganiz
lug society on the basis Of peace, ant
to restore prosperity to their section
is true, but they wish to confine tina
to people Of rebel sympathies; the.
wish to reorganize in their own, way
and to commit the power to those wh'
fought for the overthrow of the FEEDER
al Government
: Common sense people will have lit
tie patience with the argument founde'
on Constitutional objections. Wha
would the Constitution be in the hand
: of thosewh rejected that Amendment
t Without this law the Constitutio
2 would not he recognized in the rebe
States, and matter of fact people wi
e say to Congress, Enact just as al
: ''bitary law as is necessary for th
, ''preservation of what Of the Constitl
i '.tion has been arrested from rebt
4 hands" The rebels would destro
!: every provision of the Constitution
!, A loyal Congress must save all thf
e can be saved, and must avail itself {
' all necessary power to do so, aud mus
q find the law for so doing where best
y can making that law when necessar,
Il But the subject need not be pursue'
It Those who believe the preamble of tt
: law to be true will justify the act, an
/, that the great mass of the people d
+; believe that preamble we have not
T doubt.-Clev. Herald
r .s5
q The negro suffrage bill passed tt