The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-08-30
FRIDAY, AUGUST 80, 1867.
-.o-votism Tested by It's Results.

.,,,,rs Of the Republican party. Had it not
-, CO.. a few conservative Republican Sena-
-. Andrew Johnson S hands would have been
% tied ND by the Supplementary Reconstruc-
.i,,, hill that there would have been no possi-
,u,,,, of the removal of such worthy and eff
o;ont officers as Sheridan and Sickles. The
dourer was pointed out, and provision against
a was insisted upon by the more radical mem
1ore but the conservatives would not consent,
and now we see the result.
Again, the radicals were in favor of a meet
ing of Congress early in September. They
ware conscious of the immeasurable perfidy
of the man whom Booths bullet elevated to
the Presidency, and they were anxious that
the country should be guarded against his
Vaccinations by having Congress called to-
rether at an early day. But our good, hope
full conservatives couldn't see it, and so
Andrew Johnson has full swing for nearly
two months more. How much mischief he
may do between now and the assembling of
Congress nobody knows, but the probability,
from his present performances, is that he will
do all that he dares to.
tive folly. During this whole great struggle,
from the commencement of the Rebellion down
to the present time, we have had similar ex-
hbitOns. The war lasted twice as long and
cost US twice as much as it would have done
had we at once struck boldly at the institution
Ofslavery--its vital point-instead of hesitating
and waiting for the loss of thousands of lives
e e Il,
bring us up to the work. But conservatism
halted, and hung back, and threatened, and
prated about the Constitution, and insisted
upon trying the experiment of putting down
the Rebellion and saving slavery. Finally,
everybody saw the folly of the attempt; and
after two years had been wasted, and hun
dred thousand lives squandered, this conser-
vative idea was abandoned, and the nation
marched on to victory.
The trouble has been that, from the very
start, conservatism, whether in the Republi-
can party or out of it, has utterly failed to COM
prehend the great movement in which the
people are engaged. That movement is
nothing less than the complete establishment
of republican institutions in the United States.
AS consequence of this conservative narrow
ness of view, our progress has been impeded
at every step by well-intentioned class of
men in our own party, who could learn
nothing but from the palpable teaching of
events And the trouble has been that they
have had to learn the same lesson over and
over again. at great cost to the best interests
of the country. These men could not be salts
fed that Andrew Johnson was traitor to
the Union party, when he gave those
first unmistakable signs of detection.
They had to wait until he had gone
over bag and baggage to the enemy.
They could not believe July session of Con-
gress would be necessary, until they saw the
President attempting to nullify the Recon
struotiOn law through the prepared-to- order
"opinion' of Attorney-General Stanbery.
They would not take away the power of re-
moving District Commanders from this faith
less Executive, and they now see Sheridan
and Sickles removed for honestly carrying out
the law. They would not believe that Andrew
Johnson was the implacable enemy of the
people, only held in check by the presence Of
Congress, and so they refused to provide for q
meeting in September; and now they see him
plotting against the republic, with no chance
for Congress to assemble until near the first o
December.
Now, it is the usual boast Of our conserva
tives that they are practical men, as opposed
to theorists and extremists; but do we not Sc
that their course is the very opposite to tina
of practical craftsmanship, and has bee
throughout the whole war What practioa
craftsmanship is there in shutting one's eye
TO palpable facts, and in refusing to take thes
precautions for the public safety which tn
most ordinary prudence would suggest Ho
much practical wisdom is there in refusing
consult great principles of human actions Tb
sl1ilful mariner does not wait for the rocks
heave in sight before he alters the course
his vessel. The principles of navigation teac
him better than that. But our oonserv
tives refuse to turn the ships hea
until the breakers yawn before her. The
are times in the history of a nation when boil
decided, aggressive measures, in the line Of
correct principle, are the only dictates of Il
wisest craftsmanship. Such has been preem
nently the case in our country for the last S
wears. The revolution through which we a
passing has but one destined end, and Il
truest, most practical statesman is he who I
oognizes that end, and directs all his eftoI
u. a - Il. /, nrVaUa Ua.aN