Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-10-16
From the Philadelphia News j
The New Situation.


The air is filled with rumors respecting
the probable course of the President in
view of the new phase in public affairs, as
resulting from the recent elections in the
States of Pennsylvania, Ohio and Iowa. 1t
may not be doubted that the revolution in
the public mind, as disclosed by these elec-
tions, to say nothing of those held i'm Con-
necticut, California and Maine, is calcula-
ted to give fresh courage to the President
for the struggle which has been forced up
on him by the Congressional majority -
Standing alone almost in this great contro-
versy which has rocked our country from
centre to circumference, his position has
indeed been most ttrying,one and it would
not be surprising, that If thus cheered,
endorsed and sustained, he should be
governed by impulses, which are
so natural to mankind, and defy
the revolutionary cabal which has
| assumed to be the government ia
violation of the plainest provisions of
the supreme law of the land. But
from him no act of violence. On assuming
the executive chair of the nation. he, in
connection with those who were officially
connected with the administration of Mr..
Lincoln, determined on the course that
ought to be pursued for the purpose of re-
storing the lately rebellious States to their
proper position in the Union. The pro-
the handwriting of Edwin M. Stanton, then
Secretary of War, and. it received the assent
and approval of Senators Sumner and Will
| son, and other prominent members of either
house of Congress, and was adopted by the
Cabinet officers whom President johnson
found at the heads of the respective de-
partments of the government. The policy
thus determined on, the programme thus
and then agreed to, is the policy which
President johnson has sought to carry
out. 1t was the constitutional policy,
and recognized the States that had
been in rebellion as States still in the
Union. 1t was based on the position
assumed by Mr.. Lincoln when he in
structed his Secretary of State to inform
the French, in reply to their proffer OF me-
diation, that the vacant seats in Congress
were standing ready to be occupied by rep
resentatives from the rebellious States
whenever they would lay down their arms
and acknowledge their allegiance to the
Government. 1t is the policy enunciated
by Congress during the war, and repeated
| by the Baltimore Convention, which nom-
mated Mr.. Lincoln for President and Mr..
johnson tor Vice President, and which de-
clared that the Government did not seek to
interfere with, or restrict the rights of the
States In any way, and that its only pur-
pose was to suppress the rebellion, and
bring the insurrectionary States into prop
er subsection to the Constitution and the
laws. For endeavorfng to carry forward
this policy in the light of the Constitution,
and guided by it, Mr.. johnson has been
more abused and traduced than has any
other man before him in this country; but
he has stood firmly by the position first
assumed, and when overpowered by the
despotism of partisan majority in Con-
gress, he has, after lnterposing his objec-
tions, still guided by the Constitution, en-
deavored to execute the laws passed by
1,asr fiooh n; Il
been demonstrated. In the performance of
his duty the President has not been intim-
ds ted either by the abuse of his enemies or
the threats of impeachment, and has been
at all times as ready to meet the latter as
any other. But at last the people have in
terposed the veto upon the revolutionary
conduct of their representatives. In Penn
sylvania, twenty thousand men, who, in
, the year 1866, voted the Radical ticket,
have this year left the ranks of that party
and voted in favor of the more conserva-
tive and constitutional policy of the Pres
ident; and in the great State of Ohio more
{ than forty thousand men, having had the
scales removed from their eyes, have done
the same thing.
, But these developments thrust upon the
) President new responsibility. To those
who are familiar with the working of his
| administration it is very well known that
, as before remarked, he has stood alone
f support from his Cabinet that is essential
, to success. The infidelity of Mr.. Stanton
was long known to the public before he
r was dismissed, and the President himself
| knew him for an enemy and spy on his
, conduct, Notwithstanding the fact stated
that what we now know as the presiden-
tial programme OF reconstruction wa;
$ drawn by Stanton's own hand. Other
members of the Cabinet have been either
A idle to such an extent as to deserve the
f severest censure, or dishonorably untaith-
5 ful; and since the people have spoken theil
: mind on the great subject of restora
tion, it becomes the President to surround
himself wit live, Jealous, and faithful mer
= as mis- constitutional advisers. Drones are
: in the way of active men, and medriocrity
e is usurping the places that ought to he fill.
ed by superior intelligence. The Cabine
of the United States Government is nj
place for child's play in crisis like this
: neither is it situation in which we cal
= afford to maintain men of small callibre o.
insincere hearts. This ''war of the roses
a has gone far enough to have been produc
: tive of better results, and, although tn
q people have been slow to comprehend thei
q danger, and the villainy of those in whom
. they have reposed the power to legislate
a truth and candor require that it shoult
y y be said that, with a Cabinet truly loyal t.
the President, composed of Jealous ant
y energetic men, we should have made mucl
f. better progress i'm the great battle that ha
g been forced upon us by the conspirators il
: Congress. The verdict of the people, as
= comes up from three great States is an in
= spring one. and bids the world to yet hop
"a for the full success of constitutional gov
4 ernment in which the people are supreme
A Let the President then, taking counse
from that great element upon which he ha
- always been wont to rely, enter again up
u on the work of Reconstruction" and begi
Tl,.e