The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1867-03-12
I0nusON " JOHNDON'

We commend TO the attention Of our read>
ers the remarks of Reverdy johnson, in the
Senate of the United States on the veto mes
sage of Andy johnson. Had it not been
for Nor thern copperhsads, the rebel
States would have adopted the Constitutional
Amendment, and their troubles would have
been at an end. But now copperheads papers
urge them to resist the law, and promise 10
aid them jnst as they did before the wsr and
have continued to do ever since.
Mr.. johnson said:
"While doing as he most sincerely did,
| full Justice to the conscientious purposes OF
the President, he could not but regret that
| he 1.-THE President) had felt himself compelled
to come to that result and to send this mes
sage TO Congress. There we're many propo-
sitiops in law contained in that message which
could not be maintained. There were many
errors Of Judgment in 1t which, upon examl'
nation, would be apparent, and, above all, IN
the result to which he 1.-THE Presidentl had
been compelled TO come in the exercise OF his
own Judgment, which, there was no doubt,
was conscientiously exercised, che Mr.. John
sonl saw nothing but continued turmoil, dan
ger and error, to the South and the entire
country. He rose, therefore for the purpose
of stating very briefly, in addition TO what he
had already said when the measure was be-
fore the Senate on former occasion, why 1t
was that he had cast the vote he had cast on
THAT occasion, and why it Was that he should
give the same vote now Applause IN the
lealleries, which was repressed by the chair.
1t will not be for moment supposed, said
Mr.. johnson, by those TO whom am ad-
ldressins myself, that ! am governed now, OF.
Ii L.. kv nj
lpopular applause. NV motives, IL know
myself, were perfectly pure and patriotic.
saw before me distracted and almost bleed
ling country. | thought | saw, and think 1
see now, the means by which it might be res /
ltored TO q healthy condition. and the Consti !
tuition of the country in the END preserved. 4
have arrived Mr.. President, at that period Of
my life when, If ever any other ambition ami
mated me, can have no other ambition now
than that Of serving my country. Having rel
ferred to the views he had previously ext
pressed on the question Of reconstruction,
concluding that when the war ceased the
States were restored to their former ref
lations, and that no conditions for their repr
resentaton we're requisite or constitutional
Mr.. johnson said that the present and the
J late Executive thought differently. 1t was
unnecessary TOR him to say what were the
] Icouditions exacted by the present Executive.
They were in his Mr.. Johnson's) judgment,
az unconstitutional as any that could be
, found in this bill. The Congress of the Uni
ted States was ofopnion that Notwithstanding
1.-The people Of the Southern States com.
: Piled with the terms exacted by the pres
q eut Chief Magistrate, they could not be re
q stored without the sanction of Congressional
, Legislation and this was the judgment of tbs
i, country. Then how we're they to come back
Only by complying with the conditions whiet
I, Congress may impose, whether Congress hac
4 the authority TO impose them or not, or, fail
y ing to comply, to remain III the sad condition
:, in which they now are. He (Mr. johnson
u imputed bad motives neither to Congress mo-
to the Executive. He thought he knew BIZ
r duty TO the institutions of the conntry tpt
j. well TO call in question the motives of either
He accorded purity Of purpose and patriots
principles to both. He differed from both
i but he sought the restoration of the Union
g and he saw no way of accomplishing it nov
i. but by the adoption Of the measure now be
+. fore the Senate. We are now, in my opinion
y in a state OF quasi var-our condition IS rev
J olutionarY-ten States of the Union are vir
i tually held rs provinces, upon the grount
v that we have q right to hold them ss enemie
Of the Union and the Government. In tina
state Of things, to hesitate in the adoption o
y any measure which promises, even the mos
o distantly, to put an end to this revolutionar.
Is condition is, in my Judgment, to be false Il
the true interests and safety of the country
In conclusion, Mr.. johnson said he was glat
Q to see, from the public prints of the South
8 and to be informed by many leading men of tn
J. South, that it was the purpose Of the South
= ern States TO organize under this bill The,
are taking lessons from experience. Tn
: Constitutional Amendment, if it had beef
n adopted, would have brought into this cham
d Der and the other chamber, representative
:, from the South. OF that have no doubt
, Now it viii not. The bin which We passed
and which was aherward amended in tn
House, would have accomplished the purpos
= upon terms less exscting than the one no'
before the Senate. 1t was amended, and th
amendment is the most obnoxious feature Q
. the bill. The Senate passed il, and vote
(. Tor it. Why? Because | thought knew
h had satisfactorily ascertained that. this fail
ing, a measure of more rigid character,
measure founded upon the idea that the PEG
0 pie Of the South we're conquered enemies
: their property liable to forfeiture, would hsv
- been enacted -