The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1867-06-22
Stamberry On RecOnstrUctiOn.

The final 'opinion'' OF Mr.. Sanberry,
the Attorney General of the United States,
on the reconstruction law, is published
and sustains all the reports. which gained
credence during its preparation as to its
completely multiplying the power of the dis
trict commanders to make any removals Of
civil officers in the late rebel States, or to
make appointments to fill vacancies. Hence
must follow the restoration of Mayor Mon
roe, Of New Orleans, Judge Abel District
Attorney Heron. and Gov. Wells. What
will be the result Of such procedure may
well be imagined. The good fruits hoped
for in the passage Of the Reconstt uction law
will be thrown away, and the work of re.
construction will necessarily be retarded.
1t is in effect notification of the Recon.
struction law passed by Congress, and shows
very clearly that the President does not in.
tend TO execute the law in good faith. 1t
is, IN truth, his justification for not eXccut
ing it. Under prctence that the law could
not be understood. the Attorney General
has been called upon for a construction OF
IT, and he has given ust such an one as his
master desired. The sudden difficulty of
understanding the law is very Singular
The President found no difficulty in under.
standing it, or pretending TO, when the law
before him for his approval or ncga,ion. -
.A"'' S''""SC Sh'aSi', h' "h",i s''o' ~ WY"
IN an exactly opposite sense from what he
now adopts. Stsnherry was his ready tool
in both instances. lie is said to have writ
ten the veto messages, and now he furnishes
the opinion which stamps the veto me 5sascs
rs deceptive aud fraudulent III every import.
ant particular. If this "opinion,' which
Attorney General Stanbcrry has manulac'
tureJ to order for Andrew johnson, as an
excuse for not executing The Reconstruction
law, DC corrcct, II IT'S allegations be true
Il its construction OF the law he honest, then
tue messages ycto'ns the Reconstruction
law, with their high sounding dclr'nciauons,
their imprisoned arrangement OF IT'S Prov
slons, Their statements OF the extraordinary
powers 1t proposed to confer, indeed, their
entire tone aud spirit, must be put down as
deliberate attempts to deceive the people
under the guiac Q! solemn Official decIara,
IONS, ana MS the mere clap Trap OF the most
ordinary dcmagoguery. me veto messages
ana the OPINION cannot both be true. lucy
are diametricaily opposed. They treat OF
'nc same subject, anu contain coh'raaictory
statements upon the same points. Each Is
a complete reiutatlon OF the other. lfeIther
be true, the other cannot possibly be SO.
Such state OF facts as thls IS mus, must go tar
TO deprive Mr.. johnson o! what little conn
dence anybody still had IN him. For IN
stance, how must any man now ieel who
read ana oeheoed Mr.. Johnston arra'gn'
ment OF the Reconstruction law IN ms veto
messages, when he tnds by The OPINION mat
SAID law is an entirely different thlhg, anu
that ITS supposed specially obnoxious lea
lures nao not existence IN tact no" Huch
eneap ih9'ghatoh, according 10 TINS opihioh'
aid MIR. Johnson ana ms ir'ehas waste upon
tohgress now grossly ne misrepresenIea