Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1868-02-08
Juase ueIl,ltllsr.

W Ttflenfe 20 a. infilaNNn ~ lhe We
puhlican Association u Harris sounig, 10
address ilsm, Judss Dell smsss other
ihings, says
sIhs Conservative Ioliiisiaus, In ihtir
desperate obsiinaey, nay delay Political
orsVniIaiion, and thus plunge themselves
shd the people into deeper poverty aud
distress.
This is cool aud refreshing, The Judge
very clearly sees the moal 10 his nsigLbors
eye, bat fails 10 observe the beam that oh
seurss his own vision, What party and
what men have delayed "lOlilisal OgsaHi'
IaIiOn" in he South aud In fexasl Truth
proelaims that the Radical party aud lhos,
fayorlng Congressional plan Of rseonsirue'
ton, have not only delayed political G.,
ganiIalion' but have broken il up aud de-
sIroysd il when il vas au accomplished
fact, so far as It related 10 the State gov
srnmenis Of tie South, And that, too,
when il had been effected under the plsu
proposed aud adhered 10 by Mr, Lincoln,
aud carried out by President Johnson
There is 10 man in the South, perhaps,
more eulpable for this delay than Judge
BELL himself A brief review Of lhe past
may not be uninsirueiive 10 those who are
so forgeifil aRd blind. In 1888, Governor
Morton, OF Indiana, in addressing the peo-
PIE upon the subject OF President J IhusOn's
reconstruction policy, said
at is one Of my purposes here this e'en-
Ing, TO show thai so Tar rs his policy Of
amnesty aud reeonslruriioa Is con
cerned, he has absolutely ErSssHted nothing
ns,r. but that he has simply presrHtsh dNd Is
simply continuing The policy Thich No. Lin
/ coiH presented 10 he nation, on tie Sih ~ De.
csmJsr, 1868. Mr.. Johpson's ainnes,- proc.
lamation differs ..om Mr.. Lineoins in
S"-e restrictions IL contains, which Mr..
Lincoln's did not contain. Ills plan is al
soiHfeiy that Of Mr.. LIRcOln's; nothing more,
nothing lees, with one difference only hat
| Mr.. Lincoln required that one.tcntli Of the
people OF the disloyal States should be
willing TO embrace his plan OF reconsiruc-
ton, whereas Mr.. Johnson's says nothing
about the number; but so far ms IL has been
acted upon yet, it has has been done by n
much greater number
| After showing the restrictions contained
in Mr.. Johnson's policy, not embraced in
Mr.. Lincoln's, Governor Morton says: $50
that Mr.. johnson has restricted from taking
The amnesty oath eight classes permitted by
Mr.. Lincoln, and so far his plan is more
stringent than Mr.. Lincoin's wds."
Governor Morton further says:
| "7his raS Mr.. Lineoin's JdUorite policy
II rds presented by him 10 Congress on The
Sh Of January 1863"
lie says he again presented il on several
occasions in 1864, and that
"it rds his settled and faporiie policy at me
time he was nominated for reelection
lie further shows that in the last speech
ever made by Mr.. Lincoln, two days before
his death, he still adhered to that policy.
Thus we hear from the mouth of radical
authority, among the most authoritative of
the party, and one who now advocates the
Congressional plan in opposition to the
"favoritc policy" Of Mr.. Lincoln, that Mr..
Sobnso 8 plan is "nohing more or less"
than Mr.. Lincoln's, only little "more
stringent"
What the plan of Mr. Lincoln was,
adopted and carried out by Mr.. johnson,
with the aid of the leaders of. the radical
party in Texas, is familiar to the people of
the country. None are so hardy as to
charge TINT the Presidenthas deviated from |
or changed, that policy. In pursuance Of
it Governor Hamilton was appointed Pro
visional Governor of Texas; Judge Bell
was his Secretary of Slate. Under that
plan the people of the State were invited
to renew their allegiance to the Federal
government. With great alacrity the in
vitation was accepted. The work of re-
construction went swimmingly ahead, and
fraternal accord was being rapidly de7el-
oped among all classes and in every Sec
ton trade and business revived; the whole
country began TO wear cheerful aspect,
and everybody seemed anxious to lend q
helping hand to the good cause of recon-
struction. In due time Convention was
called the people participated with earn
estncss; as general rule the members
we're selected without regard TO past polit
ical opinions, but mostly with an eye to
their moderate and conservative views, and
known desire to restore the State, under
the Presidents policy; constitution was
framed; the doctrine of secession was re.
nounced, the abolition of slavery was TO.
cognised, and ample provision made to
protect the negroes in their rights of per-
son and property; the war debt was repu-
dated the civil debt, created for the sup
port of State government during the war,
was also repudiated; the new Constitution
County officers were elected; the people
adopted the new Constitution the State
and County officers, and members of the
legislature, enter,d upon the discharge of
their duties; Senators and Re representatives.
to Congress were elected; and the 'politic-
al organization" of the State was complete.
Who destroyed it? Who Travelled North
and melted the minds of the northern pco-
pie against us, and charged us with be-
ing rebelious and disloyal, and false TO our
oaths of allegiance, and that VIC were :
perjured and dishonorcd people, and that
Union men were not safe in Texas? Who
filed the newspapers North and South with I
of the peopleof Taxas {
Who logged the heels Of members of Con-
gress, day after day, and week after week,
ard month after month, until the recon-
struction acts of the 2nd of March, 1867,
and the supplement thereto, were passed,
which DISTINGUISHED thousands Of intelli-
gent aud good white men, in Texas and
gave the ballot TO $4,000 negroes in their
stead? Who was il that Influenced Con- ,
yrcss 10 pass the act Of July last, giving !.
boards of Registration the right to be the
sole judges of ones right to register, and .
10 reject whoever they saw fit, and made