The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-02-25
THE NEW YORK PRESS.
EDITORIAL OPINIONS OF THE LEADING JOURNALS
UPON CURRENT ToPIos-CoMPmED EVERY
DAY FOR THE EVENING TBLEGRvPH.
The Expected veto.


From me Times.
Opinion at Washington accepts as GER
ainty the veto of the Reconstruction bill. The
Presidents recorded opinions are so widely at
variance with its principles and provisions that
any other course could hardly be expected.
He could not sign it without either distinctly
surrendering his views of constitutional right
or convicting himself of fragrant inconsistency
A veto will in this instance be the legitimate
result of his position, and will occasion no
surprise.
But though Mr.. Johnson finds himself un-
able to concur with the Congressional ma
iority, it does not follow that his veto of a bill
which will nevertheless become law should
aggravate the quarrel to which he is party.
II is in this connection that the forthcoming
message will be looked for with anxiety.
Much depends upon its tone. For it is COM
petent to the President while vetoing the bill,
to mitigate hostility and impart faith in his
purposes, or by an ill-judged display of temper
to widen the breach that separates him from
Congress.
We trust that journal which is sometimes
supposed to speak for the President does not
reflect his mind in its comments on the mea-
sure now before him. sit sets aside the Con-
stitution and Supreme Court of the United
States declares the journal referred to, ''dis-
regards all civil authorities and laws, and con-
fers absolute power, unlimited and uncon-
trolled by men, upon the President" A veto
message might be written in this strain very
easily, we admit. The reproduction of parts
of former messages, and of arguments en-
bodied in many speeches, would cover the
ground completely. But what good could a
document thus conceived by any possibility
effect What benefit would follow the pre-
sentaton of a view with which the country is
familiar and the tenor of which it has en-
phatcally repudiated If the aim were to
prove that Mr.. Johnson can be tenacious unto
Obstinacy, and unyielding to degree that
might be construed into defiance, well, a veto
message of this sort would be Just the thing
But the effect of it would inevitably be mis-
Chevous. 1t would afford plausible ground
for the belief that the President cares more for
the predictions of the excluded States than
for the earnest, controlling convictions of the
States that compose the Government. And it
would strengthen the hands of the extremists,
who assail the integrity of Mr.. Johnson as an
administrator of laws enacted-as will be this
reconstruction measure-Over his veto.
The time calls for a message of quite a diff
terent nature, and recent reports, attributing
to the President a desire to come to terms,
encourage the hope that the task will be per-
formed in a conciliatory mood. If he cannot
approve the method Ofreconstruction which the
bill provides, at least he may recognize it as
the method under which alone the Southern
States may now be reconstructed. If he must
regret the conditions it imposes, the penalties
it enforces, and the delay it entails, at any
rate he may withhold indignation in the pre-
sence of the large maiorities whose
votes will place it on the statute-book
despite his dissent. In other words, we
submit that Mr.. Johnson not only may, but
should, so shape the expression of his nOn-con-
Currence that it shall neither reveal anger in
his own mind nor arouse anew anger in Con-
gress or the country. He may not be able to
come up to the point reached by Mr.. Reverdy
Johnson, but he may advantageOusly follow
that Senator in his acceptance of the situation.
Not change of opinion, but a frank, cOnvinc-
ing and conciliatOry acknowledgment of the
great facts of the case, is what the country is
entitled to expect from its President. Nothing
was ever gained by a persistent "kicking
against the pricks, and certainly Mr.. Johnson
can gain nothing now. His worst enemies are
they who would have him renew his cOntro-
Versy with Congress when vetoing this bill.
Besides, it is important that he should in
spire confidence in his efforts to make the
Reconstruction law effective. His assailants
have imputed to him neglect if not criminality
in the execution of laws of a cognate charac-
ter passed over his veto. These imputations
have been to some extent disproved by late
official statements on the subject. For our
part, we have always considered them the
result of partisan malignity. The President,
however, now has an opportunity of counter
acting them yet further, by coupling his dis
sent from the Reconstruction bill with an ex-
plicit promise that its provisions shall be ap-
piled to the best of his ability. Such promise
will be decisive as against those who seek to
PREJUDICE his action by general allegation Of
bad faith.