Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1867-12-06

Elevated ana 1o10E9d IT the ElELFaE6s
and confdence Of the Union people Of
the country he had scarcely warmed
his seat in the Executive Chair until he
Ieaped into the extended arms Of the
discounted rebellion, azltI reinforced It
with all the potent influences eonhded
20 him by those whose trust he thus be-
trayed. Since the battle of BuH Run
the '1osg causep has received no such
triumph On encouragement IS that giv-
en- It by the stsaIthy bullet Of John
Wilkes Booth.
The coutfatted ddisorganization Of the
UniOn''l Who began itP who has kept
it up in spite Of reason, justice and mag
niminityf Who mora than Andrew
Johnson advised the Southern people
not to submit to the mild and generous
terms Of settlement embodied in the
Constitutional amendment Tennes-
see was promptly restored to the Union
as soon as she adopted that amendment
Other States would have been. BY ad-
vialng its rejection Mr.. Johnson pre-
vented such restoration. He makes a
great ado about negro suffrage, but
that amendment did not enfrsneaise q
single negro. He pOuTs ont q dreadful
jeTemiade about military despotism but
that amendment contained nothing Of
the kind. He complains that The mid
political disabilities placed upon lead
lug rebels "ars the most unreasonable
puniahmant that could be invented. p
But this amendment gave Congress
authority to restore political privileges
to each ONE as soon as his continued
good behavior should make such restor-
alton SAFE and h0a0ra5ls to the nation.
The Acting President forgets that he
was once accustomed to demand with
violent gesture and trueu1ent threat
that all these leading rebels should be
hung Was that q 'rsasOnabla punish
meut ?" II Congress is unreasonable
in preventing them from voting and
holding office how much more was he
in demanding their executIon9 But
the great Circle SW1nger has found 3
new way 60 fsmake treason Odious."
That the Union has not been reorgan-
lied before this time on the basis of the
constitutional amendment plainly, pal
pab1y no indiyiduaI high or low Is
more to blame for than Mr., Johnson
The continued disorganization Of the
Union'' ought indeed to be matter 0.
"eoncer1175 to lis own conscience if hC
has any
But he is concerned, as usual, about
the cen stitution. So was JEFF. Davis
who use Il to take President Lincoln tt
task in his messages to the Confederate
Congress for his violations Of the Fed
eraI coD.ssitution. Nh. johnson proba
bly, means to take Congress to task fol
/ its VOL htiOns Of the Confederate States
I Constitution. For violating that Of th'
United states he arraigns Congress
with about the same grace that JET
Davis R,rraig igned Lincoln. Having sais
in one Of his speeches. t'when you see
man prating about the Constitution
spot hi,n, he is a traitor wiz be
lieve ttiat Mr.. johnson has a profound
venera tion for the constitution and tha
his continual ranting about it is signih
cant.
The stale and threadbare argumsn
about the insurgsnt States being still
in the Union is rehashed, commencing
as follows:
It is clear to my apprehension tina
the States lately in rebellion are still
members Of the National Union. Whel
did they. cease to be 50 2, Ordinances 0
secession, adopted by q portion of thei
citizens were mere nulltnes."
That the estates lately in rebellion,
are still in the Union in the sense OF be
- -, -, =, = 3 a.. ~ - .,
/ States government no one viii deny
Nothing but the power Of the bayone
has kept them there, and We mean tha
they shall stay there forever Blu
whether after having INDUCED in fou
years of treason, they were to be 'sim
mediately and unconditionally' restor
ed TO all the rights Of loyal States il
n the Union, isa different thing.
To say that "the ordinances Of seoes
sion were mere nu1ities'' may be tru
in law but is not in fact. It would b
just as reasonable to say that murde
is nullity. The act Of killing does
not establish the right to kill, but i
does not restore the life of the victim
and very seriously changes the rela
tions ofthe murderer to society and tn
laws of the land. Secession a nullity
! GO and look at the devastated Sontl
and see il it is anullity. so and look up
on the grave strewns buttIe-6elds wher
the flower OF the land were slain b.
this demon Of treason, or into the mil
i lions eff hearts and homes in the North
/ ern States which. its bloody hand hai
made desO}ate and consider whether i
] has been a ''mere nullity." To millions
Of MANNED and bereaved it is a fearful
fact, a diabolicaI crime to which it vii
require something more potent than {
Presidential message to make then
] oblivious.
Mr.. johnson has something to say
about vengeance upon classes, sects o.
parties" That is, he dignif1es the rebe
persuasion with the name of class, sect
i or party, and makes out the war fol
the Union the mere wrangle of a class
sect or party. If there were parties il
the late war it was certainly not the fault
of the Republican organization, which
magnanimOusIy ignored its party lines
and placed itself where all patriots, O.
III whatever party, stOOd,-on the simple
and broad platform Of Union against NJ
iUniOn. And now that the struggle il
/ over no party on earth has ever mani
tested so little thirst for blood, so little
desire for vengeance as that which has
endorsed and sustained the. Congress
sional plan of reconstruction. The his.
tory, as we'll as the letter and spirit o.
that plan Will show to any candid mind
that it has been devised not. for the pur-
/ pose Of satisfying feeling Of ven
i geance, but simply dispassionate and
just regard for the. national safety and
honor.
The Acting President demands thai
these acts shall be repealed. This is
like asking for the repeal Of the inven-
tion ofsewing machines or of the earth'E
last years revolution round the SUM-