New-York daily tribune., 1863-08-28
RECoNsTRUCTIoN TnEon,-T-

"RECONsTRUCTION THEOBisTs.
The Uorid essays to drag us into the diScur-
sion We deprecate by such glazing mi,s,atemcnis
as the following:
"Tns Tn,pvsr p.ofe..e. to ,hink ,la,. question o.
such ransoendcnt interest the re' sA'on q e ni' he
peope .houA be - reic-ni ard apahcc hoy aed
for no more in tho settlement han h- .ul'. o. otc,n
Government"
THE TRIBUNE proic'Se, 20 think - nothing d
the sort. If there be any hereabout who oppose
1.-the restoration Of the Union" argue with
them, lecture them, bully them. to your hearts
content. We have not the least objection.
What we do object to is the discussion Of hy-
pothetical schemes and conditions of "rccon-
structon" on the utterly gratu.tous ass ampiion
that the South il TO be concilatcd by their adop-
ton, when she has never profcssed them, nor
limited that they would be acceptable. We are
falsely accused of wishing the South treated
with extreme severity; but there is one imposi-
ton upon her attempted which we sternly re-
sist-and that is the assumption Of Copperhead
orators and writers TO speak in her behalf, with
out the slightest authority or warrant. Her
people have tongues and pens--let them speak
for themselves!
This interposition has purely selfish impulse.
Our Copperheads comprehend that their only
chance for resuming the government Of the
country is bound up in the re-establishment OF
the traitor Slave Power. Hence their fussy
anxiety TO have the reconstruction Of the Union
confounded with and based upon the recon-
struction Of the Slave Power They
".lsh sna groAb
Yor Southern good but moan their own"
They want the Union restored; but they are
pre-eminently anxious that it shall be restored
in such shape as will insure the election of a
few more Pierces and Buchanans 10 the Presi-
dency, and thus give them The control Of the
Federal patronage.
Down TO this hour, the People Of the South
even restricting the term ~ Whites-hayc had
no fair opportunity to say whether they would
or would not prefer the perpetuaiion of Slavery.
The Slave Power has always been able to pro-
hbit inquiry and stine discussion. II you were
opposed 10 Slavery, you were an enemy Of the
South, and must leave. Thus, many noble
SOutherDers have been driven into exile; thus
immigrants from Free-Labor communities have
been systematically gagged. We confidently
hope that new era is about 90 dawn on the
South.
The LOYAL People Of Tennessee, when the Rcb-
els shall have been completely driven from her
soil, will doubtless be summoned TO elect a new
Governor and Legislature-pcrhaps n new Con-
sttutonal Convention. If they shall thereby
authOritatively say, ave desire the restoration
Of Slavery to the position il held among US prior
to 1861" their demand will be fairly entitled to
weight If, after the bloody experiences Of the
last three years, such men as John Cstron, An
drew johnson, William Il. Campbell, Horace
MAYNARD, ParsOn BrOwnlOw, &c, &c, shall
deliberately pronounce Slavery a moral and
economic good, which they are anxious to re-
store and fortfy, we shall deeply regret their
mistake, but we shall not deny that their views
and wishes are entitled TO grave consideration.
But as for the Northern COpperheads, who are
championing Slavery with q view to future as
tendency through its aid We regard their super
seryiceable zeal in behalf Of our Nations giant
curse and shame with unutterablc loathing.
While, then, we would have no man "reti-
cent" nor "apathetic" with regard to the
restoration of the Union, we most decidedly
protest against the refastening Of the yoke Of
the Rebel Slave Power upon the neck of the
South and of the country, through Northern
intrigue and TO subserve the ends Of Northern
ambition. Let the South be liberated by the
Union arms from the desolating sway Of the
oligarchy which plunged her into treason, with
out reason or decent pretext. Let her loyalty,
long crushed beneath the iron heel of violent
and teroriziDg faction have chance 10 assert