Year: 1866

FOllcys
1rd The New York Evening Post, after
reading President Johnson's speeches
and other public, documents, since he
became Presidtaiti coIsBes to the follow
ing conclusions respecting his chief
na0tipes, Tthe Seeds" SO to speak, Of
his policy: "1e has great aversion
to war measures or war legislation in
peace, times; he believes there is vast
and Irresistible power in free and full
discussioh; he loves peace, and all its
ways; he thinks that by extirpating
slavery we have flung out the only
seed Of discord, and that now, when
armed resistance to the Government
has been crushed, We should fall at
once into the old ways. And he re-
CARDS this of so great Importance that
he would like to set all the machinery
of Government going from the exact
point at which it was stopped by the
rebellion. 1T isireported' of a German
professor, who was snatched away in
the middle of a lecture, immhred in
prison, and only liberated after twelve
months confinement, that when he
was set free he gathered about him as
quickly as possible his old class, and
calmly proceeded to finish his lecture.
Gas 7 was saying, when I was inter
rupted," began the professor; and in
II similar spirit Mr.. Johnson issued his
reconstruction proclamation, Kidding
those only to be electors who were so
under the State laws before the war,
suffering those who held, local offices in
1860 to relOccupy them until their sue
cessors could be re-appointod, and in
every way aiming TO restore the coun-
try, and especially its political institu-
tions to the condition they were in
just before the war broke out-with
the exception of slavery.


alt Is as though he had said to him.
self: 'Once more we may advance by
argument discussion, votes once
more we can appeal to the people at
the ballot-b0x. Before the war, I'VE
were steadily but surely advancing
towards fun and broad and universal
liberty, by peaceable DISCUSSION. The
war interrupted this grand march of
the nation now let us resume it,
There may be evils, but they will be
corrected in time by our old and wise
methods; there may be suffering, and
wrong, fhe prejudicd, but all this is
only temporary, and will be cured by
discussion, by appeals to the common
sense of the people, by experience.


"This is, we believe, the ftIndamcn-
tai idea or principle underlying and
shaping Mr.. JOhnson's policy. He be-
lieves, as we too believe, that in the
Union, with our Constitution, with
peace and free discussion, there is no
limit to our possible progress as a ma
ton, no wrong that will not be righted,
no inhuman prejudice or hatred that
will not be rooted out, no class so low
but it will be raised up, no condition,
however deplOrable, that will not GER
tainly and speedily be improved.


"And believing this, he is not only
anxious that we shall Mt once recon-
mence our peaceful march, which was
interrupted by the rebellion; he is
not only confident, from our past, that
the American people will be true to
right and liberty in peace, as they
were in war but he has Jealous rev.
erence for the instruments of this
progress, the Union and the Constitu-
ton. The one he would seek by all
means to strengthen in the minds and
hearts of all the people; the other he
would not rashly amend, and he will
strictly construe. "While we hold
fast to these we are SAFE" he cries ;
let us have patience; for with them
all good things will come to us in time.


Snow this idea is not merely grand
it is true it is philosophically cor
rect; it is such fundamental princi-
pie as bears up a Just and beneflcient
policy. 1t represents, withal, the feel
ing which lies deep in the nations
heart. We admire and approve it
with all our hearts," ,-.a'.r .r' e.r