National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-04-24

offered by the senator from Maryland Il was
agreed to lay IL aside by common consent that
Senator Sherman might offer n substitute for the
entire Dill, the flfth section Of which substnn-
TALLY embodied the amendment offered by tho
senator from Maryland and which had been
known as the Blaine amendment in the House.
Amer debate the substitute OF Mr.. sher-
man WAS passed by party vote-2g to TO-
in he eboVe s S e shon8 have saa
that Mr.. Reverdy johnson was q Democrat,
and that In renewing the Blaine amendment
which a Republican senator had Withdrawn,
he not only made the remark quoted, but said
Of the bill ~ should not have voted for II,
even II that amendment had been adopted"
The prolonged debate disclosed the fact
II much less objectionable 10 Democrats like Rev
erdy johnson, IL had no friends among Lhe Re
publican stnators Its idea Of hxiuR. conditions
upon compliance with which military rule
should cease In the south was highly approved.
IL was that which secured the votes II re-
ceiyed In the House; But tho slipshod
ccptablo aiter examination 1t Is
not true that the fiith section OF tho substitute
substantially embodied the amendment Of
had been known rs the Blaine amendment In
the House." Onthe contrary, II contained the
one thing needul-the Vital thing which Mr..
ri ght OF the freedmen 10 vote at he first election,
at UAfch the delegates trOuid be chosen trho tOOud
frame ne constitutions. This gave the white and
the subsequent election for officers under the
new constitutions. This was the leading fen
ture which distinguished the congressional
from the johnson plan OF reconstruction. An
amendment TO confer this right on the blacks
was offered by Mr.. Frolnghuysen ON the 18th
of February, and adopted. IL was, OF course,
preserved In thesubstitute as finally agreed on
In caucus, and presented by Mr.. sherman.
The amendment as finally perfected Is said
20 have received majority. OF but one
in the Republican senatorial caucus, aud
r. Epfgpndpn
est In his opposition TO H. This was BIO.
cause OF the fears entertained that no
safeguards could be enacted that would render
safe the immediate restoration Of civil power
In the south. The precipitation of RECONSTRUCT
ton with negro suffrage at that time, rs against
military rule and q more gradual restoration,
was undoubtedly the result of the discussion
thus inaugurated by Mr.. Blaine. Whether 1t
was the wiser policy can never DO known, for
u meyer had fair trial. 1t was impeded and
| finally broken down through the fierce con-
| tentions of faction leaders, who were more
anxious TO "beat Grant and succeed him
than they were TO secure the, maintenance OF
Ieppibiiean governments In the several states
Whether the econstructionpolicyo OF our party
from the surrender OF Lee In 1855 TO the sur
certain II Is that Mr.. Blaine now writes as
though II had always had his support, which,
TO speak plainly, Is not true. He and Gar
field, Hale, Hawley, Hoar and othe rs, voted
and acted In as though tn ey would rather see
anarchy u nder anybody else than peace and
order under Grant. The force bill was ne
ctssary measure unless the south was to be
made solid by Republican connivance aud
abandonment of principle. The enforcement
Of the laws, and additional legislation TO make
| their enforcement possible, never was q
matter of option, but, ofsworn obligation.
| The men who so loftily decided that the negro
| would be better of II abandoned to the one
mics they had made for him by emancipation
of doughiaclsm. They surrendered to the de.
feated south what the people. there never
TengSsneS Il The Ssnd. tho s syb saS
people would have given up the effort to turn
back the wheels OF time, and the color line
would have disappeared. The. white south
was true to lite prejudlces and united. The Re-
publican north divided, and was conquered.
For this no man Is as responsible as James q.
Mr.. Blaine gives an extended narrative OF
| the impeachment of Andrew johnson. and al
though he voted for It In the House he gives
1t as his opinion that II q was an fl.advised
| move, the failure OF which was o piece Of good
fortune to the country and to the Republican
party. On this men will differ with each other,
as Mr.. Blaine of 1886 differs with Mr.. Blaine
Mr.. Blaine sees 1T to lay at the door OF Mr..
Seward much OF the blame for the Inauguration
| Of the johnson plan OF reconstruction and In
doing SO praises on ana da%s that
| Blaine method, that one is lost In wonder
whether he believes him to have been demon
| or an angel.
II is not necessary to dwell further upon the
| history OF reconstruction under Johnson. What
has been said illustrates the general tenor Of
Mr.. Blaine's treatment Of the events of that
disturbed period. With Il he might well have
concluded his book. What follows contain'
little OF any particular interest or consequence.
His two volumes contain 1,277 pages. o
these 9ei are given to the eight years from
| Lincolns Inauguration In 1861, to the retiring o
johnson in 1869. OF the remaining 2S3 he
spends ,l9 on very superficial and sometimes
| inaccurate accounts of four Presidential cleo
lions. and the diplomatic recitals aforesaid
The remaining l64 pages contain all that tn,
author of Twenty Years OF Congress deem
II necessary to say of the important politica
and other events and controversies OF which
Congress was the theater during the twclv,
years extending from the first inauguration o.
| Grant in 1869. to the retirement of Hayes IL
1881. This space is thus divided
| Grants first term OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. n page,
| Grant second term ......."......"...... 30 90
| Hayes's term. Observation-Disclosures. OF "
Total +"
Opinions viii vary as to Mr.. Biaine's reasons
for thus COMPRISING twelve of the twenty year.
he found scant materials. Some will say that
after his defeat he had no stomach for any
more work than barely enough to make good
his contract with the Henry Bill PUBLISHING
however, and 1t is to be found in Mr.. Blaine!
political course during the period so slightet
by him, One has to skate very rapidly ove
very thin Ice.
GRANTS ADMINISTRATIONS.
will, In n future paper call attention to som,
/ OF the most conspicuous Of the errors, omis
sions, and "niggardly helftruths' contained i
SO much OF the volume before us as relates 4
the eight years during which Grant was Presi
dent. This will naturally involve more ex
tended account of the occasions herein referred
TO, when Mr.. Blaine and the Democratic part!
were on better terms than they have been sine
he and his tribe made Grover Cleveland COVER
nor Of the state of New York.
|
AT this time have lightning rods repaired o.
new ones j. II. Kuehling.
|
Il r,x.. ru-Ga-t ria. H. T,t,tx