Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1867-06-28
Mr., Stanbery'S Opinion

more than two-thir,ls OF the Senate and the
House, and not ONLY adopted. but secont.
time considered and passed over an able
and ingenious veto message proves 10 DE
Il deluSion and Il snare. anu absolutely
worthless as a measure of reconstruction.
If Mr.. Stanbery is right then we can no
more reconstruct the South under this bill
then we could un er the tax levy OF our
Common Councils. or Mr.. Swisburnc'S last
poem. The Senate was wrong. the House
did not know what it was doing. Mr..
Soilnson's veto message was written Ill
ignorance of the law. and our Generals
have entirely miscon-trucd one OF the pl ain-
est and most emphatic bills OF congress.
, Everybody has erred but Mr.. Stanocry:
That officer may be a subtle logician and
we'll lcarnedin the law. but we do not De-
l:exe either his logic or his facts. :,
, Ietus see what the Military bill provid-
ed. twas intended to undo all that the
President had done. 1t proclaimed that
his policy was mistake-thatt the states
, which he organized were not States. Suf-
frage was bestowed upon Rebels, and de-
MED to class which had been loyal dur
ing the war. The Rebels returned to the
Union with more power than they mad ever
, possessed because they voted not only
their strength, but the strength of the dis
francbised but enumerated negroes man
for nrfn. As part of his plan the Presi-
dent demanded that the white minority OF
south Carolina should vote her black and
white population against the white major
ity of Connecticut. No guarantee was
asked from the conquered South. REBEL.
ion was rewarded by an enlargement OF
the political rights OF the Rebels at the eX-
, pense of the Union men. This the Presi-
dent insisted upon. and in defiance OF the
will of CONGRESS this he did. He admitted
mo cempr0mise. He would not yield a
, point to the loudly expressed will OF the
country.-The nation sought in vain to ma
!, middle ground upon which to meet the
t President. 1t could only meet him by dis
honorably surrendcring suffrage to the
: black man. After waiting. and hoping,
I and doing all that could be done to make \.
), bill that would satisfy the President and
n the country. Congress, toward the end OF
the session, passed the reconstruction bill.
:, That expressly provided that no legal
u Governments existed i'll the Rebel States,
and made them subject to 1.-THE military
authority of the United States" 1t gave
the generals commanding absolute power,
and declared that ''all interference under
=, color of State authority with the exercise
of military authority" should be null anu
yoid.- 1t directed that all men should be
permitted to vote, without regard 10 race
color or previous condition. except such
Is as were disfranchised for felony or REBEL
d. ion.-The manner of registration was pro-
Is yided in a supplemental act. The money
e was appropriated to carry it out and Con-
+ gress adjourned. 1t was understood at ad
Il iournment that the President would execute
'e the bill in its letter and spirit. The coun
N try believed him and We had 4 peri
IS cd of rest such as we had not know
L since the war. We regarded the South q:
practically reconstructed and addressed
y ourselves to other questions. lmpeach
% ment died away. and summer session Of
IL Congress was abandoned.
t. There have been uneasy rumors iron
g Washington. and fearing the worst. w
Is have earnestly implored the President t
e be wise and take no perilous step. stan
bery's first opinion came. We submitted
Is to it. 1t made little difference PRACTICAL.
z, in the operations of the bill. There wer
or some things about it that were unfair. bu
&c we did not wish TO borrow trouble, or L
nc unnecessarily embarrass the adninistra
= ton. The second opinion. however, strike
I, at the very heart of the bill. II reduce
+ the military power to mere police force
lie TO keep order and prevent assault and bat
he terry. All the orders of the military com
NJ manders, are criticized as transcendin'
their powers. Gen. Robinson's order pre-
IN venting whipping. the wise codeI ofSick
re les, Popcs interfering with a Rebel mayo
II: Sheridan's removal of Wells, Monroe, anC
o 1anen, ore denounced as violations of thi
Mr. stanber@ HGaiop i and Hl tna IL lie M
u icate and difficult task Of giving construc
le ton to such statute as that now unde
iG consideration" We fear this reflects OF
~ Gen g rant also. for we find him back a
NJ far as March %, ordering all State am
u local elections to be disallowed i'll Alabam
until the arrival of the commander an
"a ''his order in the premises" We also fea
hat Mr. ,heVt fn NJ
u education and training of our President
for in the veto message that officer lie
III nounced the bill because it did what tn
Acknowledgement claims it was never t
do!-In other words. Congress, the gen
in erals commanding. Gen. Grant. and evel
]. the President, are wrong and Stanbery
h is right!
~ Mayor Monroe may organize his polio
oc thugs, Gen. Sheridan is bonud to protec
VI them. Judge Abel may throw his ermin'
i over assassins and call upon the Crane
ie Jury to indict innocent and prosecuted
d; men.-Gen. Sheridan is bound to protec
e him. All the resources of the States ar
e, committed to Rebels, all the patronage o
So these communities is given o men who ION:
to Cypress the black. and restore thei
w own power. The money, the influence tn
os taxes of the South arc ut once returned L
"a enemies of the Republic, and the general
;" in command are of 10 more use than
- they were holding dress parade Oh Gov
ernor's Island. Suppose now these "civ
IA officers" wish to impede reconstruction
b. Who shall say nay: If President johnson
acts upon the advice of his counselor, tn
er work OF reconstruction stops.
Or Above alb-lnd here we approach til
crime of the opinion-this is not the con
lis structlon intended bv Congress, and &C
es ccpted by the administration and tn
country.-In this respect the Attorney
General is dishonest. lie is Il partisan en-
F. deavoring to prepare the country for
=! great wrong. We are afraid we canno
y trust the President. He seems to have tn
fatal facility of laundering, of getting him
Mt self and his friends into trouble. OF bring
,a ing peril TO the country. Nothing seeEl
~ to annoy him so much as peace. We be
lieve he means if he dares to strike bio,
v at the reconstruction policy of Congress
u and bring up from the pit of sin and iniqu
ne hy the shameless policy" by which h
mt sought to derive 4 race of its dearly earne
IN rights. We must show him that he dar
Is not. Congress should assemble in Jul
L. and address itself again in reconstruction
o. We must make this bill so plain tlmt eve
ar Stanbery may understand it, and so com
l., prehensive that the President cannot es
"A cape its execution. We regret that tn
;" administration has forced another issu
ie upon the country. We mast prompt
OF meet it. Tribune.
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