New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-10-23

| day, VIII bear comparison lOi uuUh "nu W.
racty with the official dispatches OF the kebei
| Gen. Beauregard, or of one or two OF our own
always brave but not always trustworthy COM
manders. Mr.. Randall aflirms that the Repub-
ican party has repudiated every principle on
which the Government carried on the war /;
| that Mr.. johnson has pursued the policy in
! ouguratcd by Mr.. Lincoln, and then approved
| Inv tlc Marty. and has underworld TO restore
the Union ON lust terms; that had his policy
been carried out, Representatives loyal all
through the war; would now fill the vacant
seats in the House; that sit is time the WORK
of the dominant party outside the Constltu-
ton was stopped" and that no Republican
should vote for any man who fayors the I'M
peaclment of the President. We reverse the
| order of his statements so IA TO answer them III
the order of occurrence of the events on which
they bear. Moreover, we allow Mr.. Randall to
entertain "a many erroneous judgments as he
plcases provided he does not misstate the facts
The statement that the Republican party has
abandoned every or any principle on which the
Government carried on the war, is very good
"Johnsonese." 1t has formed the burden of
all Mr. Jolnson's speeches, drunk or sober, and
belongs to the class of statements which Mr.
johnson has the capacity to believe, but which
Mr. Randall could never have seen any sense
in without the aid of the extraordinary light
shed upon the subject by his position as Post
master General. This fiction has just enough
foundation in fact to make passabe lie.
For lie that is all a lie may meet and conquer
outright;
But iio that is half truth Is hard0F mS''Or 10
II il true that on the day after McD0welPs
dsgraceful defeat at Bull Run, Andrew John
son. then n Democratic Senator from Tennes-
see, who had debated seriously whether to go
with the Rebels or the Union cause, and who
has since told us that he might have " grathed
&" his highest ambition" by becoming Rebel,
introduced q resolution into the Senate, which
was passed. three days after, on July %, 1851,
presenting sort of Conservative or Pro-Slavery
war platform for the benefit of the week
knced War Democrats sof whom Mr. johnson
WAS chief The resolution declared that
"In this National emergency Congress banishing all
feeling Of mere passion or resentment VIII reooiect ony
its duty the whole country that this war Is not wagon
upon our part amy spirit OF oppression OF Tor any pur
pose Of conquest suHgaton or purpose OF overthrow
ing or interfering with the rights or established nstu
ons Of those States but TO defend and maintain the SUI
Ircmncy Of the Constitution and TO preserve the Union
with all the dignity equality, and rights OF the sovera
states unmpared and that soon rs these toects are
accomplished the war ought TO cease"
/. In accordance with this resolution the war
was conducted until January J. 1868. MeClel-
Ian, Fitz-John Porter, and Buell., ana
with some incidental aid from Lee, Stonewall
Jackson, and Albert S. Johnston were en-
gagged in burying our armies, and causing them
to retreat vigorously from the presence OF the
enemy Many gloomy defeats were suffered,
and, except Fort Donclson,s Roanoke, and the
capture of New -Orleans, no decisive victories
had been gained. Coppcrheads and Rebels
| were i'm high feather, and Unionists and Rad
| icals were enraged and Disguised The above
resolution. intended as an olive branch to the
Rebels, and soothing strip to the Copper
heads, had failed to cOnciliate either. Then,
| in obedience TO the overwhelming voice of the
| loyal North, the policy Of our Government was
reversed. The Emancipation Proclamation was
| issued, pledging the Government TO overturn
| the very institution" which the above resolu-
ton promised to protect. Andrew Johnson its
| author, went into Tennessee rs Military Gov
| ernor, and aided in overthrowing its Rebel
| State government, and in organizing new
one, in the teeth of his own resolution prom
| ising not to interfere with State institutions
| OF course, every honest man would see III this
| change of policy repeal of the above resolu-
| ton. No such resolution was ever passed al
| ter the emancipation policy was adopted
| That act rendered the preservation of Rebel
| State institutions impossible and the resolu-
ton quoted was thenceforth null. If the
above resolution were still in force, then Mr.
Johnson's career in Tennessee would constitute
its most signal violations for there, without a
law of Congress to justify him, he abolished
both Slavery and the State government 1t is
false that after Jan. I, 1861, tho war was car
ried on upon any principle Of non-interference
with State institutions. And hence Mr.. Ran
dals statement that, in reconstructing the
Southern State governments, Congress has
abandoned any principle on which the war was
conducted after the Emancipation Proclama-
ton was issued, or Tennessee and Louisiana
were reconstructed, is false, as Mr.. Randall
well knows. But even had it been true that
| Mr. Johnson's pro-Slavery resolution remained
| i'm force to the end of the war, President John
son himself so conspcuously broke it in pieces
by his own ten proclamations declaring tho
| Southern State governments destroyed, ana
| providing for their reconstruction, and requir'
ing them to adopt ordinances abolishing
| Slavery, that there was not enough left OF his
resolution for Congress to violate IL 1t would
The President himself had tampled in the
dust every part and feature of it. He had not
only decreed the destruction Of State govern
ments and Slavery, but had himself decreed
who should vote in the proposed new govern
| ments.
ii. Mr.. Randall asserts that Mr.. johnson has
pursued the reconstruction policy inaugurated
by Mr.. Lincoln. Here again the truth is a