The Cadiz sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1864-1911, 1867-07-10
Two Years of RaBlcaIism.

E"O n ears Oh Ntp2CaEfsIhl.
The policy of the Radical party towards
the Southern States for the past two years
has been inconsistent to a degree that can
only be explained by an utter d,stitution Of
principle. Party necessities have obliterat-
ed all sense of shame Tha question has
not been what was right, but how to retain
firm grasp of Government spoils? No
other key will solve the enigma AMI explain
an inconsistency otherwise without pre-
text or apparent cause. Let us briefly re-
view.
Two years ago the South succumbel to
the power Of the Federal Government; her
armies were surrendered her leaders either
fugitive or captive; her people taken en-
masse the oath Of loyalty to the Union,
ane returning to peaceful pursuits The
opportunity was favorable for healing, by a
marnanimous course, the wounds of civil
strife. The President wisely embraced it. !
He issued proclamation of amnesty, en-
larging somewhat the number excluded by
his predecessor, but following the same line
as Mr. Lincoln, indicating an early disposl
tion to exercise clemcncy on the most liber-
al principles. He went further. The State
goVernm, ,nts of the ten Southern States he
held to be void by the war upon the Union,
but he pointed out process in his procla-
ma'ions by which the people in those States
might form new constitutions, adopt new
State governments, and be restored to their
Federal relations by sending senators and
representatives to Congress- In those cleo
tions he allowed the great body of the white
Population to participate The blacks were
excluded. The initiative Of this restoration
policy was taken 10 the proclamation for the
State of North Carolina, issued in the
month of May 1865 BY mil-summc~ of
that year evary part of the Presidents pol
icy, both as to pard) )ns and restoration, was
in full blast Now we call the attention of
the Radical organs to the statement we are
about to make. We affirm that nearly
every one Of their presses then sustained
the Presidents policy. During the whole
summer and nearly all the fall not whs-
per of dissent came from the Republican
press, No protest came from their orators,
Congressmen stump-speakers, the Bout
wells, Buffers, Schencks, Colfaxes. The
President, in his policy, had then tai,
right to count on the support of the party
that elected him. The South, accepting
the fate of war, had reason to suppose
that she was doing the very acts, OF all 9th
ers, most agreeable to Congress as we'll al
the President.
How it was that Congress came togethe
in a spirit hostile to the President, we d,
not fully know. Our belief is, that it wa
produced by system of ,IuieS caucussins
and manipulation beforehand, the result O
ambitious aspirations for the Office which
Mr. johnson held, AMI to which it wa
feared he might be reelected Be that a
it may, the fact is certain, that there wa
no open, honest canvass befare the peopl
Of the issues. On the contrary the Re
publican State Conventions in the fall o
1865, with Mr.. Johnsou's policy beior,
them, praised him TO the skies. They wer
not then ready to break openly, whateve
their secret purpose might be.
We have seen this party committed tao.
lily, at least, to Mr. Johnsons policy o
restoration. "Behold them next obstruct
ing restoration, repe'ling the Southern dele
gates by tedious, dilatory motions, organic
izing comuittee of ''reconstruction," t.
hunt up testimony and make out case
fha nft1 oh
apolicy. We pass over the character ant
style of the testimony thus obtained, ant
published at the public expense. and vii
ssy nothing of the numerous plans suggest
ed in Congress for constitutional amend
ments and reconstruction-some forty il
number we think-widely variant in scopt
and degrce-somc tragic, some mean ant
malignant, others simply ridiculous--all o
them mischievous, and betraying dscort
of ideas and principles in this party tha
would have put even Babel to the blush
At last, however, by dint Of whipping in
appeals TO party necessities ETC., the con
stitutional amendment is agreed on as tn,
Radical plan Of restoration, in opposition
to the President pan.
1t is noteworthy, that even then this par
ty refused to pledge itself to admit th,
S)uth, in clio her r,ople should acceI
this plan.
But what was the plan? In the first
place we remark, that it left the negro Out
10 the cold. Negro suffrage, despite Mr..
Summers protest, was not insisted on. The
Southern States were allowed, ifthey pleas
ei, to shut the negro out from the ballot
only If they did 20, he was no longer TO be-
counted into the ratio Of representation for
members of the l3wer Hcuse. Secondly,
VIC remark, that the existing civil govern
ments Of The souih were left in operation.