The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-06-22
The Veto Of the Arkansas Bni-DIr. John
sons Presidential Programme.

Mr.. johnson has vetoed the bill entitled San
act to admit the State of Arkansas to repre-
sentation in Congress-" His veto message
published in yesterdays HERALD) being but
repetition of his well known views and
policy of reconstruction, detailed in numerous
other vetoes, need not here be reproduced
We dismiss the law and the logic of his propo-
sitions for more practical consideration of the
subject We propose, in short, to consider
this veto as Mr.. Johnson's king Of trumps
aimed to catch the jack Of the Democratic Ma
tional Convention, and we infer that he will
play his queen within day or two for the
same purpose in veto of the bill providing
for the.restoration of six others of the rebel
States.
Mr.. Johnson, among his objections to this
Arkansas BILL objects to it because, with the
enabling acts of Congress, it assumes to regu-
late the right of suffrage in one of the States
of the Union as in Territory, which he de-
clares a usurpation of power. He also objects
to that provision of this Arkansas radical con-
stitution which binds every voter by the test
oath, accepting ''the civil and political equal
ity of all men," He says that a large proper
ton of the electors if not majority, in all the
States do not accept or believe in the practical
equality ofIndians, Mongolians or negroes with
the race to which said electors belong, and that
elf the voters of many Of the States, North and
West, were required to take such an oath there
is reason to believe that a majority of them
would remain from the polls rather than comply
with its degrading conditions" The results of
of the last State elections in Ohio. New York
and Michigan on negro suffrage emphatically
sustain Mr.. Johnson on this question Of
universal equality. But how will his opinions
tally with those of Mr. Chase? Not at all.
This message reads, in fact, like an appeal to
the Democratic Convention on negro suffrage
against Chase and in favor of Johnson. We
may say, too, that if this Arkansas bill shall
fail to pass the Senate, as it has passed the
House, by two-thirds vote over the veto, Mr..
| Chase may retire and Mr.. johnson may come
| forward for with the failure of this bill the
other bill of the same character will fail, and
thus the work of Congress on Southern recon-
struction will be all upset and the whole case
will be reopened and for bold stand against
| negro suffrage and negro equality and a
tremendous battle the field will be open to the
democracy under the banner of Johnson.
But as these restoration bills will doubtless
be passed over the Presidents objection, and
as with their final passage seven of the ten out
side rebel States will be restored to Congress
and to voice in the Presidential election, and
as their restoration will involve the proclama-
ton, by act of Congress if necessary, of article
fourteen as part Of the constitution and as this
will settle the reconstruction question, the civil
| rights question and the suffrage question, we
shall have reconstruction, negro suffrage and
| negro equality thrown out of this contest. The
| controlling subject, them will be the money
question, and here Johnson must give way to
Chase. On suffrage the antecedents and
record of Chase will be needed to give the de-
mocracy anything like prospect of success in
the South while on the money question they
need the name Of Chase to give them the float
ing balance of power East and West. The
Democratic Convention, unless prepared hit or
miss to nominate Johnson, should not permit
his vetoes on negro suffrage to damage Chase.
The veto views of Johnson it may be said,
apply to the epoch before the Flood; the record
of Chase Identifies him with the fixed facts of
the present day. Thus while Chase is live
man Johnson may be called dead man.
The republicans, from sheer necessity, were
driven to the nomination of General Grant,
man who did not seek and did not want the
Presidency. The democrats, from sheer ne
cessity, are drawn towards Mr.. Chase, man
who has been seeking the White House and
who does want it very much. 1t has been
said that when a man gets the buzzing bee of
the White House in his ear he can hear no
other sound, and that the only way to relieve
him of the insect is to drown it in OIL How
ever this may be, no objection can be made to
Mr.. Chase that he is seeking the Office, when
from his superior claims and qualifications the
office is seeking him. 1t is to be regretted,
when letter or a speech from Mr.. Johnson
would bring over to Chase the weight and
mower of the administration, veto message is
sent to Congress amounting to an official re-
monstrance against the Chief Justice on negro
suffrage, and this, too, when negro suffrage
may be counted out. The Presidents con-
sistency, we may be told, is an important
thing: but we all understand it. These resto-
ration bills are denominations but let US get in
these outside States, head or feet foremost, and
they will soon right themselves. Wewere led to
believe that the President had concluded to
permit these bills to slip through by default
rather than put in veto or say anything to
the prejudice of Mr.. Chase on negro suffrage
In pleading the doctrine that this is 'the
white mans government Mr.. johnson
preached the soundest philosophy but in