Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-07-17
A Letter from Wendell Phillips
Indications Of the Asadical
UD0Ifcv. NII .arrH..n

| n Alcttcr hEOhm vvomuChh HnhIipS-
Indications of the asadical
Policy.
| From The Anti-slavery Standard, July6l
To the Editor of The STANDARD:
Let me call your attention, and that of the
country to the danger pointed out In the
| following extract from the letter of an act
i've andVigilant friend: W
president johnson is rapidly issuing
procamations for the reorganization of the
rebel States. The Governors appointed are
old politicians, who know all the ropes. 1t
is not their design, and will they not be
able before next December to make all their
new constitutions and elect new Governors
and full congressional delegations? Then
what suto prevent those States from pre-
senting themselves, fully accredited, on the
floor OF the new Congress- and participating
in the organization. They will claim, as
President johnson does that their States
have never been out of the Union; that the
Government declares (as 1t willy the rebel
lion suppressed and, military occupation
withdrawn, and that they now resume their
relations with the Federal Government,
which have been only temporarily, sus-
pended. In this claim they willlbe backed
by the whole power of the Administration,
and this is the trap to besprung on us. The
clerk OF the House, you remember. presides
until a new Speaker is elected. If he had
tirmness enough to refuse to receive the
credentials of these rebel members, and to
refuse to count their votes this danger
might be ayerted.I But can we count on so
much virtue In any politician We may
perhaps battle this plan in the Senate. That
body being always organized, no members
can be admitted without the concurrence OF
the rests But how long would even the
Senate stand up against the action of the
House of Representatives and enormous
pressure of every other kind? ,..., /
Z ~ believe that this attempt will be made
at the next meeting of Congress. Possibly
South Carolina might be kept out but even
that is doubtful. / may exaggerate the i'm
portance of this matter, but that the at
tempt will be made there can be no doubt"
The Importance of these suggestions can
not be oyerestimated, and every means
should be taken TO avert this peril. We
have been counting on the possibility of
rallying a majority of the legally elected |
members of Congress to keep the members
from the rebel States out of Congress, at
least till they consented to certain condi-
tions-ratiGing the anti-slavery amend
ment and other matters. Some sanguine !
friends believe they can be kept ont until |
they agreed to give the negro the right to |
vote. But, according to this rebel plot, the
Southern members may enter Congress |
withoutagreeingt to the anti-slayery amend
ment or to any other conditions. Once
inside the doors, they may take part in all
the discussions and votes affecting them
selves and their claims, and may checkmate
,he eanti-slaVeryi yiamendmentitself. In fact,
)ur fate rests in the hands of the clerk OF
he House of Representatives. know
nothing about him; but how few in the ma
ion could be trusted to stand firm in such
| post! The whole North should be reused
20 guard against this danger. If the rebel
States, in their present mood, can, in any
way, get inside Congress, and WELD eighty
four votes there, and more especially if
hey can get there unpledged to any condi-
ions and WELD those votes, then truly, the
South will be as strong as ever, and the
negro almost as defenseless. rH.H
Yours, WENDELL PHILLIPS.