Year: 1866

a


Taken in connection with the recent suthent-
Gated exposition of the Presidents views on the
question Of reconstruction, the recent attack OF Mr.
Stevens on the Executive has great signihcahcy'
As usual, it is almest impossible to gather from
the very confused language OF the teiegfhpnio ~,
mort. precise idea of the nature OF tins assault
-, NO Presidential policy but tits very clear that
the radical leader has declared war against the
prooaant ON behalf of himself of and that portion
Of the Republican party which he represents. The
;nsoronca is that the radicals are determined to
carry through their projects if possible, but that
thew have lost all hope of winning over the Presi-
dent to support of their designs. Indeed, the
ranort of recent conversations between Mr.. John
son and certain radical members of Congress,
would indicate that the breach between him and
the radical party is so wide and irreparable that
no partisan expedent can fill it up OF bridge it
over.


Some time ago it was suspected that the Presi-
dent might be induced to favor some of the con-
stitutional amendments which the radicals, by i'm
posing the acceptance of such amendments on the
South as conditions precedent of political rehabii
tation hoped to make the instrumentality of ac-
complishing their purposes. Prominent among
these expedients thus to be presented in the shape





forcing the South, in one way or another, to en-
franchise the negroes-a project dignifed by the
radicals with the sounding title of manhood suf-
frage,'' and which has now been converted into
the captivating phrase of &c making all men equal
before the law" Mr.. johnson had unqualifedy
expressed his opposition to any attempt to force
such measure on the Southern States. He mann
tanned the old Democratic ground that suffrage
was matter properly within State control, ana
which ought to be left within State control. But
he had, in a general way, declared preference
for the electoral basis of representation, over the
practical total population basis


1t is quite probable that Mr.. johnson had not
considered the frightfuliy demoralizlng eheets OF
this system when he recommended it; and
| it appears now that he never meant that
it should be proposed to the Southern States
| as a condition to be accepted by them
| on main of exclusion from the Union Inregard to
| the first point, it is probable that the radicals
themselves have foreseen the consequences to
which the competition among the States for in
creased representation would inevitably lead,
should the electoral basis be adopted. They have
therefore avoided this difficulty by retaining the
total population basis, but excepting from the
count all such persons as any of the States might,



joyment of the elective franchise. Thus, the effect
of the amendment would be felt exclusively by
the South. Should the Southern States continue
to discriminate against the negroes, in bestowing
the right of voting they would lose about eighteen
representatives in Congress- and the relative pow
er of the Republican party would be strengthened
to that extent. As the radicals know it to be ex-
trernely unlikely that the South will ever consent
-,
price as the enfranchisement of the negroes, it is
probable that this amendment has been adopted
as a measure looking to the preservation of party
ascendancy.


There are two ways in which the South can
meet this new issue thus reentlessly forced upon
her. She can persist in refusing to ratify the
amendm ent, and wait until time and the inevitable
mutation of parties shall have oyerthrown the
supremacy of the radicals, in the mean time main
tanning her present anomalous relations with the
Federal government; or she can ratify the amend
ment, and conform to its conditions according to
her view of the relative evils of diminished repre-
sentation and Of negro suffrage.


Should she choose the first course, she can it
seems, rely on the powerful support of the Presi-
dent. Mr.. johnson has recently declared, in the
most authoritative manner, that his views on the





gone change. He sees the danger of this
system of incorporating every theory and every
political vagary of temporarily into
! the fundamental law of the country. Moreover,
| whatever may be his own views as to the propriety
of any proposed alteration or amendment of the
constitution, he is not prepared to exercise coer
con on the States to force them to conform to his
opinion. And, refusal to permit the States to
+I,o
would be compulsion of the very worst kind.


The President declares now that his own action
in prescribing terms to the late Confederate States
in so far as this seemed to imply that he would
not recognize them as States unless they should
comply with his conditions, was meant to be only
advisory. His desire was that the Southern States
should adopt such course as would bring them
into harmony with the public sentiment of the rest
Of the country and with the executive branch of the
government, and thus facilitate the task of recon-
struction. He had by no means, intended that
his requirements should be viewed as conditions
precedent, which the executive, or any branch, or
all branches of the government had right to i'm
| pose on any of the States. His general conclu-
sion is, as it always has been, that these States
are in fact in the Union. The refusal of Congress
to admit their representatives is simply an act of
injustice, which cannot deprive them of any rights
In fact, the argument used by the radicals in this
matter is exactly an argument in q circle. They
exclude the Southern Representatives on the
ground that the Southern States are not in the
Union, and they declare that the Southern States
are not in the Union because they have no repre-
sentatives in Congress. In fine, the President
maintains, and very justly maintains, that repre-
sentation is but one of the rights of State under
| the Constitution. Exclusion from Congress does
not, therefore, prevent such excluded States from
exercising other constitutional rights, over which
Congress has no control.
| ai-See second page for future auction sales.
| ITALIAN OPERA.-Donizetti's beautiful opera Of
" La Fayorita was performed in the most artistic
manner last night before q very discriminating