The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-01-24


his administration, but he has kept them
TO this day. The Democratic party have
never begged for hls Offices they we're
quite wiling he should bestow them where they
would contribute most to the early restoration
OF the Union But there was nothing IN Mr.
Johnsons relations to the party that elected
him which forbade his appointing other Re-
pubicans in place of these odious Secretaries.
and II he had had any desire to aid or even to
concihate, the Democratic party, he need not
have kept these objects OF their detestation
among his confidential advisers.
II Mr. johnson had determined TO act with
the Democrats, he would have aided them i'm tbe
elections. This he has never done; having been
greater detrimen5 than ADVANTAGE to ms in
every election that has been held. With his omen
support we could have carried the New York
New Jersey, and Connecticut elections in 1865:
but such support was not given. Nay the
moment those elections were over he did
towards us one of the most contemptuous and
Contumelious acts in his power. He immedi-
ately took up General Fitzpatrick, who had carried
New Jersey against us by the most ribaldrous
abuse OF the Democratic party and its leaders,
and rewarded him by an important foreign
mission. The Philadelphia convention, last sum.
mer, was device OF the Presidents to avoid Civ
ing the moral support of his administration to the
Democratic party. Neither that Convention
nor his speech making tour in support OF 1t,
was of the slightest use to US, however we'll
intended. A pilgrimage in aid of the Demo-
cratic party, with William H. Seward as
associate spokesman, was little too grotesque
for this earnest epoch. President johnson has
done nothing for the Democratic party, and, as
a party, it owes him no gratitude His recon
struction policy is, in all its essentials, pre-
Cisely that or President Lincoln. 1T in no way
Contravenes the declarations OF the Convention
by which he was nominated.
MT. johnson was nominated for Vice Presi-
dent because he was Democrat Mr.. Hamln
was entirely acceptable to the Republicans; but
II was thought necessary to caole the war
Democrats into voting for their ticket, and for
this reason alone MT. Hamlin was set aside
The prominent Democratic candidates were
Andrew Johnson aud Daniel S. Dickinson. In
the Convention, Thaddeus Stevens vigorously
opposed the nomination of MIR. johnson, on
the ground that, Tennessee having seeded, he
had ceased to be a citizen OF the United States.
Mr.. Stevens was overruled, and Mr.. johnson
nominated; the Convention thereby declaring
that the Rebel States were sill in the Union.
Mr.. johnson himself understood his nomina.
ton in that sense, and, in the speech he lmme-
diately made at Nashville, he put his acceptance
on that ground. A sentence or two from the
Nashville speech is worth quoting:-
Next 1T sald-lt NAV be permitted to speak of
myself rot in the way OF vanity, but to illustrate
princlpe-"We will go into one of the rebe nous
States and choose a candidate for the Vice-PresI.
deDcY" Thus the Union party declared its belief
that the rehelIOus States still in the Union and
that their loyal citizens are still citizens OF the
United States.
Surely, then Mr. Johnson has not renounced
the views OF the Convention by which he was
nominated. By taking him from Rebel State
II indorsed his preSent policy IN advance. Least
has deceived them. He proclaimed to the
country the sense in which he understood his
nomination, not only in the Nashville speech
but more formally in his letter of acceptance,
in which he referred to that speech as defining
the grounds on which his acceptance was
based" In the same letter Of acceptance,
falling in with the idea on which he had been
preferred TO Mr.. Hamlin, he made a direct
appeal ''to my old friends of the Democratic
party proper, with whom have so long and
pleasantly been associated" trying 10 persuade
them that they would torsake no Democratic
principle IN supporting the ticket. This recital
OF well-knoWn put parially y-torgotten facts
eXplodes the charge OF perhdy to the party by
which he was elected.
The platform of the Baltimore Convention was
purely war platform, and in no respect re-
construction platform. The only action of the
Convention on reconstruction was indirect, first,
in the admission OF the Tennessee delegates, and
then, with more pronounced significance, in
selecting Il citizen OF Rebel State for Vice
President. If such a selection did not fairly
bear the interpI citation publicly put upon it at
the time by Mr.. Johnson, why was no lisp OF
contradiction uttered in any of the thousand
Republican newspapers that printed and lauded
tAc Nashville speecn? That speech and the
letter of acceptance are complete eStoppel to
all the charges of deception and bad faith
brought against Mr.. johnson by the Republicans.
He told them precisely where they would lind
him; he accepted the nomination because il
enabled him to stand conspicuously in that
place. He proclaimed that the Convention had
made hlm its representative of the principle that
the Rebel States were stlll members of the
Union and this has been the guiding principle
OF his administration.
We hold that, when the Republican party
deserted this principle Mr.. johnson was re-
leased from any further fealty TO II, and might
have administered the Government IN all re-
spects in the interest Of the Democratic party,
10 which he had always belonged 1t ought by
this time TO be apparent, even 10 han, that he
made mistake in not doing so. BY acting from
first 10 last as if he stunned Democratic asso-
Citations, he truckled TO the proscripuye spirit
which prevailed during the war; and melted
others by his example to keep aloof from what
he seemed TO REGARD as party ofpolltical lepers.
BY acting i'll this manner, he aided the Repub
hcan leaders 10 shame their rank and file out oil
any inclination 10 desert to the Democrats;
whereas II he had boldly led the way while the
reconstruction question was yet new, and mems
opinions upon II not yet settled. the Republicans
could not have consolidated their party on its
present dlsuniOn basis. Had he openly count6.
i nanced the Democratic party twenty months
ago, he could have brought into il large fol-
lowing; but by his peculiar course he has main
tanned the strength Of the Republican party
without IN any degree dsarmlng the hostility
to HIM.
The Democratic party win continue to give
Mi. johnson, in the ruOs that await him the
same steady and disnterested support as here
tolore. They have upheld hlm on no personal
| or party grounds, but because they felt that
! they were thereby upholdng the Constitution.
! They have never wanted any of his Offices but
theY have sometimes bitterly felt that they were
! entitled TO his open cooperation when they
! were fighting his battles, and he had so few
! unbought supporters in the Republican party.
! But though he has allowed the ground 10 slide
from under him, and has parted with all the
! power he ever mad TO help us, we shall stand by
hlm without hmchlng 10 the end. Tor the sake
! of the Constitution which he and we are alike
Jealous to preserve.