The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-07-22

message of the expenses of recon
struction. and ventures an estimate of
| its future cost; and in this estimate
makes the quasi assumption that as
| the Southern States have ceased to
exist the United States has become
responsible for all the Southern State
debts that were incurred before the
war. Warming up as be advances, and
evidently impressed with the notion
that he has at last really got hold of a
tremendous argument against recon-
struction, the President proceeds to
treat this little piece of financial
nightmare as a legal fact, and to
reason from it whether or no such
an addition to our burdens in the
present condition of the national
| debt may not endanger the public
credit. Who would expect to find the
harmless face of little Snug, the join
err. behind the roaring of such a ter
rife lion as this? Who would posi-
bly, believe that any man who had
reached the Presidency of the United
States could so absolutely write him
self down an ass on such slight occa-
sion? Surely, if this executive bug
a. boo does not frighten Congress in
to giving up all its reconstruction
plans and letting the President have
is bold and obdurate body, and will
dare 60 through the woods in the dark
est night. If there is no one in the
Southern States properly charged with
the debts of, those States, persons of
ordinary capacity might suppose that
that was one of the risks and conse-
quences of the war, and a thing that
we could neither prevent nor remedy;
but they are not persons OF ordinary
capacity who advise the President.
who see that twice one are two usually
understand that State debt involves
pledge of the property in that State
as security. and will suppose that If
the State is dead it might be advisa
Bile to have a public administrator to
settle up the affairs of the defunct in
a legal way. But the President and
his friends are not of the class of men
who can see how it is that twice one
make two and it is a useful lesson
that they ought to learn.
From the n. Y. Times.l
In transmitting certain reports to
Congress, yesterday, embodying infor-
nation called for respecting the work
of reconstruction, the President gives
expression to views which indicate an
almost incomprehensible perversion
of the scope and effect of the policy
adopted by that body.
X X y 4
1t is difficult to believe that the
President himself attaches the slight
est faith to these representations.
There is no warrant for them in the
law as it is, or as it will be after the
enactment of the bill now in his
hands. The Interpretation Of Mr..
Stanberry was not more obviously at
variance with the intentions of
Congress than is this Interpretation
of Mr. johnson. All that is intend
ed-all that is done-is to make the |
so-called provisional governments of
the South subject to the respective
district commanders. The local ma
chinery will work as usual. The local |
expenditures will be met as hereto /
fore. Local taxation will be relied |
upon to maintain local civil authori-
ty, and on the latter will still devolve |
the duty OF upholding the State
credit The fact that this authority
Is LOT Tue tune SuDOEutudtc " int
military does not affect the question.
1t will not BE- permitted to thwart
the purposes of the law or 20 hinder
the progress Of reconstruction; but
otherwise it will operate as now.
Neither morally nor legally does
Congress make itself responsible
for the support of the State Govern
ment or the preservation of the State
credit; and any estimate based on the
contrary supposition is simply alb
surd.
For the Presidents sake, we trust
that the expected veto will rest upon
more accurate and more reasonable
understanding of the policy of Con-
gress than that which pervades the
message of yesterday. That policy
has its faults and difficulties, we ad-
NIT, but nothing can now be gained
by attempts to misrepresent either its
design or its tendency. The President
will commit very serious blunder if
he make his far fetched fallicies the
ground of opposition to the action of
Congress.
From the World.]
The message sent to Congress by
President johnson, yesterday, calls
attention, in its closing paragraph, to
very grave subject. Congress having
taken the ground, in its recent legisla-
ton, that we have acquired over the
South all the rights of conquest, it J
logically follows that we have also in
CURED all the obligations inseparable