The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-10-24

who favors the impeachment OF the President.
We reverse the order of his statements, 80 as
to answer them in the order of occurrence Of
the events on which they bear. Moreover, we
allow Mr.. Randall to entertain as many erro-
neous judgments as he pleases, provided he
does not misstate the facts.
The statement that the Republican party
has abandoned every or any principle on
which the Government carried on the war, is
very good 'JOhnsonese.n It has formed the
burden of all Mr.. Johnson's speeches, drunk
or sober, and belongs to the class of statements
which Mr.. Johnson has the capacity to believe
but which Mr.. Randall could never have seen
any sense in without the aid of the extraordi-
nary light shed upon the subject by his posi-
tion as Postmaster General. This fiction has
just enough foundation in fact to make a
passable lie.
For lie that is all a lie we may meet and
conquer outright;
But lie that is halfa truth is q harder matter
to fight"
It is true that on the day after McDowells
disgraceful defeat at Bull Run, Andrew John
son, then a Democratic Senator from Tennes-
see, who had debated seriously whether to go
with the Rebels or the Union cause, and who
has since told us that he might have "gratified
his highest ambition" by becoming a Rebel,
introduced resolution into the Senate, which
was passed three days after, on July rs, 1861,
presenting a sort of conservative or pro-sla-
very platform for the benefit of the weakened
War Dem ocrats of whom Mr.. Johnson was
chief The resolution declared that
"In this national emergency Congress,
banishing all feeling of mere passion or resent
ment, will recollect only its duty TO the whole
country: that this war is not waged upOn our
part in any spirit of oppression, or for any pur-
pose of conquest subiugation, or purpose of
overthrowing or interfering with the rights or
established institutions OF those States but to
,f,ga .fNntf In g.
stitution, and to preserve the Union with all
the dignity, equality, and rights OF the several
states unimpaired, and that as soon as these
objects are accomplished, the war ought to
cease"
l. In accordance with this resolution the
war was conducted until January l, 1863
Mcclellan, Fitz John Porter, and Buell.,
with some incidental aid from Lee, Stonewall
Jackson, and Albert S. Johnston, were engaged
in burying our armies, and causing them to
retreat vigorously from the presence of the
enemy. Many gloomy defeats were suffered,
and, except Fort Donelson, Roanoke, and the
capture OF New Orleans, no decisive victories
had been gained COppeTheads and Rebels
were in high feather, and Unionists and radi-
Gals were enraged and disgusted. The above
resolution, intended as an olive branch to the
Rebels, and a soothing syrup to the Copper
heads, had failed to conciliate either. Then,
in obedience to the overwhelming voice of the
loyal North, the policy of our Government was
reversed. The Emancipation Proclamation was
issued, pledging the Government to overturn
the very institution" which the above resolu-
tiOn promised to protect. Andrew Johnson, its
author, went into Tennessee as Military Gov
ernor and aided in overthrowing its Rebel
State government, and in organizing new
one, in the teeth of his own resolution prom
ising not to interfere with State institutions.
Of course, every honest man would see in this
change of policy repeal of the above resolu
ton No such resolution was ever passed after
the emancipation policy was adopted. That
act rendered the preservation of Rebel State
institutions impossible, and the resolu~
tiOn quoted was thenceforth null. II the
above resolution were still in force, then Mr..
Johnson's career in Tennessee would constitute
it's most signal violation for there, without a
law of Congress to justify him, he abolished
both slavery and the State government. 1t is
false that after January l, 1861, the war was
carried on upon any principle of non-interfe-
renee with State institutions. And hence Mr..
Randall's statement that, in reconstructjng
the Southern State governments, Congress has
abandoned any principle on which the war
was conducted after the Emancipation Procla-
nation was issued, or Tennessee and Louisiana
were reconstructed, is false, as Mr.. Randall
well knows. But even had it been true that
Mr.. Johnson's pro-slavery resolution remained
in force to the end of the war, President john
son himself so eonspicuously broke it in
pieces by his own ten proclamations declaring
the Southern State governments destroyed,
and providing for their reconstruction, and
requiring them adopt ordinances abOlishing
slavery, that there was not enough left Of his
resolution for Congress to violate if it would.
The President himself had trampled in the
dust every part and feature Of it. He had not
only decreed the destruction of State govern
mEOts and slaUapV but had hinnya1f Inoraa1
who should vote in the proposed new govern
ments.
ii. Mr. Randall asserts that Mr. johnson has
pursued the reconstruction policy inaugurated
by Mr.. Lincoln. Here again the truth ia a
mere cover for the untruth. It is true that
| the mere form of Johnson's reconstruction
| proclamations for the nine States did not ma
terially differ from the mode of Mr.. Lincoln fol
| Tennessee, Arkansas, and Louisiana. BotI
based the suffrage on that portion of the white
vote which was willing to promise to be loya
thereafter, without regard to what they hat
| been Heretofore. But owing to the close O
| the war intervening the effect of the two ex
periments was vastly different. In Mr.. Lin
| coins State Governments, none but loyal mer
took part. The Rebels scorned and stood aloo
| from them But into Mr.. Johnson's the Rebel:
rushed orawled and spawned, like the frog:
and lizards of Egypt into the palaces o.
Pharaoh. They were Rebel to the core. That
Mr.. Lincoln had not designed to pursue the
same mode of reconstruction after the
Rebels should surrender, as was adequate be
fore, we may infer from the fexibility which
at all times marked his policies, and from his
express declarations. During the last year o
the war President Lincoln's convictions were
maturing, and had taken firm form, that the
cOlored race must be allowed to vote. Thi.
truth inspired his note to Governor Hahn, anC
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