Year: 1866




nre in existence iDe lesser lights will be
compelled to hide ourselves under II
bushel; consequently this will prob
ably be the last communication will
have the honor and pleasure of adj
dressing you.


l will remain, however, yours obedi-
emily, s. II. N.


To Andrew johnson, President OF the


United states, Greeting.


SIR: To you as Chief Magistrate of
these United states we, the people of
the Northwest, delight to do honor; and
we remember with mingled pride and
sadness the distinguished services for
which you we're elected to that exalted
position. 1t would be doing injustice
to our own judgment not to tell you
frankly that up to the time of your in
auguration as President, your political
record entitled you to a place in the
hearts OF your cOuntrymen and on the
pages of history by the side of Wash
ington and Lincoln. The homage and
respect we paid you was not more for
your distinguished patriotism than for
that diviner quality of statesmanship
trodden and oppressed OF all classes
and of all nations. We need not assure
you of our continued devotion to those
principles, or parade the evidences Of
our loyalty and fidelity to the Constitu-
tion. Because we loved the Union we
defended you with our bayonets when
rebel patrols galloped within sight OF
your Nashville home and rebel cannon
pointed grimly at your citadel; and be-
cause you then avowed eternal faithful
ness to the mon, white and black, who
were true to the old flag in that dark
hour-declared that they "should con-
troll the work of reorganization and re-
formation absolutely" and that "trait-
orS should take u back seat in the work
OF restoration" }" we were willing to en-
trust to your keeping the precious
fruits of our sacrifice. But, sir, the ex-
taught US that pledges made by you in,
the hour of peril are not to be kept
in the day of prosperity. 1t mat
ters little to us whether this unac-
countable change in you is the result of
honest conviction. or Is a premeditated
betrayal ofthe loyal millions whose sa-
cred interests are involved. We have
no disposition to impugu your motives,
TO go back ofyOur actions and seek for
evidence of darker guilt than political
apostacy. Nay, we prefer rather to ex-
tend you such charity as the humilia-
ting consciousness that we are deceiv-
ed in you admOnlshes us to exercise to-
ward all humanity. The question of
motives we leave with that higher
Judge to whom you SO often appeal.
1t is sufficient for US to know :that
whereas you were, during the war,
standing side by side with the men who
fought for the preservation ofthe Union,
you are now the champion of those who
took up arms against it, and the leader
of the party wich pronounced tho war
| for the Union an unholy crusade; that
| whereas you once announced that trca-
son was u crime and should be made
! OdiouS, that traitors should be punish
| 81 NI.fNN l. nt
the crime of rebellion, and call those
traitors who cannot see the justice of
your so-Called reconstruction policy
which proposes the restoration of re bells
without restriction and with increased
power, and the consequent oppression
OF that largo butlOyal class in the South
TO whom you promised to be IL Moses;
that whereas you stated in your speech
accepting tho nomination to the Vice
Presidency that "before repenting reb-
els can be trusted, they must bring forth
fruits of repentance" you now advo-
highest trusts in the gift of the people,
Notwithstanding their fruits of repent
ance have been nothing but bitter hatred
| to the government and murderous vim
dictiveness toward the loyal men in
their midst; that whereas you once ad
vocated the rights of the freedmen, even
to the extent of granting them qualified
suffrage, you now refuse to guarantee to
them that mcngre protection proposed
by tho Freedmen's Bureau and Civil
Rights bill, and in every case where
their interests conflict with those OF
their late rebel masters you do not hes.
1tate TO discriminate in favor of the lat
ter; that whereas you announced on the
7th of last April, in an official order,
that In appointments to office in the
several executive departments of the
general government and the various
hRnV IL
ed with said departments, preference
should be given to such meritorious
and honOra6ly discharged soldiers and
sailors, particularly those who have
been disabled by wounds received or
disease contracted in the line of duty,
as may possess the proper qualifications,
you now appoint men who were noto.
riously opposed to the war, and not un.
frequently make place for such by re-
moving soldiers who were MANNED in
the service of their country. We might
go on to particularize each of. these
counts and give specific cases under
each general head, but we deem this
the pains TO show up your treachery to
the Union party-whfch would, indeed
but be giving an aggregate of the
charges above made. II you heed not
the appeal of the loyal millions who
fought with you for the salvation of a





ored you with place by the side of the
lamented Lincoln; ii you see not the
arrogance and devilish spirit your
course is encouraging in the men who
were lately In arms against the Govern.
ment; If rebel praise does not pail on
your taste nor the rebuke of loyal men
lead you to reflections; If tho cries
Of murder which come up from
Memphis, New Orleans and Baltimore
do not reach your ear and touch your
heart-if these, with the thousand
other crying wrongs We might name
do not rouse you from the fearful hal
} luclnation into which you have fallen
1t were little worth our while to re-
count them to you. But be assured
Mr.. President, that the people of the
Northwest are not deaf to them. There
is in the land a power greater thar
"My Policy" There is still n current
of patient argument that runs deeper
than your recriminating defamation
All Rome shouted when Nero entered
her gates in the disguise of Brittanicus
but the prgetorian guards in due time
} dispelled the delusion, and the presump
tive usurper was compelled to flee thu
wrath of those who but little while
before had yielded him adulation. DG
not be fiattered or deceived, therefore
J by the honOrs which tho people pay
you in consideration of your high office
and the distinguished company il
J which you move. The unhOly pur
pose to which you are prostituting you
: funeral pilgrimage will not more sure
~ receive its true estimate In history
than Fnhnln frnYS1 Tho ,noar1o -