Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-04-30
What Was TO Have Been Antici-
DRted.

What Was TO Have Been Antici-
Pated.
1t was to have been anticipated thatthat
class of Republican journals {of which the
Cincinnati Commercial is CONSPICUOUS MEM
ber) which affect dissatisfaction with the
Radicalism of the Republican party, but
which invariably counsel support of the
Radical ticket, would disclaim the right of
THADDEUs STEVENS to speak for the r. =
publican party and claim that Senator WILL
SON is the more correct exponent Of the
Republican party than is STEVENS. This
disclaimer is now put in to reconcile the
Conservative Republicans to continued
support of the Republican party candidates
who are sure to be Radical. It would mot
do for this class of journals to admit STEW
EMS is right in the bloody views he has just
given to the public in regard to the nom
existence of Virginia, and that much has
| yet to be done to the Southern people be-
fore the work of Reconstruction shall have
been fully finished, and that there must be
| confiscation.
What are the facts in regard to the lead
ership of this man STEVENS? We need
run back. but short period to ascertain his
true position in the Republican party,
There is no need for cropping or conjecture.
Nothing can be more patent or well-estab-
lished. There was a prevalent understand
ing among the Republicans throughout the
country that what has gone by the name
of the Presidents Reconstruction policy
was about right, up until nearly the time of
the convening of the first session of the
39th Congress in December, 1865. In the
summer of that year the Republican State
Convention of Ohio indorsed it. With
very rare exceptions it was approved by
the Republicans, until THADDEUs STEVENS
pronounced against it, in the fall Of that
year. And then, as now, the CONNER
cidI class of Republican papers rep
resented that he was simply a
babbling old man, with nothing more
than an insignificant and uncertain posi-
ton in the Republican party.aHis views
were not, therefore, entitled to any weight
| whatever. The sequel showed otherwise.
An evening or two before Congress met
he marshalled the Republican Senators
and Republican members of the House in
caucus, and then and there inaugurated his
scheme whereby the Presidents work Of
Reconstruction and Paciication have been
| set at naught, and the whole business of
the country been trifled with and depressed
| just because an old snarling and in some
things disappointed sinner has grudges to
crafty personal to himself. By turns, he
led and drove the Members Of that session,
until near the close he allowed a Recon-
lstruction bill to be passed, which the Con-
seruatige Republican press hailed as tri-
umph over the radical and revolutionary
plottings of STEVENS. They asserted that
that old sinner had lost his power. The
old man chuckled, while his dupes so work.
ed anG talked. Near the election last year,
STEVENS, negotiating at Bedford Springs at
the time, did open his mouth in speech
making and did proclaim that the Repub
lican members in Congress, in the enact
ment of the Reconstruction bill then before
the country, demagogued for the purpose
of affecting the result of the election. He
denied that that measure was tinality or
intended to be such at the time of its pass
age. In effect, he admitted it to be a Jug
gle and swindle. He told the truth; and
he now tells the truth when he says that so
far as the Republican party is concerned,
fhere has to be more done by the South than
simply complying with the requirements of
the Military Reconstruction bill, before
their State, much less their Senators and Rep
resentatives, can be recognized. The South
ern people have been moving with entirely
too much haste in the work of Reconstruc-
tion under the Military Reconstruction bill
to suit the old sinner. The Southern White
representative men are altogether too
friendly with the Negroes to suit him. He
apprehends that they will so manipulate
and influence the Negroes, as to control
them for their own advantage and the con-
sequent disadvantage OF the Republican
Party. Herein lies the difficulty. To be
satisfactory to STEVENS, the South mast be
partisanized to suit the Republican Party.
His motto is: "Tbrow conscience to the
Devil and stand by your (the Republican,
Party" Until this shall be done-untif the
South shall be cut up into forty acre patch
es tor the benefit of the Negroes there,
very little hope there will be for the South
ern States knowing such thing as stable
tranquility or the business of the country
healthy prosperity provided, alway, that
the people shall be so blind to their inter-
ests as to vote the Republican Party lease
of power.