The Indianapolis daily herald. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1865-1868, 1865-11-08
TaE ISSUES or THE DAY.

sauthsrn States to the military power OF the
Federal Government, has thrown upon US As q
peopIs and Government questions in the high
e., degree difficult and dangerous More Diff
cult than any We encountered in the four years
war, and equally dangerous TO the future pros
perity and weIl-being of our common country
No disn.ssionate or candid man can fail 10
rejoice that the var has terminated and that the
territorial integrity Of the country has been main
tanned The secret Of the final success of our
arms in the gigantic contest, is TO be found not
in the policy of the party in power. but in the
strong determination Of our whole people not to
permit the dismemberment Of the Republic. and
for the last two years OF the war the South
struggled less against restoration Of the Union,
than against that policy which threatened them
with total annihilation as a people.
The clash of arms is no longer heard The
sound Of the c.nnons of Antietam. Of Chancel
lorville, of Gettysburg. and of the Wilderness,
where whole armies disappeared. has died away;
and for some months the only military display
shs, has greeted the eyes OF the people has been
the retiring columns of citizen soldiery, re-
turning with glad and hasty steps to the bosoms
Of their families and friends to resume once
more the peaceful avocatons of the citizen, and
that gigantic army of more than million oil
men, which few months ago shook with Its
martial tread tho whole continent, has again
been resolved into its original elements. The
war is over; but as yet, one cannot say we nave
reached that point, where peace, permanent
peace, has been secured We linger yet In that
uncertain state which follows the shock OF sue
csssfu battle; that proceeds the establishment oil
law and order and civil rule; and before We can
pass out of this uncertain state 10 the hoped for
condition of re- established Union. we must solve
certain difKculs problems that are before US. If
we fail in this. then the present condition oil
things may prove but truce and another deadly
strife may be before us. OF these problems, the
most difficult aud dangerous Is tue restoration OF
the States lately involved 10 the rebellion To
their prope. relations with the Federal Govern
ment. In fact, it may be said that this Is the
sum of all political questions standing between
as and permanent peace, and that all others
b
successful solution of this problem do not so
much arise from the principle involved rs from
the nature and character of the political element
with which We have 10 deal. Ii the States oil
this Union had been homogeneous as to their in
sttutions before the war. no difference of opin-
ion could have arisen on. the subject of resto-
ration of the Southern States to their
former political relations, for then there
would have been nothing - reform,
aud all that would have been required
would have been submission to the Federal Con-
stituton Bot this was not the case; and as the
war has resulted in the complete revolution OF
the social and Industrial systems OF the Southern
States the great question is, how shall that res
toration be effected, and at the same time not
restore the former relation of master and slave,
the African race called :" freedmen" We
are quite certain that whatever opinions may
have been entertained of the policy which SO
directed the struggle as to compel the emanclpa-
sion of the slaves, that no one can desire to see
the institution of slavery again established in the
necessarily protractIng the war and greatly
enhancing the chances of success of the rebellion,
by compelling the people of the South to be
united in their resistance, and were most anxious
that the war should cease by full restoration of
constitutional rights to the Southern States, yet,
since the war has terminated in the destruction
of slavery in the States lately involved in that
rebellion. We prefer to face the dangers and
difficulties of the negro question, in its present
phases, rather than to return again to that con-
diton of divided and discordant social relation
that was the immediate cause of the war, and
that lent such herceness and vindictivsness to It's
progress
In the adjustment of these questions. it must
be conceded that the executive arm of the Fed
eral Government will have a controlling intiu-
ence 1t is the first IL contact with the civil or
ganiration of the Southern States, and Is the
only one which at this time has any direct bear
ing on the work of reconstruction now IN progress,
aud therefore at no time in our history have the
opinions OF the Administration been As potent for
good or evil as at this time. No one disputes
the TACT tnab, sooner VI iatcit wv Scss"e'H
States must form integral parts OF the Federal
Government, e. States in the Union, exercising
all the local powers which can or may be e1er-
cised by any other state; but the time. the mode
and the manner form the Questions" OF the
day. That impractieable element called radical.
which forms the moral force of the Republican
organization, snd from whose bsleful intiue noes
have sprung all of our National difficulties, IN
sist that the Southern States shall be treated
as conquered provinces. and at some die
tant day. at the end of long time of pro
baton, and after they shall, in some form,
have consented TO enfranchse the now
freedmen" be again admitted into the Uuion
under such terms and restrictions a conQueror
may impose The other branch OF the Repuoli
can party admit that the resdmission of the
Southern States may take place without this
long DELAY, but that such measures must be
taken BY the Federal Government. IN connection
with an amendment of the Constitution on the
subject Of Federal representation. as will in the
end compel the enfranchisement of the negroes.
Thus, both wings of the Republican party are
in favor of forcing negro suffrage. The only
difference il of time and means. The one in
sists that il shall be immediate. or at least form