New-York daily tribune., 1865-10-19
"TUE REAL IssTE.n


we could wish allow US the luxury of hearty
agreement with its views; but, whenever an
opportunity is vouchsafed us, We hasten to i'm
prove and enjoy it. An editorial in its last
No. on our Estate Election-The Real ISSUE"
concisely and truly presents that issue in these
words: .........
"Thc real question which is before the people is,
ikehtr The men rho hare been at heart against their
try during The ast four years shall nOg BE- suffered to take
me control rieltr gt control shall be and Ssaan in
the Aands ereIaSireiy Of loyal men,"
We might demur to the word "exclu-
sively," since we are known to favor speedy
restoration of the franchise to those who have
temporarily forfeited Thy treason and rebellion;
still, The Tmss's presentment Of "The Real
Issue" is terse. lucid and correct. And, with
the heartiest good will to those who, from what
ever motive, have been against the Federal
Government throughout the last four or five
years, we hold that they should not now expect,
nor even desire, transfer Of the administration
bodily into their hands.
The Times holds that "the control should,
for the present, "remain In the hands OF loyal
men," So do we. There is nothing harsh nor
vindictive in this. Dogbery's axiom that
"When two ride horse, one must ride be-
hind" covers the case. Our country has been
the arena of desperate four years conflict be-
tween those who sought to partition and thus
break her down, and those who resisted them to
the death. At length, the Unionists have tri-
umphed, the Secessionists are utterly over
thrown. Such is the net result of one of the
bloodiest, most gigantic, most destructive wars
on record. 1t seems to us but the simplest,
most obvious dictate Of common prudence,
that "the control shall remain FOR time in
the hands of those who have triumphantly
maintained rather than Of those who have so
vehemently assailed tho Nations integrity.
And that such is the prevalent conviction OF
LOYAL men, the results Of our recent Elections
abundantly attest.
The States lately in revolt vote the other
way; and for au obvious reason: The Right Of
Suffrage therein is practically restricted TO those
,cho hdr. been engaged in the Rebellion Take,
for example, the State Of Mississippi, which
had in 1860 79l ,305 human inhabitants, where
Of 1853, 9Ol were White, 773 Free Colored, and
1876 63l Slaves, showing clear preponderance
of 72,73O Blacks over Whites; and that pre-.
ponlerance has since, doubtless, increased
The Blacks are and have been Unionists
throughout, aud have contributed no less than
70, 900 men 10 the Union armies; the Whites
have, with few exceptions, been bitter Rebels,
and have sent nearly every abebodied man of
their number into the ranks Of the Confederate
armies. But the fighting Is over, the Con-
/ federacy overthrown; and the late Rebels with
very few exceptions, have submitted unreserv.
edly TO the Fedora. Government and are solicit
ing its mercy, which it is, very properly,
according. And the States lately in revolt are
being reconstructed " into their old position
Of legal equality and fraternity with those
which have steadEstly adhered TO and upheld
the Union.
So far well. But how and by whom shall
the restored States be reconstructed
We say, By their whole People--that Is. by
all who are to-day loyal citizens Of the United
States, no matter what they may have been yes
terday. Some Of them have been degraded
slaves; others have been bitter, fighting Rebels
but, since both Slavery and Rebellion have
perished, we would take neither into account in
| providing basis for reconstruction" Let
the recent disloyalty Of the one class the recent
Slavery Of the other, be treated as things of the
past, whereof the very memory is TO be speedily
buried. Let the whole People be summoned to
choose delegates to a Convention, whereby the
State shall be reconstructed, with such limita-
tions and definitions of the Right Of Suffrage as
majority shall judge expedient and just.
But what has been partially effected and now
awaits the sanction of Congress, is to authorize
the Whites only-in other words, the late Reb-
els--to reconstruct the State, and conccde 20
the Blacks--that is, the loyal majority-such
rights as to that ex.Rcbel minority shall seem
good The upshot of this is the wholesale pun
ishment of Unionists by Rebels, under the au-
thority and sanction of the Federal Government,
for having been loyal to their country and vol.
unteered to fight in its behalf. To our mind,
acquie5cence in this by the Government and
loyal People of the Union Is not merely the
grosSest and most perilous impolicy, but is o
fragrant and cruel breach of plighted faith.
By virtue Of it, the ex.Rebcl minority Of
MississippianS have already monopolized all po-
tica power within that State, in the choice Of It's
Electors of President and of its representatives
in Congress But they do not stop here.
Choosing an unpardoned Rebel General for their