Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1867-01-31
RUTLAND HERALD.
THURSDAY, JANUARY "a, 1867.
rhe Presidents Objections 10 the
Congressional Plan OF Recon-
struction.

The Presidents objections TO the Con-
gressional plan of reconstruction AS
they have been foreshadowed In his
various vetoes and messages, are based
mainly on the ground that of thirty-six
States which constitute the Union, ten
are excluded from representation In
either House OF Congress, and have no
voice in any amendments or ensctments
now proposed for the etitctual business
o. demonstration, Bat had these States
any voice in the organizing Of that army
which sweep. through them with fire and
sword, wasting their fields, defeating
their sons, Christening their folly with
the flaming sword of the destroying
angel
Had they any voice in the organiza-
ton o.. tina. policy which sent Andrew
JohusoE 20 Tennessee as Military Gov
crnoy, gave Butler and Banks the rule of
Louisiana, established martial law and
military punshments within their bor-
5ers Had they any voice in that
amendment 10 the Constitution which
conferred .r,adom on four millions of the
SOILS o. men, which they held in bond
age by solemn enactmeuts on their stat
ute oooas Had they any voice in that
election which placed Andrew Johnson
where he II, upon platform which APP
proved and endorsed "as demanded by
the emergency and essential to the pres
crvaIiou @. the nation and constitution,
The measures and acts which he (the
Presiden,l has adopted to defeat the ma
ZION against its open and secret foes
Had they any voice in the appointment
Of Provisional Governors to rule over
chem-Decause in the language of the
President, they had been "deprived by
The rebellion Of all civil government ?'
Had they any voice in the supprcssionof
the hase6s corpus, in the opening of their
ports 10 commerce, in the disbanding
o. the-- armies, in the nullifyiug Of their
elections, in those very means by which
they have called together their legisla-
lures and have gone through the for
mality 0. elecoing Senators and Repre-
sentaHyes to Congress?
H4y. hey had any voice in any Of
those measures which the President of
the United States mas adopted for their
reorganization None whatever. To
sill this they have been compelled to sub
nit. Blu. when Congress comes forward
with measures of permanent reconstruc-
ton, n accordance with the spirit of
The constitution, and the object Of TIE
war, and the demands OF freedom, 1t is
suddenly discovered that these rebel
AOus States are entitled to all the con-
siderations due to those who have re-
NAMED -rCe to the Union and have
saved the government from destruction;
tits all at once put foIth that they alone
are Judges OF all further terms Of resto.
ration This is strange assumption.
The President has at times done his
duty faithfully, he did it faithfully on
the breaking out of the rebellion during
The war and at the close Of the contest.
6uC .here IS . limit to his power. Con
eress mas its duty performs duty in.
volviuc the proper condition Of the re-
aellious States, the Integrity Of the gov
ernmen. ANA purity Of its own body.
The President may propose the way for
civil organization in these States, but it
$ no. by executive DEGREES or by mil
.tary control, or to direct the elections
and legislative action of any State, as to
send into Congress the creatures Of his
own will to fiji places, which should be
filled by the representatives Of d people
2ctiDgin their own sovereign capacity
When tbs legislative branch Of our gov
eminent shall be subjected to executive
control, the first step will be taken
towards an usurpatiou, compered with
which all the deeds of "star chamber"
pictured forth, by deirious madness are
out tri15s. If the President has done
his duty in times past, now let Congress
and the loyal people do theirs, without
the usQrpatory exercise ofauy construct
i've power Of the executive.
Again the South objects to the Con
gressional plan. SO also did it object to
the plan Of the President previously pur-
sued. It is not to be supposed that any
policy can be particularly pleasant to
those who are obliged to submit. If
there are those in the Southern section
Of our country who desire their own
local honor and prosperity, let them
rise to the magnitude of the occasion.
II they wish to place their names upon
the records of history, as the benefactors
Of their race with the statesmen who
have created new glories, from the mis-
fortunes Of their country, they should
teach their followers the way to human
elevation, through education and the in
stituti0ns of universal freedom.