The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-02-13
The President Comes Round, but too
Late.

The PreSId ent Comes ROund, but too
Late
Extract from Letter.
The President has at last bent to the
storm. Public opinion has worried
through his tough hide and is now act
ing like caustic upon raw flesh. For
weeks after the President was signally
beaten in the fall elections, he made it
his boast that he should not change his
opinions because the people of the
North and West had been humbugged
by the artfuI radicals. He would try
it on again, he would carry the issue
into the Presidential campaign! But
while he Dragged, some of his thought
full trends Were silent. Doolittle came
back here as solemn as if he lad
been at funeral. His portly form was
wasted. Thurlow Weed was thinking.
Such friends of the President as Mr..
Dixon saw that he was near to ruin and
that nothing could be worse for him
than to try the issue over again. So
the Johnson men and the shrewd
Southern leaders put their heads to-
gether, dragging the President after
them, and IL new plan was arranged. 1t
is singular fact that the President
has at last given in to the congression-
al amendment. But he hadn't the wit
TO do it in December, and to accept it
by itself. He so connects it with other
propositions that it does not make n
direct appeal to the friends of the con-
gresSionHl plan of last summer. If,
when Congress came together in Deem
ber, he had said to it, "Gentlemen, will
not stand up any longer against the
will of the loyal States, and am
henceforth with you for the amend
ment and will use all the influence
posses to have it adopted at the South, -
he would have split the republican
party in two. a large class of conser-
| vative republicans would have Joined
him and many radicals, even. Why,
at this day, l believe, Ben Wade holds
that it would be advisable to admit to
representation any State adopting the
amendment in good faith. There are
other radicals who occupy the same
position.
But the President waited, neglected
his opportunity, and now has string
of propositions which Congress will not
accept. However he cares very little
for that, his object being to have new
issue for the presidential campaign.
| He will recommend the newfplan in
his message on the 4th of March, so ii
is said, and if the rebel states. can be
brought to adopt within the next eigh-
teen months it is expected that the
. great ueIIlOCEullC COuStENdllNe /
that has died so many times, will make
it their platform in the presidential
election. If they can carry the great
State of New York upon 1t they will
triumph, for if New York wheels that
way it is safe to say that some Other
States will do the same. Thurlow Weed
1 says New York will disown the radicals
if their opponents will fight on this
platform, but unfortunately ThurloH
Weed has made predictions before, anc
they did not prove to be worth any
thing. No sensible republican will de
ny the importance of this new move
meut, however. It behooves the radi
calls to be circumspeet and make NJ
blunders. If they follow the lead o
Stevens and Butler in the 40lh Congress!
they will be beaten, if the President'
friends show any wisdom. But they
probably will not. They haven't ex
hibited any in the past, what reason
have we to fear they will in the future