The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-07-12

armed forces and in the work Of destruction,
decentralization and Reorganization inflicted
upon the weaker party, has left the late rebel
lious States In the most chaotic and deplorable
condition that could be well imagined, socially
and politically. Their late imperious slave
holding aristocracy, with their oppressive insti-
tuition of African slavery, lie PROSTATE in the
dust the shackles have fallen from their four
millions Of slaves the great barrier which
divided the lords Of the soil from "the poor
whites" is levelled to the earth but the differ
ences and the prejudices of caste and race of
two hundred years of assiduous cultivation are
barriers to the reconstruction of Southern so
oiety which still exist and threaten us a world
of trouble.
The Southern whites, rich and poor, accept
the abolition. of slavery as the penalty Of an
unsuccessful effort to set up by force of arms
an independent pro-slavery confederacy on the
ruins of the Union. Recognizing their late
Struggle as one of death to slavery or the
Union, they recognize the death Of slavery
with their defeat But they cannot yet under
stand that emancipation brings the negro with
in the pale of political rights or equality be-
fore the law with the white man. The lessons
of slavery from the mists of tradition, passing
from generation to generation, until they had
established the divinity of the institution with
all its atrocities, are lessons which cannot be
eradicated by bayonets or by proclamations.
The fallacy of the teachings of slavery can be
proved only by time and little experience in
the opposite direction. President johnson is
wisely acting upon this theory. A prisoner
immured for long time in dark dungeon, if
suddenly brought into the full blaze of the sun,
can at first see nothing from the excess of light
which blinds him. This is the idea
upon which Andrew johnson has established
his line of action in the restoration of the rebel
States upon the basis of emancipation. His
policy is to bring the people of both races con-
cerned to the new political and social system
required of them by gradual approaches. From
his long experience in the late land of slavery,
from his close observations of its pernicious
effects, and from his intimate knowledge of all
its lines of demarcation between whites and
blacks, shareholders and poor whites, he tho
roughly comprehends the difficulties and dam
gers of the task before him, and has wisely
resolved to move carefully and cautiously. He
knows that the experiment of negro suffrage
directly upon the heels Of negro emancipation
would, throughout the South, make the existing
confusion only more COMPOUNDED. Hence In the
outset, leaving the emancipated blacks to the
important duty, first devolving upon them, of
seeking employment and wages, he chooses
from the white population Of South Carolina,
for example, the citizens most likely to reor-
ganize the State on loyal and liberal plat
form in reference to whites and blacks, being
particularly stringent only in his exclusions of
the late rebellious slaveholding aristocracy.
Under this policy, we believe, the rebel States
may be quietly and In due time brought step
by step even to the admission Of the emanci-
pated black to the ballot box. But the radical
reformers of the North, and especially their
.wise men Of the East" who know nothing of
the difficulties existing in reference to the po-
litical blending of whites and blacks in the
South, demand the immediate concession of suf-
frage to the blacks as the only alternative for
their own protection and The safety Of the GOV
ernmen.. We would admonish those blind
leaders of the blind that this road loads TO on
"irrepressible conflict" of the grea'cs. danger
to the black race. Our ears arc filed W th
startling reports and rumors Of scenes Of vio-
lence and revenge between Southern whites
and blacks. At Norfolk, it appears, scnscloGs
mobs of "poor whites" with the cry o? "nig
mig down with the nigp' have already re-
suited in scenes of disorder and bloodshed. In
South Carolina, beyond our military lines, il
we may believe the half that is reported, come
of the disbanded chivalry have in the woods
been pretty actively engaged in tho work
Of negro determination. In other quar-.
tiers, we are told, the negroes refuse
to work, and in wandering bands de.
clare they will enjoy their freedom. Yet
again, In other places, it appears, their late
owners are driving them away from their old
homes to shift for themselves, the planter
having more of them upon his hands than be
wants, now that they cease to be marketable
commodity.
In q word, the issue Of the war in the
South, as q struggle between whites and
blacks, slaves and Shareholders Is well calcu
lated to excite boastful rejoicings from the
one side and bitterness and prosecutions from
the other. Under this condition of things
throw in the frebrand Of negro suffrage, and
we shall have in all probability collision be
tween the two races In the South-a wild and
furious war of determination, which will require
another call upon the armies Of the Unior
to reduce to law and order. In this view o
the subject the policy of President johnson Il
the policy of wisdom, safety and peace. HI
knows the elements and the dangers will
which he has to deal; he knows them from
the stern experience Of long and active pub
lie career in the South, and he Is guided by thu
lights of this experience.