Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1867-09-13
Is There Anything More to Come?


President Johnson's last two pro-
are tunnel shape--they
sweep through a wide circle OF pre-
clauses down to very
small point in comparison. In the
case of that supposed to be aimed at
Gen. Sickles, the public had difficulty
in detecting any point at ALT was
all preamble. With regard to the
amnesty proclamation, the conclusion
is indeed evident, but it bears little
or no obvious relation to the premises.
But all this Introductory matter was
not written for nothing. 1t bears the
marks of careful preparation, as if
Judge Black had supplied the sug-
gestions and Secretary Seward had
supervised the wording. Let US ex-
anime few of these phrases to see,
if we can, what their meaning is.
Bearing in mind that the ostenslble
object of the proclamation is only to
extend pardon to a few classes OF
rebels hitherto excluded, we find
broad insinuations dealt out against
the whole military government OF the
South as it now exists. For instance,
the President afirms that there. is
now no organized resistance to the
Government in the rebel States, '"and
the laws can be sustained and en-
forced therein by the civil authority
of the State or Federal Government.
From reading this any one might infer
that the President was going directly
on to abolish military rule at the
South. The words we have quoted
certainly tend to such conclusion
much more than to any extension OF
pardons. But there are only small
part of this manifest drift toward Ill
terror purposes. The President goes
on to declare that military occupa-
ton, martial law, military tribunals, I"
&c, care in time of peace" (like the
present, it is to be UNDERSTOOD "dan-
gerous," incompatible with the rights
Of the citizens" and are otherwise pro-
claimed reprehensible, and mot to be
sanctioned or allowed, except in cases
of actual necessity for repelling in
vasion or suppreSsing iusurrectlon or
rebellion" (which cases he has al
ways declared do no exist. Here
again the logical conclusion Of the
Presidents words is that "milltary
occupation, martial law and military
tribunals and all the other incidents
of the present government OF the rebel
States, ought to be brought to close.
If the proclamation does not mean
this, its terms have no meaning, and
are a mockery of the intelligence and
good sense of the people.
By the words themselves, there
fore, read especially in the light Of
Andrew Johnson'S recent course, we
are driven to the inference that he de-
signs the speedy overthrow Of the
military government of the South
! embodied in the reconstruction policy
, of Congress. 1t would seem that the
country is to be treated to a revival
/ of the old Johnsonian doctrine that
| the rebellion is completely at an END
in form and in substance, that the
| lately rebellious States are already
/ back again in the Union and entitled
to representation in Congress, anC
that the military rule prescribed by
: Congress must give way to the civi
authority Of the State or Federal Gov
? eminent" How this is proposed t.
: be Observation-Disclosures the Pres
2 ident will remove permanently tn,
S District Commanders, thus calculatin!
< to unhinge the whole system who's
D administration is so largely dependen
a upon them, or whether he will ISSUE
9 another proclamation boldly attempt
g ING to decree what he now intimates
or whether he will proceed more coy
e ertly and tortuously toward the sam
d ends hidden in the future. Blu
u not the distant future, for only a fey
:. months are within the control of thi
S desperate conspirator, and that col
e troll is less than he imagines.-Bost0
y Journal.