The Montana post. [volume] (Virginia City, Montana Territory [i.e. Mont.]) 1864-1869, 1867-09-21
THE PROCLAMATION.

We give in this issue the amnesty
proclamation of President Johnson, is
saed at Washington on the Sth inst.
As an exercise of the Pardoning power,
it is an important document, reducing
the number of those amenable tcr 5he
part taken in the rebellion TO few -un-
dred Without questioning az present
the propriety of this action at the pres
ent iuncture, or the authority of the
President to issue such amnesty. We
cannot forbear condemning the spirit it
evidences, and its plain PurPort. Would
it not have been sufficient for the pur-
pose OF granting amnesty, to have made
it apply solely to that, and to have avoid
ed raising in it the questions of policy
that divide the President and Congress.
unless it was intended to have partizan
effect? Mr.. johnson says: "The laws
can be sustained Gn the late rebel States)
by proper civil authority, State or Fede-
raj, and the people of said States are
well and Loyalty disposed, and have con-
formed, and, If permitted 50 to do, will
conform in legislation to the condition
of affairs growing out of the amendment
TO the Constitution prohibiting slavery
within the limits of the jurisdiction of
the United States" Here Mr.. johnson,
in a State document bearing amnesty for
all offenses, and restoration to all for
feited rights of property to eleven classes
of persons hitherto prohibited by him
self. decides upon the question of the
legality of the State Governments, in
direct opposition to the enactments of
Congress and the expressed views of the
people, even going so far as to arraign
Congress in its reconstruction acts,
with preventing the people from con-
forming to the laws. Again he goes far
out of his way to condemn the execution
Of the Military bill and to give Promi-
nence 10 certain plausibly sounding
phrases, stool pigeons to decoy the flock,
Indicating the course to be followed by
the johnson adherents. The ostensible
purpose Of this proclamation is to grant
pardon 10 a large number of leading Off
Cials connected with the late so-called
Southern Confederacy-it real effect is
to sow the seeds of another revolution by
arousing in the people of the South q
spirit of hostility to the reconstruction
measures in progress there, and to lead
to open revolt. 1t is a proclamation o.
aid and comfort TO the disaffected, 6
brand thrown into powder strewn mag
azine. We are not an alarmist, an6
hope to see all this portentous darkness
disappear, but supPosing that this pro
clamation should produce its Legitimate
results, and influence the people of any
locality in the South to resist the ad
ministration of the District Command
ers, would not the conflict at once begiI
between the military and the citizens
and where would it end, and how
Either this, there is much in the procla
nation that is superhuous, or such vii
be the effect, measured and meted only
by the common sense of the Southern
people We believe that as a people
they acknowledge the decision of the
sword, that they will not give mp agair
their homes to destruction, and theil
blood TO the soil, and become tools in the
hands of designing intriguists, that pol
tticians may win Office thereby, or, will
Ben. Wade. we might believe that We
are on the eve of anotheT Farclu.ior