Year: 1866

SHARP CRITICISM THE PRESIDENTS COURSE


The Stockton Independent is probably growing
in favor with the Union party faster than any
paper in the State. Its opinions on all subjects
are delivered in a calm and candid manner, as
witness the following review of the extraordina-
ry position recently assumed by the President;


The President holds that eleven States are by
Congress improperly held out of the Union. The
Congress says they not States, and can only
become such by consent of Congress The diff
ference is radical in the main, and equally so IN
all its details If the President is victorious the
eleven States will enter Congress, and with their
Northern allies rule in both houses lfCongress
is triumphant they will be kept out until there
is a certainty OF thorough reformation in loyalty
at the South. The triumph of the Presidential
party suppresses the Freedman Bureau, leaves
the liberated blacks at the mercy of State Courts
and juries who have shown no desire to protect
them. The President, We believe, has once rec
commended the withdrawal of all Federal troops
from certain slave States, as n means of mollify-
ing popular feeling he has also assspted to the
arming of the State militia in the Nine States
Our best informed Generals quartered in those
States oppose both measures, alleging a
son that if the State militia be armed, the negroes
(who are all loyal to the Unionl will all be slain
or prosecuted out of their country by these mill
tiamen, who were for the greater part in the late
rebel army, and who declare that - no Yankee
or freedman shall live in the South Congress
is opposed to all these measures. whether they
have been proposed by the Provisional Govern
ors or Governors elected by the people of the
South. Congress and those who sustain its
views believe that citizen of the North is cit
izen anywhere in the Union, every where entitled
to Federal protection in life liberty and property.
As against these starling facts what do theories
founded on a doubtful construction of the Con-
stitutOp amount to? Against every moral and
multiplied physical demonstration of impacable
hate on the part of citizens of the South, ofwhat
avail is it that the President tells peace exists
in those States. Accounts continually reach us
of armed rebel demonstrations against peaceable
Union people from Nashville to Mobile. Why
then declare peace, withdraw the Federal troops,
arm disloyal militia and leave four millions of
blacks at the mercy of bands of incorrigible
whites Can the State of Mississippi suppress
the evils complained of? Would her authorities
do it if they could The President tells Congress
that " the State of Tennessee for instance, whose
authorities were engaged in rebellion, was re-
stored TO her constitutional relations by the pa
triotism and energy of her injured and betrayed
people. and he knows reason why Tennessee
should not fully enjoy all her constitutional re-
lations to the United StateS' The thousands |
of soldiers from Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Pennsy |
vania New York, and New England, who fought |
their way from Fort Donelson and Bowling Green |
all through Tennessee, leaving arms and legs at
Pittsburg Landing, Murfreesboro, Nashville and
Chickamauga, will be surprised when they hear
this news. Tennessee was wrested from the
rebels (her own included, not by - the patrio
tism and energy of her injured and betrayed peo-
pie, " but by the patriotism and valor of her
Northern sister States. These loyal Northern
men have now an equal right with Tennessee
patriots to homes on her soil Bnt can Tennes
see afford them protection against her own
returned rebels? The following language,
reported in the veto message, appears to be badly
chosen - The President stands toward the coun-
try in a different attitude from any member OF
Congress who is chosen by the people of all the
States. Eleven States are not represented, and
it wond seem to be his duty to present their just
claims to Congress" The President was not
talking to :: any member of Congress- but to
all as Congress- which is at least his equal in
this Government, if not his superior; nor was
he " chosen by the people of all the States" AT
least nine of the eleven States once in rebellion
failed to give him single vote. He concludes
with the opinion that if - the Federal Courts,
with the aid of the Southern militia, fail to
give protection to all classes, a" the Executive
is already armed with power to enforce thelaws
As against rebellion yes but the President can
do very little without the aid of Congress, whom
he appears, in this concluding sentence, so cruel
lv to snub. He cannot keep up regular army
Va H"PfO4' :"
Congress votes him the means If he nominally
carries the sword. the House really holds the
purse-strings, of this nation and 1t is due to
Congress that he profoundly respects the opinions
of two-thirds of the House so solemn ques-
ton as may involve another outbreak at the
South If it shall transpre that the views of Con-
gress are the safest and that for their rejection,
the country must suffer again in life and treasure,
this seemingly curt veto message will be quoted
in all time against even the constitutional powers
of the President of the United States.


LETTER FROM JAcNro. The annexed con-
trbution from our old friend was crowded out
last week by the extraordinary Eastern news
knowing that he is an intense " radical, we af
ford it a conspicuous place., directly follow
ing the opinion of another clear-headed q radi-
cal "-Seabough, of the Stockton Independent: