Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-02-27
from the New York Citiscn. Feb. asl
A TALK ] ] WITH THE PRESIDENT,
Mr.. JOhnson's PERSONAL Views


The trouble is" said the President,
q that. instead oof inquirfngs whac we are
and our present powers ave. insist onDmalzs
ing ourselves something else, and invent
ing new powers which it cannot be for our
benefit to WELD. We make the mistake OF
sbeeOming inVentors.. instead of applying
ourselves to become discoverers.
There are now score of plans for re-
constructing the SoutherIi States before the
country, and the public mind is unduly
agitated as to. which shall be adopted.
Amendments are proposed to the Censtitu-
tlOn. amendments of every possible charac-
ter; whereas, if people, instead of INVENT
ing new things. would seek. to. discover
what already exist, they would find all the
powers they need to accomplish their 1egii-
fmates wishes in. the. Constitution as it
stands. .....-...-....-- ...,-.... .....-..-.,.--
"a S ssT The Constitution guarantees a republi-
can form of government TO .everyD State,
and says that no State shall be deprived of
Its representation in Congress without It's
own consent Well, on the ottlBF) hand,
some of our people say that they. will not
allow men who participated in fhelrebel-
1iou oIbe their peers, and to nave voices in
the great council of the nation. They
therefore demand a constitutional amend
ment on this head; and so likewise for
every other evil that they can fiird or fancy,
But does not the Constitution ns itself pro- )
vide a remedy for this SeFyaeVil. where it
says that each House of Congress shall be
absolqte Judge of the eleetieBs, Fetufns'and
QuaildcatI0ns OF its own members Nav
not each House, under this, while rejecting
any prominent ex4rebel or men obnoxious
Tor disloya yalty,. who shall be sent. from, any
of the so-called Confederate States, at the
same time not deprive the State of repre-
sentation, but merely say ~ This man we
reject Under our constitutional prerogative.
We do not, however, deny the right of your
Stare TO representation, whenever you Shall
send us proper man? (.sgei LlsI@sL 20 zs
ss.See, for a moment. what would be the
ef1eetof this course. Welatonee dividetlle
public opinion of the State so treatedl--at
present made a unit under the ban ofiadis-
criminate exclusion. We hold out a great
reward TOR the election of loyal men, and
attach q penalty, which the people of the
State must themselves impose, for the re-.
stfaint of active participants in the late re-
bellion. There are scores and hundreds OF,
ambitious men of loyal record in every
State who would then be naturally forced
TO the surface, But under the present, sys-
tenn. of iiudisoriminate exclusion it can
make no difference, whether loyal or dis
loyal SENATORS and Representatives shall be
sent.
Even let us take an extreme case. Sup
pose the State of Georgia should send AL
SAangeE ~ oGepnens to'ehe OenaGe, ana GIlaC
the senate should say: we acknowledge
acknowledge that the credentials of. Mr..
Stephens are made out insthe proper form ::
but in view of his connection with tile re-
pelilons Ea9a former NeenhectlohEwlth tue
Onlted states, VEIN the exercise of our
constitutional prlVilege-do not choose to
accept Mr.'oSepnens as our peer, aud must
1nsis! ChaG some manor loyal record shall
III af- aaEf
Wouio not tpe at once COM
menee looking around. tor some -one=~ho
coutdssaflsfy these conditions? And would
not an lmmedlate impetus be giYen to ward
1uHatng up a loyal sentiment ln that State?
The wounds our country has suffered are
not vital, th0ugl the depletion of blood
was great; 11hlssre were none OF the great
1ones pr9Ren,{ioqr the y. 1ratqnework OF the
CONSTITUTION sGlA remains, ana ls suH1clenen
II Wecouid only da6stfil frotnffurtilerI irri-'
Eating sslrgergs. 1'he--0ese @heatlng IN sur
gerry Is tnat WElchy the doctors describe as
Dy the ,nrst lntenttOn,, or force ofsnature; !;
but our VloleHt-doeteFs- IN nCengress-ahd
tnls is. spoken, Win no dlsreSpeet 70 that
Docy, Dat as a iaet OF opservatlon-w1If
still insist on tearing open the wounds
afresn, In order o1eFce a faster healing by
caustIc appllcatlonsapd heactual eautery. :,
What we need-what we vitality need,
both Tor payment OF the national debt
ana TO enaDie US 70 assume proper
Iorelgn policy, TOO long, l confess, de-
1ayeu-is enar4ohy1 lnCernal peace,s ana
GotuiCfon OF restored confidence that
Will uraW caplGaL-po} aeVelop the INDUS
Crlal resources Oh the OouCn, ana 10 as
slss the Sontnernt pianters IN reorganizlng
tee snattered FeIatlOns OF Iaeor.> WeSneed
all this TO make tne national burdens en-
ouraDte. Every Dale ot-cotton, every bar
rel OF sugar, every tlerce OF rice, every
hogshead OF tobacco raisedEin the aex-rebef
Staees, must iurnIsh q apropoFtlonate reduc-
lion TO the taxatfoi1 VI tne NORTH; and must
go, SO Iar as IL may De worth, toward restor-
ing an equAfoflamA N. our foreign ex-
changes wnlen must e,ithe first fuHda-
nehtal sIep toWarhs a reeufn TO the hard-
money Dasis, Instead OF paper currency
, "As Tor my sell. my convictions llnpolitcs
are things that cannot change to suit the
t exped1eneles OF this OF any other mor ent.
1hey nave grown with my growth. the
have strengthened with my strength,
they are to me only less sacred, and as LII -ch
to be preserved, as my religious faith. At
tempts are made to, make it appear that my
words at different tunes have abeen incon-
slstent; but were not the circumstances iiI-
consistent under which the apparently con-
trajectory words were spoken or opinions
given? During the high storm of rebel
lion, or in the first heat of subsidence, words
were proper TO- pc said Which would be ut-.
terly Improper in time of peace. We put a
broken Limb in splints TO hold it quiet,
whether the patient will or no; but we in
eist on holding the spIints there when the
limbs restored, or when a further exam
lnation shall have proved that the wounds
though deep were only f1esh-wounds, leav-'
ing the bones uninJured-this would not be
wise surgery, but cruelty; not statesman
SNIP pat epaFparops= =nsurPatlons9 a TIr
= 'HA-am accused Soi~asurping power when
my whole life has been one continual bat
tie against the tendency of ofsbtEeaneracy or
aristocracy-the concentration of power III
the hands,of the fewsre was accused OF
usurping power for my veto of the first