The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-10-08

right. He insists only upon inc recognition OF
the great issues settled by the war, and upon
such measures OF reconstruction as are essen
tial to meet the new order of things, and which
are clearly within reach of his military author
ity over the several States left in chaos by
suppressed rebellion.
North Carolina, we presume, from the known
intimate relations between her Provisional
Governor and the President, seems to be CO.
operating with them more intelligently than
any other Southern State. South Carolina,
upon the whole, however, has done very well,
and her leading fre-eaters Of old have been
foremost in the good work. In Alabama, &C
cording to our latest advices, the State Con-
vention declines to have anything to do with
the blacks, having voted to reject them even
in counting the people for representation in
Congress. This Ia very absurd. In Missis-
sippi, It appears, her wise and conservative
Provisional Governor Sharkey Is becoming I'M
popular from having recommended and labored
to secure the concession to the blacks Of the
right to testify in tho civil courts. Provisional
Governor Marvin, of Florida, appeals to bis
people with great earnestness in behalf Of this
concession, and If they are wise they will heed
his counsels. The members Of the State con-
ventions called to the work Of reconstruction
have in too many instances FLASHED with the
recommendations Of their Provisional Cover
nors They seem to have forgotten, in such
cases, the important fact that the Provisional
Governors appointed by the President have
been specially instructed by him in the work
assigned them, and that, as in North and South
Carolina and Mississippi, the State conventions
concerned ought to be guided by those instruc-
tons.
The members of all these reconstructing
conventions and Legislatures should remember
that their work is experimental, not conclusive;
that the Presidents instructions and wishes
upon the business before them are the only
existing laws for their guidance; that the war
has invested him with the authority which he
exercises and that his object is by the easiest
and shortest road to get them back into Con-
gress. We believe that if the Southern States
come up fully to his conditions of restoration,
they can be carried through Congress. We do
not think, however, that the exclusion of the
emancipated blacks from the civil courts will
pass this ordeal, or get the Presidents appro-
val. Negro suffrage may be postponed, but
security under the law to the negro's person
and property cannot safely be delayed. Cover
nor Marvin, of Florida, pleads that without a
hearing in the courts "the negro will have no
justice at all" Upon this point, if the respon-
sible people of the Southern States would dis
arm the radical abolition faction in Congress,
they must strengthen the arms of President
johnson. His Southern policy is strong in the
North because it is fair and just. Let it be fully
responded to by the South, and 1t will be sue
cessful in the coming Congress.
Is THE LAW OF SUPPLY AND DEMAND ABRo-
GATEDi-It is singular fact<hat, while we hear
occasionally Of strikes for higher wages among
mechanics and laborers, we have not heard OF
many complaints since the war ended Of the
prices of labor being reduced by employers in
any branch Of business or manufacture. In
our case, as in that Of all great wars, the prices
of everything have advanced immensely; but
people generally supposed that as the advance
was caused by the war and the rise in gold,
prices would Immediately decline when the
war was over and gold declined. This how
ever, is not so; prices are higher than ever at
the present time, when gold is down to LAG,
and, strange as it may seem, although the ap-
plications for employment on railroads and
other large establishments are in about the
ratio Of ten to dozen applicants to one situa-
ton, yet employers have not reduced wages to
that mechanics and laborers could not
exist at the former rates with the
present price of provisions. So that in this case
the law of supply and demand does not appear
to operate at all; it seems altogether abrogated.
The same anomaly Of high prices, however,
was presented in England after the wars with
Napoleon, and a similar thing occurred in
France at the same period According TO
ordinary rules large supply Of labor In the
market reduces the demand, and with 1t the
rates Of wages; but in the instances cited these
rules have not worked, in consequence Of the
anomaly in the present condition Of things,
that NIL commodities are higher than they were
during the war-that beef and butter, boots
and shoes and clothing bring higher prices
to-day, when gold is quoted at LAG, than when
/, was 200. II Is difficult to account for this by
the usual logic of trade or Of demand and sup
ply; but such is the fact and II is likely to
remain fact for some time yet.
E--s
A Coon JoKE.-The English papers pretend
that the presence Of the naval Squadron on the
southwest coast Of Ireland has nothing what
ever to TO with the Fenian movement, and in
dicates no alarm on the part Of the British
government. II is curious fact in this con-
nection that for many years the Irish reprcsen-
tatives in Parliament, as well as the corpora
tons Of the southern Cities have been urging
and petitioning the government to send war