Year: 1866

People.


The issue between the President and his op-
ponents is now broadly and clearly defined.
There can be no mistaking it, no evading it, no
explaining it away. In his first veto message,
and in his grand speech on the 22d of Febru-
ary, President johnson boldly drew the line be-
tween himself and the radicals but they have
since been endeavoring to obliterate these
utterances from the minds of the people, For
this purpose Thad Stevens insulted the House
and gave the world the lowest possible esti-
mate of the intelligence of his constituents by
declaring that the Presidents speech was only
q hoax. For this purpose Senator Sherman
went down to Connecticut and tried to delude
the voters by arguing that the differences be-
tween the President and Congress were imma-
terial For this purpose the editors of the radi-
cal journals have filed their columns, day
after day, with bogus reports as to what the
President had said to this radical Senator or to
the other radical delegats. For this purpose
the violent abuse of the President by the radi-
Gals has been temporarily abandoned, and
some Of them have even schooled themselves to
speak Of him respectfully. And for this pur-
pose Horace Maynard, one Of the excluded
Congressman from the Presidents own State,
has been sent around the country to tell the
people that the Union is restored, and that
all the rights Of the South are restored also.
This second veto message dispels the illusions
which these politicians have been endeavoring
to create. 1t reminds us that eleven States are
still out of the Union. It points us to the dan
ger of mongrel republic. It is the Presidents
appeal to the people against the politicians,
and by the people he will be sustained.


The first veto message Of President Johnson
convinced the leading men of Europe that he
is great statesman. His speech on the 2cd
of February has been universally accepted as
q masterpiece which no prince born to the
purple could possibly have equslled. This
second veto message will add to his popularity
here and will increase the respect entertained for
him abroad. Its clear, calm, conclusive analy-
sis of the Civil Rights bill; its scathing expo
sure of the faults and defects of the measure,
and its eloquent statement of the policy which
the President has deliberately adopted, and to
which he intends to adhere, are such as would
make the reputation of any other official; but
they can only strengthen the reputation Of
President johnson. Some Congressman who
profess to be his friends had voted for this bill;
some of his supporters, who had not examined
the subject with sufficient attention, presumed
and predicted that he would give the bill
his signature; but with keener insight and
snTo aff Toh
at once detected the danger of this
special legislation and the evils with which
this measure was fraught With the indomit-
able pluck which Americans so much admire,
and which we have seen incsrnated in jack
son, a Grant, Sherman and Sheridan, the
President substituted veto for his signature
and sent the bill back to the Senate, where it
originated. What the Senators may do with it
is of no consequence. Two or three of them
may be i'll and the veto may be disregardcd,
or by very close vote it may be endorsed.
In either case the position of the President
will not be affected. He looks beyond Con-
gress; he appeals to the people, aud by the
people he will be almost unanimously sus-
tanned.


The veto message shows irrefutably that tho
radicals design to make this a morgrel gov
ernment. 1t has unmasked them; they can no
longer maintain their hypocritical pretence of
philanthropy. They hope and expect to con-
fer the right Of suffrage upon the negroes; to
elect negro members OF Congress from the
Southern States; to make negroes eligible for
the highest offices in the land. The political
equality Of the blacks thus conceded, how can
their social equality be denieds They must be
permitted to propose marriage to our daugh-
ters; to sit at table with white persons; to
mingle familiarly in the best society. For the
sake of three millions OF negroes forty millions
of white people have already been involved in


civil war; half of great nation has been
crippled and desOlated; heavy debt has been
placed upon the shoulders Of our citizens;
blood has been poured out like waller;
precious lives have been ruthlcssly sacrificed;
but all this is not enough. Now, for the sake
of three millions Of negroes, the white people
of this country are asked to submit TO the abro-
CATION of the constitutions; to the exclusion OF
eleven States from the Union; to the SUPER
sedure of the State judiciary; to the petty
tyranny of irresponsible spies, paid to prefer


complaints, whether justly or unjustly. More
than this: we are asked to give the semi
civilized negro preference over the intelligent


immigrant who lands upon our shores; 10
punish parent who refuses to allow negro


to marry his child; to cast into prison any judge


who decides the dicta Of Congress unconstitn.
tional; to submit TO social association per


iectly revolving to all sensible persons, and to


a national future like that of Mexico or Of the


mongrel South American republics. This II


what the radicals demand, and all this they


have embodied in the Civil Rights bill, which


ought to be called q bill to deprive whits