New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-01-13

party which sustains them expelled iroh power
Either The Times il false accuser or the re
publican party should cease to exist.
According to our earnest convictions. the
truth is precisely contrary to what Is charged
above by The Times. The evil TO be con-
fronted and overcome is the perversion OF the
Presidential Office to the uses OF Rebellion.
We would gladly avoid hard words; but, if
Afr Johnson is not a traitor to those who
elected him, then words have no meaning
It is undoubtedly in evidence that he was
meditating and intriguing for revival OF the
old Democratic party, with himself at OF near
its head, before he had taken possession even
of that secondary Office to which the kepubh-
cans elected him. Before he had been one
month in the White House, the Tom florences,
Wendels, and other reliques of the dnclen
reoi,n6, were each cOnfdentially and Joyfully
whispering that Andy was "all right
that he was Democrat still, and would
soon dispel all doubt on the subject. Their
organ intimated this within ten weeks
after Mr.. Johnson's elevation to Ar. LIN
coins seat. In our ensuing election, though
The TimeS's friends had nominated our State
Ticket, on q platform of unbOunded John
| sonism The TimeS'S editor was unable to wrench
one word of comfort for its supporters from
| the lips or pen of the President; while Mont
gomery Blair tTaverscdour State canyasslng tor
the Democratic ticket; assuring its supporters
that Johnson was with them, and that they
should have the run of the Custom House ana
the Federal offices generally if they would only
beat the Republicans in the pending contest
These and many kindred facts The Times
coolly ignores. 1t assumes that the Republl-
cans in CongressSsares at variance with Mr.
Johnson because of Incompatible views touch
ing Reconstruction. We hold and prove that
Reconstruction is at best but pretext-that
Mr.. johnson had predetermined to quarrel
with and desert the Republicans before any such
difference had arisen-that he is warning upon
them with all the malignity of one who has re-
ouited boundIess trust by incOnceivable per-
| fdy-al the implacable hate OF one whose
treachery is aggravated by measureless IN
| gratitude.
| Here, then, is bold, bad. unscrupulous man
! in the White House, exerting all the immense
mower of n President and COmmander-ln-
Chief to thwart the Reconstruction policy of
Congress TO the extent of his means. He Is a
man fertile in resource and unequaled in au-
|
~ dietrustful and harsh in the Reconstruction
acts would never have been needed nor thought
of. But for him, the notifications of those acts
which have been and will be made, would have
been unnecessary. And The Times, in ignoring
his activity and subtlety in thwarting the action
of Congress, his ready completely with that
great body of unrecOnstructed Rebels who are
working night and day to defeat that action,
is guilty of the grossest injustice to Congress
and to the Republican party.
We turn now to Tie Erening Post-a jour
nal of decided ability and prestige, which has
| given n moderate support to the Republican
party, but which suffered that party to be de-
| feated in 1867, as it was inclined TO do in 1866,
and had done in 1851, without making an effort
to avert the disaster The Post is an essentially
Democratic paper and does not ignore the fact
! that true Democrat must favor Gas Noah
Webster declarcs) 1.-THE extension of Suffrage
"to all classes of men," Yet The Post has some
how become qlienated from the Republican
party, and misses no opportunity to hit it a
damaging blow. Thus, in leader Oh The
Democratic Theory Of Government and Suf-
"frage," it sees fit to say:
regard then to the freedmen late slaves, we
not see If such really the principles OF democratic
| government how they can well be excluded from sur
frage As mere enaneipates. human beings trained III
the ways and habits Of slaves unused 10 control tne-
selves others, and whose minds have been kept in
minors and probation be required OF them like that We
require OF other arrested undcyeoped manhood The
mistake ~ the Republican party has been that probation
OF MS Kind not imposed upon tie negroes Of the
South"
How was it possible for the Republican
party to do what The Post here says it made
mistake in not doingY Suppose we had re-
organized the States lately in Rebellion on the
precise basis above MISUNDERSTANDING that
the Blacks should vote after five years proba-
ton, or so fast as they should respectively learn
TO read, or should acquire taxable propcrty-is
it not plain that we should have put every one
of those States into the hands Of the ex-Rebels,
still smarting with defeat, and execrating the
Blacks as in good part the cause thereof Do
we not know that these would have proceeded
forthwith to undo all our work and remand the
Blacks into eternal serfdoml Did they
not begin to do this (sce McPher-
sons Manual) within three months
after Lees suTender-long before the
Republicans had made up their minds to
insist on Impartial Suffrage at all : Did they
not deny to Blacks any share in Popular Edu-
cationf any right to sit on juriesY or even to
give testimony in cases where Whites might be
prejudiced thereby2 Did they not deny them
that right to keep and bear arms, which is the
constitutional right of the American People9
In short, have we not in Maryland and Ken
lucky the living proofs that not to enfranchse
the Blacks fully and at once is to doom them
to Acknowledgement ignorance and degrade
tion eyermore2 The Post sees this; The Post