The Portland daily press., 1865-11-28
Letter from the Federal Capital.
WASHINGTON, Nov. "a, 1866. /,

willing to let it rest. ft@ E. 81. T. y
Letter from the Federal Capital.
WASHINGTON, Nov. "a, 1856. u ]
RECONSTRUCTION. q .....s..
To the Editor of the Press: ...sa,s.
If remember correctly, we sometimes used
during the dark days of the war to send north
ward the electifying intelligence that wash
ington was safe"! Iwish as much could be
said to-day. Unfortunately Washington is
not exectly safe, and what is worse, the whole
country is in the same condition. The influx
of pardon-seekers has much abated, but it is
to be succeeded by far more dangerous swarm,
of seekers for place and power. What pro-
LESSONS and promises the former may have
made in the Presidential presence cannot in
all cases be known. From the kindness with
which they have been treated, and the conf
dence reposed in them, it is probable they have
been shrewd enough to profess and promise
about anything, and everything that may have
been required. Meanwhile the bearing of
these gentlemen in private, the tone in which
they have been accustomed to speak, and the
spirit they have commonly been unable to re-
press or disguise, are not only no secret but
are quite notorious. All their penitence con-
sists in sorrow that they did not quite ruin the
country; all their loyalty in submitting with
no very good grace to result which they
could not prevent, but which they hope veto
materially modify Obtaining through the I'M
PARALLEL magnanimity Of the government,
what they seek here, immunity for their crimes,
a restoration of forfeited political privileges,
and those vast landed estates, by means of
which they have always led and governed in
Southern society, they go home "reconstruct-
ed" but not in the least regenerated~ If any
one thinks otherwise let him consider well the
course of recent events in the South. How
are we to regard the almost triumphant sup
port given in the late South Carolina election
to Wade Hampton, simply because he had
done so much fighting in the cause of the re-
bellion, the election OF, Worth in North Caro-
lima for the reason that Holden is the more
loyal man, the failure Of that State, of Georgia,
Alabama, Mississippi and Texas to ratily the
Georgia to heartily and effectually comply
with any one of the conditions of restoration
prescribed by the President, the election to
Congress of scores of men who cannot take
the test oath of that body, and who were not
only elected with the full knowledge that they
cannot, but because they cannot, thus coupling
with the application for admission to Congress
a deliberate insult to its authority and digni-
ty,-how are we to regard such developments
as these if not as indications that the rebel
spirit is still strong in the South? Nor is it
very difficult, when the best and most loyal
men of the South are overbome and over
slaughed because they really are and have
been such, to see what viii become of the
freedmen, if they are to be left to the tender
mercies of reconstructed rebels. Are not the
recent pro-slavery developments in Louisiana,
where as well as in the other Southern States
Gov. Hahn declares slavery to still exist in
everything but name, and in more odious
form than formerly, the refusal of Mississippi
to allow negroes to testify in Court, the an
nouncement of the Jackson Netcs, the official
paper of the Mississippi Convention, that sue
must Keep the er-sldoe In a position of inferi-
orsty-toe mast pass such laacs as eeiU make
him feel his i'Jesiority," the villainous slave
code for freedom recently concoeted in that
precious little State which led in rebellion and
ratified the Constitutional Amendment only
under duress, and in hope of neutralizing it
by State legislation ;-are not these facts, not
to mention the diabolical outrages and un-
provoked murders so frequently perpretrated
upon colored people in all the Southern Coun-
try, sufficient to determine the future fate of
those who, though black of skin, have poured
out blood as red as ours for the Union, if in
decd they are to be left bound hand and foot
in the hands of their former tyrants? IF the
straws in Dixie are not just now blowing all
one way, and that the wrong way, then some
thing must be the matter with our optics. If
the wind down South is not in a foul weather
quarter we are much at loss about the points
of the compass. Mo wonder the President
has thought it time to address his Southern
wards in the imperative mood. No wonder
that having "tried to oeeTwheEna the South
cih pardons and Kindness he begins from re-
cent ecents to think them incapable of appre-
cidting naagnaninaity." ''''t' '''i''''''' >
If the people Of the North are wise in sea-
son, if they stand as sternly by their principles
now, as year ago thew stood to their arms,
all will yet be well. If one in a private rem
contre, having disarmed his assailant with ut
most effort and extreme peril, should straight
way restore to him, while yet unhumbled and
unrepentant, all his former means of mischief,
and grant him new powers for harm, he
would be deemed mad. None the less insane
shall we be, if we admit the lately rebellious
States to the Uuion without some solid, effec-
tual guaranty for their own loyalty in the flu
ture, and some impregnable protection for the
safety Of those who by every principle of JUS
tice, every sentiment OF honor, and every
prompting of humanity are ours to defend.
Congress, we rejoice to believe, is sound upon
the question abont to be presented for its az
oitrament, yet Congress will need in Its sup
port the judgment, the conscience, the SYM
pathy OF every loyal man. 1t needs to be
strengthened and reinforced by the whole
nora power of the whole country. The
pless, tne pulpit, the lecture room, any and
every engine OF thought should be active in
cleal,ns PUBIC opinion and sentiment in ia
vor o' loyalty and Justice, and in combining
tnem lnto one resistless tide. On such tide
alone can our storm battled Ship of State be
saiely oolne paSt Ihe Chatting breakers, and
over the harbor bars into the haven OF assll1-
Gu peace. .-.,.t T. S. p.
The Press says it understands the middle
men to be in fault, in raising the price of milk.
IL Is only little while ago that it spoke of
combination of dealers to keep the price at
70 cents per gallon, so they could sell at
cents per quart. Do the middle-nen combine
DON Osaa TO keep it up and down? [O9ford Demo