The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1867-03-28

portions OF Louisiana. The President en-
couraged them to assume the form of Stat.
but Congress never sanctioned it. The pres
ident, by his message and proclamation of
December, 1868, suggested mode of re.
construction. But in it he distinctly dis
claimed all right to control Congress in the
matter, and declared that his suggestion Of
plan did not exclude other plans. He
said:
For the same reason, it may be proper to
say that whether members sent to Congress
from any State shall be admitted to seats
! constitutionally, rests exclusively with the
respective House, and not to any extent with
the Executive.
He defines more carefully Whist he meant
| In this proclamation in q well-prepared
speech delivered three days before his death
| 9th of April, 1869 He said:
from the Nat Intelligencer of April 10, 1861
In thi. have done just so much and no more
than the public knows. In the annual message
| of December, 1863 and accompanying proclama-
ton, presented plan of reconstruction las the
phrase goes) which promised, if adopted by any
State should be acceptable to and sustained by
the Executive Government Of the nation. dis
| tinctly stated that this was not the only plan
which might possibly be acceptable, and also
| distinctly protested that the Executive claimed
no right TO say when or whether members should
be admitted to seats in Congress from such
States.
How different from our present Secretary
of State!
That good man, who never willingly in
fringed upon the rights of any other depart
ment of the Government, expressly accorded
to Congress alone the power to declare
"when or whether members should be adj
mitted to their seats in Congress from such
States" 1t is not to be denied that his
anxiety for the admission of members from
Louisiana-or rather from New Orleans and
adjoining parishes-gave uneasiness to the
country. The people had begun to fear
that he was misled, and was about to fall
into error If he would have fallen into
that course, it is well FOR his reputation that
he did not live to execute it. From being
the most popular, he would have left Office
the most unpopular man that ever occupied
the Executive chair. But that everything
Providence that so well guided him did not
permit such calamity to befal him. He
allowed him to acquire most enYiable repu
tation, and then, before there was a single
spot upon it, she sailed into the fiery sun
set,
''And left sweet music in Cathay.''
Here, if there were anything in common
parallel But it would be Improbable:
especially in this debate. For what we saw
at the graves of admired friends, or states
men, or heroes is not biography. The stern
pen of history will strip such eulogies of
their meretrieious ornaments. But there is
no danger that the highest praise that the
most devoted friends could hestow OH him
would ever be reversed by posterity So
solid was the material of which his whole
character was formed, that the more it is
rubbed the brighter it will shine Mr. Lin
coin, also, was of humble origin (and who
is not that is formed of the coarse clay of
humanity p, and earned his living by manual
labor. But he had too good taste ever to
boast of the accident ofhis birth, or to weary
the public ear with the Pathological recital
of his mental employments. He rose to the
chief magistracy of the Great Republic by
his sterling patriotism, sober habits, and
modest worth. He was not thrown into
power by any moral or political CONFUSION.
His elevation was no accident but the result
of the cool Judgment of a nation of freemen.
No man ever assumed such vast responsible
tics under such difficult circumstances. ex-
cept, perhaps, William the Silent How
similar in their lives-how alike in their
deaths? If there was danger, and admit
there was some apprehension that Mr.. Lin
coin would be beguiled by his chief adviser
into course which would have furnished
his well-earned fame, that good Guardian
who had guided him so well kindly preserv-
ed him from that calamity. Death is terri
BILE. Death in high places is still more
lamentable; but every day is showing that
there are things more terrible than DEATH
1t was better that his posthumous fame
should be unspotted than that he should
endure few more years of trouble on earth.
All must regret the manner of his death
yet, looking to futurity and to his own per-
sonal position, it may be considered happy.
From the hight of his glory he beheld the
promised land, and was withdrawn from our
right. In the midst of the most exquisite
enjoyment of his favorite relaxation he was
instantaneously taken away without suffer-
ing one pang Of death. Like the prophet of
the Lord who knew not DEATH he was wrapt
from earth to heaven along a track no less
luminous than his who assembled in chariot
of flame with horses of fire. Would to God
that some small portion of the mantle of our
Elijah had fallen on this Elisha Treason
planned to change the ruler, but not to de-
stroy the government, has always been treat
ed as less culpabla than an attempt to
change the government. An old writer
says: Among our ancestors treachery
against the country was death and forfeiture
of all estate both real and personal. Against
the King it was only loss of life and personal
estate"
THE UNION LEAGUE.-Ths patriotic organiza-
ton, which during the peril of the Government,