Year: 1868

We feel that the country owes
Congress the highest honor. 1t is
not often that a legislative body,
composed Of men who represent so
many varied interests and couS.itu-
encies, not always above Presidential
Establishments, nor free from the in.
fuences of power, can show such a
noble and unyielding devotion to
principle. Congress has shown this.
1t has passed the ordeal Of a fiery
furnace, and we feel it should be hon
ored. We have had no Congress
since that which framed the Declara-
ton Of Independence so deserving of
the Republics gratitude.


Twelve months ago, there seemed
fair prospect that our political trou.
bles were near an end. Four years
of war had demolished the theory of
secession and State sovereignty; two
years more of dispute and turmoil
had left the lately rebcllious States
prepared to accept almost any toler.
able terms of restoration; and, when
the just and liberal plan proposed by
Congress was laid before them, there
seemed no reason why they should
not adopt it unanimously. If they
had done so, there would have been
po further occasion for strife. The
vacant seats in the Senate and House
would have been filed. Military
Governors would have been among
the things of the past Court martial
and arbitrary interference with the
regular processes of law would have
been among the troubled memories of
the war. Industry would have re-
vived. The laborer would quietly
have earned his hire, the planter de-
voted himself to his crops, and the
merchant to his trade. With the re-
storation of social order and public
prosperity, starvation and pestilence
would have passed away like some
horrible nightmare, and the rich
fields and pleasant cities of the South
would once moro have smiled. We
at the North did our part to bring
about all this, and our brothers at
the South would have done their part,
too, but their evil genius drove them
into other courses. On the thres-
hold of peace, they were stopped by
the high priest Of discord. In the
very hour of reconstruction, the
great prophet of hatred held up his
policy of anarchy, and tempted them
to renewed disorder. Andrew John
son has succeeded to the bad emf
nence once occupied by JEFF. Davis.
Davis urged the Southern States to
60 out Of the Union; johnson pre-
vents them from coming in. One
was the apostle of secession. The
other is the chief adversary of re-
construction. One was the advocate
of war. The other is the promoter
of an anarchy which is worse than
war, the fomenter Of hostility more
bitter and more dangerous than that
which animates soldiers in the open
field.


The policy Of President johnson
has been throughout to rouse the
dormant passions of the Southern
Rebels, to kindle afresh the smother
ed antipathy Of race, and out Of those
uuholy materials to build up for him.
self party which should control the
the whole country. Don't submit, he
cried, to the repentant South; don't
come back until you can come as
conquerors. Don't yield to the vic.
tors the fruit Of their victory. You
are the masters; you are the predes.
tined rulers Of the Union; yours are
the promises. The North is strong
Of arm, but tender of heart and weak
of head. Raise the cry of social
anarchy, and you can frighten it into
whatever you want. Sheridan inter
fered to prevent the execution Of this
wicked plan, and the President hurl-
ed him from place. Stanton refused
to prevent the execution of this
wicked plan, and the President hurl-
ed him from place. Stanton refused
to lend himself to the scheme, aud he
too was driven from office. Pope and
Sickles made a stand for peace and
justice, and they were removed. Full
warning was given the Rebels that
they might swindle and abuse the
negroes as much as they pleased, aud
the President would back them; they
might override the laws, and the