Year: 1865

dav night on receipt of the Persas news, but after
wards receded to 138.


President Johnson's Plan OF RccOnstruo-


tion--Can for . Constitutional Conven-


tiOn.


The plan of reconstruction adopted by Presi-
dent johnson, as foreshadowed in the HERALD
and announced in the recent Presidential pro-
clamations is 80 simple, clear, strong, practical
and constitutional as to command the respect
and support Of every reasonable man. Its
main feature is to throw the political power OF
the Southern States into the hands Of the poor
whites of that section, who never had any
political control before. The negroes and the
former negro owners are excluded for the pre-
sen! from the privilege of suffrage. We estimate
the voting population Of the seeded States at,
say, eight hundred thousand. OF these two
hundred thousand belong to the ex-slavehold-
ing aristocracy, who used to domineer over the
remaining six hundred thousand voters, ruling
them for many years, and finally nearly
running them by this rebellion. Now this
condition of things is to be completely
changed. The six hundred thousand poor
whites are to exercise the legitimate
supremacy of a majority. Through State con-
ventions, the adoption Of new State constitu-
tons, the election of State officers and then of
members of Congress, they are to bring the
seeded States back into the Union quietly,
quickly and gracefully. President Johnson's
admirable plan settles the reconstruction ques-
ton most satisfactorily.


But, as the plan which we have briefly
sketched excludes for the present the ex-slaves
and the ex-slaveholders, it naturally encoun-


ters the opposition Of the negro worshippers of
the North and the negro aristocracy at the
South. Wendell Phillips the Tribune and the
Post do not like it, and we presume that the
rebel leaders do not like it. These two classes
Of people have agreed SO well in the past that
it would be astonishing if they differed now.
Our readers will remember that Wendell
Phillips rejoiced over secession in public
speech when South Carolina rebelled, and
that the Tribune acknowledged the right
of secession and urged the South to take
advantage of it and quit the Union.
The Post, with dozen charges of fraud
hanging over one Of its proprietors, can
sympathize deeply with those who have been
opposing the government in another way. At
any rate, now that both North and South con-
cede that slavery ia dead, we find the extremists
Of both sections uniting in abuse of President
johnson. He need care nothing for that so
long as the people are with him. He is not the
kind of man to be bullied by vituperative ora
tors or fanatcal papers. He has determined
upon his policy and he will pursue it to the end.
We believe it to be the right policy, and we an
ticipate its complete success.


Wendell Philips is e lian whose mission is
to oppose everything He FIRST opposed slavery;
then the Union; then the rebellion, and now he
things, he occasionally opposes himself Dur
ing the past three years he has been diligently
employed in answering his own former speeches
in favor of disunion. Consistency is jewel,
which is, unfortunately, not in his possession.
He began his Boston harangue on wednes-
day by centending that slavery is abolished.
Only O few weeks ago, at the anti
slavery anniversary in this city, he op-
posed this very opinion when it was
enunciated by WiAiam Lloyd Garrison. He
then went on to say that President Johnson's
plan of reconstruction was "a practical fraud
upon the North" He denounced the President
as "a rObber" and "a JEFF. Davis sycophant."
He wanted to rcpudiate the entire war debt,
which the HERALD is endeavoring to pay off,
He gave utterance to the terrible threat, which
cbils us as we write, that he-the great Wen
dell Phillips, the original disunionist-
oppose every step towards reconstruction not
in accordance with his own ideas. He de-
clared that II would have been far better for
Grant to surrender to Lee than for the Presi-
dent to do anything without consulting Wendell
Phillips. We believe him TO be sincere in this
declaration; but we also believe that President
johnson will not regard the matter Of Grants
surrender in that peculiar light. The man who
was 30 fond Of calling the lamentcd Lincoln
ga tortoise and "a slave driver cannot have
much influence with Mr.. Lincoln's successor.
His utterances are only important because, like
a weathercock, he shows which way the radical
wind Is blowing, and from what quarter we
may expect storm.


Any attentive observer of political events
can easily see that the effects Of President
Johnson's plan will not cease with the recon-
struction of the Union. That will be ih first
and immediate result; but the ultimate results
will be quite ss important II is philosophi-
cal as well a. practical plan, and II will re-
organize Southern society and revolutionize
our national politics. Reconstruction is but
the beginning Of the scheme. The poor whites
Of the South, placed by the President in the
supreme political control Of that section,
will form union with the war demo-
crsts Of the North. These two parties
will at once rally around Andy John
son, who represents them both; for he
began life az q poor Southerner, and he was
.1.oto.l A. .ho Via prosidoccv m . vvor dnvno