Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1867-12-12
MR.. JoHNsoN's VIEWS.

mentRry upon fresluehI Voui'sVH
message is that, though parts of it
were evidently inspired, very little
except the signature was written,by
Andrew Johnson. 1t is a curious
conglomerate, q politico,l literary
oHa podrida, transparently of di-
verse origin and authority. II
"opens with Jerry Black, glides easi-
.ly into Robert j. Walker founders
for a while among facts and figures
contributed by the various Secreta-
ries OF the Cabinet, and comes out
into smooth sailing at the close in
the gliding sentences and philoso-
phical eupbemisms Of that yenera-
ble optimist, the Secretary Of State.
The effect of the whole is in litera-
ture what the Composite capital is
in architecture. "'.l 80 .
The Jerry Black portion of the
Message-in other words, the vehe-
ment diatribe against the Recon
stulction Acts and Negro Suffrage
which consumes the first half Of the
Message-in the old and stale style
Of the veto messages wherewith we
were SO plentil'ully favored last
spring We have not space or
time-nor would it be worth the
while if we had both-to expose its
fallacies and misrepresentation. Il
The writer either misconceives or
wilfully misstates the entire pur-
pose and results Of the Reconstruc-
ton Acts. They were not meant
as a punishment to the South, but
as guaranty to the Union. If they
had been meant as a punish
ment, it would have been the light
est ever imposed by an outraged
upon the traitors. But
L is not a punishment. Congress
finds these states deprived by their
own act Of state Governments and
Of representation in Congress, and
t prescribes a method by which
hey may be re-organizcd. This is
lot only constitutional, but neces-
;ary and inevitable, if the Southern |
tates are ever to be restored to
,ower. Indeed, it is only what !
Ir. johnson himself attempted, and |
he only difference between the
and Presidential pol
cies is that the proper department
Il the government-the Legislative
lis now doing in a proper way
THAT Mr., johnson attempted to do
" usurpation and in a wrong way.
The Black Johnson manifesto OBJ
ects to negro suffrage, and we have
n it much talk Of "negro nomina-
lon," "hegroes ruling the white
ace" "Africanizing the country"
nd such twaddlc as this. Over
his stuff we shall not stop to argue.
t is useless to remind the Presi-
lent Of his own past record in IA
or Of negro suffrage, for there is
.ot a principle which he has not de
erted, nor ali issue upon which he
as not stultifed and contradicted
imself. 1t is needless to remind
i'm that majority of the
,gal voters of the South are
till whites, and that If they are
laced under negro domination tits
Y their own act. This whole dia-
'ibe is too tlimsy, too demagogi-
al, too much made up Of appeal to
rejudice and passion to deserve
erious notice.
The miscellaneous recommends
ions Of the Message may receive
lrther review from us hereafter
hey are mere reflections from the
secretaries, and are
ONE good, some bad, But in the
Tessage, and the chaos and confu-
.on ofconflicting authorship, there
one paragraph so peculiarly and
Johnsonian as quite to
emand notice We refer to that
which suggests the pos
BILE duty of the President to forci-
ly resist Congressional action. but,
fter "roaring so loud and thunder
lg in the INDEX informs Congress
nat the Reconstruction Acts do
otjustify such a course. This is
| the old, clustering, irresolute,
g.worded but inefficient, Sir Fore
lie Feeble style which has made
resident Johuson's administration
4 absurdity, and has demonstra-
d him to lack only one quality of
10 usurper--courage, 1t is through
1t characteristic. 1t has the John
'nian swaggor and the Johnsonian /
consequence. No one but our |
yn Andrew could have peuned :
at paragraph, SO portentous in
lrUse, so Chinese in strategy, so a
'ull ofsound and fury, signifying !
'thing"-- CleUeldad Leader. !
The Portsmouth Tribune gives
lblioation to some facts which ex-