The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1867-11-29

LuOllN0 AOL bu'G CuA1E0 VI AGclluR
and action, and therefore concludes that
he was moved to it by the insuga'ion of
the devil. All motives merely personal,
he proves to have been strongly in favor
of the threatened vengeance.
We need not be told that revenge is a
sweet morsel.
"Sweet TO the soul honey to the TASTE
And the orator SAYS that the two Houses
would have sustained the President
that the people would have sustained
him-had he carried out his threats: and
that lie threw away these advantages and
brought himself into disgrace and Ie-il,
with the party who honored him, by list
eniug to the voice of mercy aud weakly
and wickedly forgiving his enemies.
But after all. l think the orator for
whose opinion have great respect, was
mistaken as to the motive power to which
be imPutes this change Of purpose and ac-
ton. The devil is often accused unjust
/ ly. That high funcuonary. as am in
structed, never interferes to allay the an
grV passions of men, but rather to excite
and inasme them. Indeed, think a ra-
tiOnal human motive may be found for
all these evils of the President, charged
and proved against him.
1t was certainly quite natural to be in
censed against the rebels, who dishonor
ed, insulted and drove him into exile, and
equally so to express bis indignant feel
ings in language of defiance and threats
and it is also quite probable that when
he became President, be thought it i'm
proper TO use his high official station to
aveDge his private wrongs. and to execute
as President of the United States, threats
which he made as Andrew Johnson, of
Tennessee. He acted as he would have
acted il be thought aud felt so. Il was
the paramount duty of our President,
Obvious to one who had no private wrong
TO aVeDge. or, having such, determined 10
forgive them, to allay divisions and pro-
mote peace, and to restore the Union. and
bring all it's parts, as soon and as effect.
ually as he might, into harmonious &C
ton. Indeed, he seems TO have felt this,
and 10 have thought it better and more
surely accomplished by kindness and
Cancellation than by continued insult,
menace aud arrogance. So he seems to
have thought, for SO he acted.
There are doubtless, very many good
patriots among US who differ from him.
and think it better to punish the rebels
than to retsore the Union; but such is not
the general feeling of our people. Gen
orally, they would destroy the sin and
spare the sinner. Such seems to have
been the views and feelings which die
tated the action of the President. and re-
cent developments give US right to con-
clude that majority of the nation will
approve them. Certainly they will not
consider it high crime and misdemean-
ors so to think and so to act.
But he refuse his saaction and sup
port to the constitutional amendment
the peace Offering of the two houses to
the rebel States. True, but it is to be
remembered that none Of the Senators or
members from the States whose cors:itu-
lions are to be changed by this measure
of Cancellation were allowed to take their
seats in the House of Congress while it
vas under discussion or on its passage,
and the States were required to accept it
under a penalty. Now, whether the
President thought the measure a wise
one or not, and It's wisdom does not in
stantly strike every candid mind. he may
yell have disapProved it on the ground
that it originated and was attempted to be
carried through in a manner not usual 10
the formation of Constitutions for free re-
publics. Ore precedent only occurs 10
our political history, namely: the q:
tempt TO force upon Kansas proslavery
constitution manufactured for her in
Missouri. That failed and ruined the
party who attempted it.
The President also disapproVes of the
Reconstruction Acts, now in process of
being forced upon the Southern States.
and | concur with him. Ghe measure
strikes me as neither wise or just. Ad-
nit that the rebels ere treated 10 it with
mercy; that they all deserve death as a
punishment for their treason, without re-
gard to the means by which they came or
we're forced into it; that Instead, they are
merely placed in political bondage, under
their former slaves. Still the punish
ment is arbitrary aud unlawful; il has no
constitutional warrant. and no one is
bound to submit to it any longer than
constrained by actual forcs-and il is not
likely 10 concilIate the kindly feelings Of
the men of the South whom it proscribes
and places in subsection. The measure,
as view it, is unwise and unlawful az to
them, and unjust and degrading 10 rs Of
the North who never rebslled. Garry il
into effect and it gives to the plantation
negro Of the South large excess of pow
er in the Government of the Union over
that enjoyed by one Of our Northern
citizens. For example: the prescription
of the whites gives to the negrOss in
Louisiana, efficiently, the power of the
State in the local aud also 10 the General
Government, and the Stale is to have
power in the Union due to its whole pop
ulaliou, white and black. The census OIL
1860 give Louisa1a an aggregate popu-
lation Of 7Oe. 900, composed of 357. 0o0
Whites, and 35I 900 blacks. The State,
therefore, will be entitled, under the re.
construction resolutions, to seven Repre-
sentatives in Congress, of which 35I 600
blacks will be the whole efficient constitu-
eDcy-lhe white men who can read auG
/ write and cipher as far as the rule of three.
having no more TO do with it than their
mules and horses. So that so. 900 man
united slaves eend member to Con
grees, aud 100, 900 citizens of Ohio do
the same thing, aud no more. Ons
Imanumi;ted plantation negro in Lou
isiana will. therefore, have political power
:. ~ H. & REPRESENTATIVES. e0ual TO