The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-02-19

JOhnsOns cOnOlllOn on this historic day, aud so
completely bad he drOWned out his wits that he
was unable to recall the name OF the Secretary
OF the Navy. great cry Of shame aud indig-
nation went up from the neonle re echoed by
almost the entire press Of the country, with
out distinction OF party. hen began at
once to talk abou, the slender thread Of life
which hung between this debauchee and the
CHIEF Magtstracy, and before they had ceased
30 to talk, a great calamity fell upon the
nation, that slender thread Of lite was snapped,
Abraham Lincoln was followed to his grave 0y
lamenting multitude. aud on the l5,h OF A9rll,
1866, Andrew johnson took the oath OF ONCE
as President OF the United Sla'es.
Flrst an Alderman OF a country village.
Then Mayor of the same,
Then q member OF the state Legislature.
Then Presidential elector.
Then State Senator.
Then Representative In Congress.
Then Governor of State.
Then Senator of the United states.
Then a high officer in the loyal army.
On every round in the ladder he placed his
lucky foot, and at last he gained the very PIN,
nacle OF worldly ambition, and was proclaimed
PREslDBNT OF THE UNITED STATES
When Abraham Lincoln breathed hts last, the
nation forgot the scene in Washington on the
Ath of March, and turned to Andrew johnson
as the Chief Magistrate of the Republic with
the kindliest feelings and the most untaltertng
trust. All minor issues were lost slght or IN
the one great issue then presented shall the
fruits of the war for the Union, Just Drought 10
s. successful close. be sna.Ched from our grasp!
How could there be any doubt as to the new
Presidents response? On the Sd OF April, not
two weeks previous to the great calamity which
made him President, he had delivered a char
acteristc address in Washington, on the occa-
sion Of the public rejoicings over the fall OF
Richmond, In the course of which, after refer
ring to the position taken by himself III the
Senate at the outbreak of the war, when "as
to loyalty he stood solitary and alone among
the Senators from the Southern states,' he
said:--
"I was In an ana theye oslleo unon To know what
would do with Buch traitors, and want to repeat my
would hsog them as high AZ Haman, but as he ls no
spa sssps In d hs IL 3s Swn
his tomb aud the earth that covers his
nnms %1 rsps q H : s y9p ssk wh % oo
2QOtAd convict them, and could hang hem"'
Towards the close OF the same address he
exclaimed
logue Of crimes and Tor him that Is guilty Of for
she antho o he ms W6d Heea dea m oo
SSsy PTns6ment my rotor Is thGt fgSon must be
To detail the manner iu which this blatant
threat has been executed would require review
of the entire history Of the country from the
18th of April, 1865 to the present day-an im-
possibility in the limited space at our command.
We proceed to give, however, chronological
outline of Andrew Johnson's administration,
each separate date being a sort of round in the
ladder down which that functionary has been
stumbling with such rapid strides from the
moment that he gained the top.
For few months suOsequentto his accidental
elevation to the Presidency, before his brain
had been completely turned by the fancy of
conc0cting and enforcing policy" OF his own,
he continued to command the confidence and
respect OF the country.
This he did by making an earnest show of
putting Into execution his threat of April 3,
1856, to render treason odlous and traitors the
most uncomfortable of human beings. The
assassination conspira,ors were hunted to the
death with his hearty concurrence, large
rewards for their apprehension were offered,
their trial was conducted with summary eXpe-
dtion, their sentences hastily approved anI
unhesitatingly executed.
On April 20 he proclaimed June l following a
day of humiliation and prayer because OF the
great calamity by which he was lifted into the
Presidents chair.
On May 2 he issued proclamation offering
large rewards for the apprehension of jeff
Davis and certain other leading rebels.
On May he recognized by proclamation the
Pierpont government of Virginia,
On May 20 he proclaimed William W. Holden
Provisional Governor of North Carolina, follow
ing this action up by six different proc9ua-
tions between June l3 and July IL, by which
provisional governments were set up in Mlssis-
sippi, Georgia, Texas, Alabama, South Carolina,
and Florida.
Meanwhile he had become possessed of the
knowledge that the Re selliOI had been brought
10 successful issue, and so,
On Apnl 29, 1865, by proclamation he removed
many of the restrictions which had been placed
on commerce in the southern States.
On May 20 he declared all the ports of the
country reopened to trade, excepting those Of
Texas.
On May 90 he issued proclamation, granting
amnesty TO all who had participated in the Re-
bellion, with the exception OF such as were
embraced III fourteen specified classes.
On June % he removed the blockade from all
the ports in the country, including those Of
Texas.
On August 20 he proclaimed the removal OF
all restrictions upon commerce in the Southern
States after the l3t OF September folio wing.
On October II he relieved the State Of Ken
tucky from the operation of martial law.
On December he restored the privilege of
the writ OF habeas corpus, except in the late
insurectionaIy States, Kentucky, the District
OF Columbia, and the Territories OF New Mexico
and Arizona.
During all this time the late leaders of the
Rebellion, under his superintendent aud en-
cOuragemeut, had been diligently at work
building up State governments after their oWn
fashion, by entirely ignoring the loyal element
OF the Southern population, an with the chief
view OF restoring themselves t) the positions ol
power and influence, at home and j. the ma.
tional councils, which they had forfeited by en-
gsging in rebellion. T1is ta-k accomplished
On December Is, 1865, he sent message ia
Congress announcing that North Carolina
South Carolina Georgia, Alabama. Mississippi,
Louisiana, Arkansas and Tennessee had al!
been thoroughly reconstructed, the most OF
them according TO my polcy.'
q C'ngress, however, was no. satisfied with the
leading points in this policy and indicated
without delay its determination to establish
with the principles for which the war for the
Union had been Waged. Audre Johnson
thereupon joined issue With them by going into
lhe veto business on a wholesale scale.
Vu February l9 1866, he vetoed the bill eX
teLolDe indefinitely the time for the operation
or the Freedmeu's Bureau, and as the senate
was not ehuowei with the gift of prophecy, tha'
body sustained his Objections to tue bill.