Year: 1866




Policy Of tho NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. En-


dOrsement Of President johnson.


The impression is becoming general and
widespread throughout the country that the
doom of the radical republicans as political
power is sealed. We think that that impress
sion is well foun led. We will certainly have
no regret for its complete accomplishment, and
there are few, if any, thoughtful, patriotic men
who will have. The continuance Of such q
malign power in the land means simply the
continuance of distraction, disunion, discord.
Its destruction will be national blessing, an
event to be rejoiced over hardly less than the
fall OF Richmond and the surrender of the rebel
armies. In fact those great initiatory events
have been to great extent neutralzed by the
runous policy pursued by Congress- 1t was in
vain that Grant and Sherman scattered the
rebel hosts, if Stevens and Sumner can con-
tinue, as they have done, to prevent the nation
from enjoying the fruits of victory in restored
Union and reunited, prosperous people.


1t is perhaps to be regretted that the dis
bandmcnt of the rebel armies and the cessa-
ton of all hostility against the federal gov
ernment was not instantly followed by Presi-
Dental proclamation announcing the reinte-
grafton Of the Union and a complete amnesty
cial session of Congress, at which every State
recently in rebellion should be represented.
The amendment of the several State constitu-
tions to conform to the altered state of things
might have proceeded at the same time.
The exaction of conditions precedent was
rather doubtful, and has turned out to be a
dangerous, policy. 1t was of little consequence
whether one or all of the rebel States recog-
nzed the abolition of slavery, SO long as that
abolition was an accomplished fact and had
national authority for it; and as to the repudi-
alton Of the rebel debt, that was relief instead
Of punishment 1t would have served the
rebel States right if they had been made to
pay the last cent OF the debt which they
had incurred in their atrocious war against
the government; or at least, the disposi-
ton OF The subject might have been safely
left to themselves. The exaction of such
conditions established, as il were, a pre-
cedeut for the action of Congress in i'm
posing other conditions which could not be so
readily asscnted to, and which were, in fact,
entirely inadmissble. Such were the condi-
tions, 20 disiranchise all who aided the rebel
lion-meaning the whole white population
and TO deliver over the political control Of the
States to negroes.


Thus il has happened that, although year
and half has elapsed since Lee capitulated
at Appomattox Court House, the real practical
reintegration of the Union has not yet been
accomplished. All the valuable results Of the
national success have been for so far lost.
Instead OF the unbounded field for enterprise
which the States of the South, relieved from
slavery, should have offered TO Northern
capital and industry, they have been virtually
closed against U.S. owing 10 the illieeling which
naturally grew out OF the policy adopted by
Congress The testimony taken before the
Reconstruction Committee was unvarying in
regard to that point; 1t all going to show that
the disposition of the Southern people was
growing daily more emb ittered against the
North, whereas at the close Of hostilities, they
were inclined "to let by-gones be by-gones,"
to accept the altered condition Of things in
good faith, to prove themselves earnestly loyal
citizens, 10 welcome Northern capital and enter
PRISE and in all things TO prove themselves
deserving of confidence and respect. Some Of
the radical members OF the committee sought
to prove that the altered state of sentiment at
the South was The result OF President Johnson's
mild and conciliasory policy, and had actually
the audacity to put forward that view, which,
however, was too absurdly ridiculous to impose
on any man of ordinary Intelligence.


But the real question which the people must
now ask themselves, and which they have been
asking themselves, is, what is to be done? Ii
the country to be kept In its present unsettled
condition much longers Are we to see the gulf
be ween the North and South widening more
and more until it finally becomes impassable
Il the success Of the national arms 10 20 for
naught in order to crafty the raving malice Of
Thad Stevens and the ridiculous selfconceit Of
Charles Sumners The popular voice Of the
nation is laundering out q negative to these
questions. The unexampled enthusiasm which
greeh President Johnson on bis way from
Washington to Chicago has It's real source in
approval of his wise, patriotic, humane,
fatherly policy, and in condemnation Of the de-
structive principles Of the radicals. The late
Convention at Philadelphia has done much
towards giving direction to the popular mind.
The coming convention of soldiers and
sailors at Cleveland will help on the good
work. The practical common sense speeches
Of President johnson, day after day, which
are eagerly listened to by those whom he ad-
dresses, and carefully read by the people Of
the whole country. win have an unbounded
influence on public opinion. We confidently
look forward, as the result Of all those move
men,s, to the extinguishment Of the radical
republicans as political power, and to the
election 10 the next Congress Of men who are