Middletown transcript., 1868-01-18
SATURDAY MORNING, JAsuAny d lsss.
.REcoNsrRUcr1oN.., :,

tnah announcer during the progress OF the
late sectional strife, il was, that the war
was waged solely for the preservation of
the Union. This was iterated and reite-
rated everywhere lin Congress, in the
Press. and in the Army. The ordinances
Of secession passed by the several States
were invalid; because, having appealed to
arms, the appeal was decided against the
appellants, and the Union remained intact.
When Generals Ice and johnson, and the
other commanders of the Southern forces,
sheathed their swords and surrendered to
Federal authority, the States lately in re-
bellion were as much part Of the Union
as they were before the first gun was fred
upon Sumter; or, as they were upon the
day on which they severally ratified the
Constitution. After the cessation of hos
tilities, nothing more was needed than to
extend the revenue and post Office laws
over those States, and to re-establish the
Federal Judiciary there as it existed be-
fore the war. State governments, county
and municipal authorities, were all in sue
cessful operation. There was no interreg-
mum, and no need of reconstruction, y
either Presidential or Congressional, -
save in the particulars above enumerated
The South had laid down her arms and
returned TO her allegiance, and all would
have worked smoothly and tremendously
again, had she been let alone, and the
country would have started afresh on the
high road to prosperity. But, in an evil
hour, Mr.. Lincoln and his Cabinet con-
ceived the idea that the war had broken
up the Union, and that it needed recon-
structingF' y And they proceeded in their
work Of reconstruction" on basis un-
knosn to the Constitution, and altogether
foreign to that instrument. After Mr..
Lincolh's "taking off," Mr.. johnson
claimed to tread in the footsteps of his
"illqstrious predecessor" by carrying out
his plans and inaugurating his policy In
the late rebellious States. These States,
for the sake Of harmony and good fellow
ship among the late discordant members
of the Union. accepted the terms proposed
with surprising alaerity. Slavery was
abolished by constitutional enactment
their war debt was repudiated; Governors,
Senators, and Members of Congress, were
chosen in accordance with plan laid
down by those in authority; the civil
rights of the freedmen were protected by
sufficient enaetments, and all the required
steps were taken (though imposed upon
them without Constitutional sanction) to
reinstate themselves in the Union.
But Mr. Johnson's scheme of recon
struction did not suit the dominant party
in Congress. They had not been consult
ed in the matter, and were indignant al
the Presidents contumacy in presumine
TO " reconstruct" the Union without the
invaluable assistance and direction of these
Congressional Solons. They determined
to thwart the Presidents plans, and forth
with put in process of incubation scheme
or schemes of their own, more consonant
with their ideas of negro supremacy, and
more in accord with vengeful desire o
Furnishing the South for her rebellion, o.
ifshe had not already been punished al
most to the last degree of sufferance.
Mr.. johnson was intractable- Congress
was imperious-their policies diverging
more and more, until open rupture en-
sued. He vetoed their measures, anc
they passed them, over his vetoes, by
two-thirds vote. So matters went on be-
tween them, with downward progress
sion from bad to worse-they threatening
to impeach him and eject him from Office
he threatening to cuff them soundly abou
the ears, if they undertook it.
As in most quarrels there is apt to b,
some wrong on both sides, so this one
between the President and Congress, i
not an exception. They were both wrong
in attempting to interfere with the right
of sovereign states--in attempting to d
what the Constitution had given them n,
authority to do In choosing between tn
two lines of policy marked out by til,
President and Congress, preference is du,
to the former, asthe least Hagitious. Botl
are I" outside of the Constitution" Bu
as that instrument is supposed to have be
come obsolete, SO far as Congress is con
cerned, it excites no Especial wonder
that they ignore it on all occasions. The,
win yet find, however, that there is vitali
tyl enough left in it to vindicate it
supremacy and to bring to grief all VIII
trample it beneath their unhallowed feet
.aI