St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1867-08-02
The Difference.

Two years ago this summer a war be-
gan between the chief executive of the
United States and the representatives of
the loyal masses 1t has continued even
down to the present day. During the last
session of the thirty-ninth and the first
session Of the tortieth congress, the legis-
lative body was compelled to pass some
acts which previous to that time were
never necessary. They were even under
the necessity of becoming mere lexico-
graphers during the summer term just
closed, that the wishes of the people
heretofore expressed and embodied in
former acts might be made so plain that
even he who runs could read-The
president in his Interpretation of statutes
seems TO be much like Briggs cellar WIN
dows, not made to let light IN, Int darkness
ont. we have often heard and seen men
who on account of some trivial quarrel
would annoy their nei@hbor as much as
they could without rendering themselves
liable to the penalty of the law: but we
never heard of a president of thirty three
or four millions of freemen who would
so Ear resort to low trickery and petty
quarrelS as has the present resident of the
White House. The office indeed is an
honorable one when honorably filled
the honor of being Il president may well
be sought after by every young man
but alas we learn from the lesson of the
present that he may become dishonor
and a reproach to the office, the highest
in the power of the nation to bcstow.
This war between congress and Mr..
Johnson cannot exist without difference
of opinion between the two. Let Us ex-
anime the respective plans of rcconstruc-
ton proposed by each, and contrast their
merits o.. grounds Of justice, equality and
reason.
Mr.. johnson in co declared that the
civil governments of the south Were de-
stroyed by the rebellion; in "a he said
that the traitor had ceased TO be Il citizen
and i'll joining the rebellion had become
Il public enemy, and then he pertincntly
inquired shall the traitor who brought
this misery upon the state he permitted
to control its dcStinieS !' These dcclara-
tons congress holds to be true but hui
mainly and christianity made earnest APP
pcal- in behalf of the rebels. and touched
the hearts OF the comquerors They
were @iven their lives and property. Mr.
johnson now declares in no pleasant
mood as his veto will plainly Indicate TO
the careful reader. that the ten rebel
states have never been out OF the union.
but only in an unfortunate state of re-
bellion. Congress claims the right TO
treat them II conquered provinces, since
they had forfeited MI claims TO mercy III
their unparalleled cruelty and meanne-S.
and at the close of the war they waved
had surrendered themselves without con-
iition. Mr. johnson in substance de
cIarc> that the laws of the south should
he executed by the state authorities
Congress reasons otherwise. If ia>ticc
could be dealt out impartially TO white
and black alike. then let each state man
age its own internal affairs. But there
are four millions OF unfortunate beings 10
whom the nation has givcn liberty. and
towards whom the rebels entertain the
most bitter hatred and >pllc-thcSc con-
greSs proposes TO protcct-thc>c Mr..
Johnson proposes To leave TO the tender
mcrcicS of men who murdered our Young
men i'll cold blood. Systematically starved
our prisoners and hunted those who es-
capped with blood-hound> Congress
therefore has directed that the south
should be made 10 deal justly with all It's
citizens and to accomplish this has APP
pointed military commanders to see its
demands are carried out.
Mr.. Johnson imposed conditions on the
rebel states, and only by fultilmcnt of
those conditions could they gain admis-
sion to congress. Congress made condi-
lions likewise but made the black man
participation i'll the work, whereupon off
flies the president from his ''iirm base"
Mr. Johnson called conventions TO
E make constitutions and then recognized
the organization under constitutions -
made without referring them to the pco-
pie. In fact the plan of each constitu-
ton was 10 form 4 Seridom almost as de-
trading as chattel slavery. Congress
claimed, as the negro had been freed and
: had volunteered to defend the nation, lie
had thereby acquired rights and that he
: should have a voice in the framing Of
laws under which he must live and act.
II we trace the whole history of events
from the 10Th of April 1865, down to
to-day we cannot fail to see that really
the only great difference of opinion be-
: tween Mr. johnson and an s'unconstitu-
ional congress" lies in this simple fact,
the president wants TO restore slavery. If
not really in name, in principle, while
congress. which represents the peOplp. do