The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1868-10-23
ALL THE STATES TO VOTE.
Death Blow to the Radicals.

We copy the following from the Lou
isville Courier, and hope the editor is
not mistaken in his estimate of the eff
feet of the Presidents recent proclama-
ton in regard to the approaching cleo
ton: .... ..
President Johnson's recent proclama-
ton removes all doubt in regard to the
participancy of all the Southern States
In the approaching Presidential election.
That proclamation is in the nature of a
general order by the President in his
capacity of Commander-in-chief of the
army and navy of the United States,
and Is issued for the information and
instruction of officers of the army. II
forbids any interference with the free
suffrage of the people in the choice of
electors, and quotes the provisions Of
the Constitution relative to the election
of President and Vice President, to-
gether with the laws for the punish
ment of officers intermoddling.
From this general order of the Com
mander-in-chief there can he no appeal,
and the Radicals, unless they choose to
resort to open rebellion, must submit to
have elections 60 forward in Virginia,
Texas, and Mississippi, though those
States have not undergone the process
of reconstruction" Gen. Reynolds
will hardly dare, after what has occur
red, to insist upon the tyrannical order
issued by him some three weeks ago for
bidding the citizens of Texas to vote ;
and the Radical satraps in other de-
partments who were preparing to follow
suit must now stop short Of their inten-
tons.
This is heavy blow to the Radicals.
1t has been their whole study to radical
ize as many of the Southern States by
the process of Reconstruction" as pos
sible and to prevent the others from
voting. 1t matters not to them that the
whole reconstruction legislation was, in
the language Of their late leader, out
side of the Constitution" 1t was a
thing about which they gave themselves
no concern that the Constitution eXpli-
city declares "EACH State SHALL APP
point, in such manner as the Legislature
thereof may direct, a number of cleo
tors equal to the number of Senators
and Representative to which the State
may be entitled in the Congress" Radi-
cal policy was to supplant constitutional
provision, and thus the triumph of the
Radical party be assured. But President
johnson has taken care to adopt a mode
that carries with it success, of enforc-
ing the constitutional provision requir-
ing the partipancy of all the States in
the election of President and Vice
President. Virginia, Mississippi and
Texas, all unreconstructed and Demo.
cratic as they are, will hold elections OH
the third of November, and their cleo.
toral votes, like those of the other Sta
ties, will be duly transmitted to the seat
Of government, there to be counted in
determining whom the people Of the
United States have chosen President
and Vice President.
Radical politicians may gnash their
teeth in despair at the failure of "recon-
struction," for failed it has most signal
ly. Nobody, for a moment, donbts that
Virginia, Texas and Mississippi will GO
Democratic; and, Notwithstanding all
that has been done, few things are more
certain than that Seymour and Blail
electors will be chosen by all the rest OF
the Southern States, with the exception
possibly of South Carolina and Tennes.
see. In spite of the military DONNA
ton, the grinding oppression, the Ell.
tranchising of negroes, and disfranchis-
ing of white men-in spite of all the
wrongs and usurpation and tyranny that
have been resorted to within the last
three years to radicalize the South, the
Southern electoral vote will be almost
if not quite, unit for the nominees Of
the Democratic party.