The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1865-12-17
The I've Remaining Obstacles TO
REORGANIZATION

Reconstruction.
The Southern conventions aud LegisIs
lures have concerned, 10 the main, 10 The
| declared policy and wishes OF the Govern
ment. Their shortcomings have been on
| minor points, aud, without doubt, will be
| promptly enough made good if the Govern
ment asks. So far as relates TO the Presi-
dents action in the premises. there no
serious obstacle left TO q speedy reconslruc.
ton. There are two things only that can
| be converted into serious hindrances. and
both Of these depend upon the action Of
| Congress, not upon that Of the Executive.
| We mean the establishment of negro fran
| chIse IS a condition precedent to rest0l alton.
| and the insisting upon the test oath Of
| 1867 as u SINE qua non Of admission H. 20 any
seat Of the Senate or the House Of Repre-
sentatives.
In regard to negro suffrage, the President
has stated in his message thai sit is not
| competent for the General Government o.
extend the elective franchise in the several
States" His objection 20 any such require
ment from the South rests on constitutional
/ grounds. There is a class Of extremists who
contend that the President can obtain sui
irage for the freedmen through the war
power. II is m absurd pretensiou.
A war power has no existence but
IN the necessity Of prosecuting
the war etfectualiy, and securing its
ends The war has now closed. Alt war
| powers have ceased, save those indispepss-
| ole 10 the transition from the military GOV
eminent Of ,he war 10 the normal civil con
dlton OF the late theatre Of the rebellion
| President Johnson's authority % appoint
Provisional governors for the insurrection-
airy states originally rested only on the war
power. His continuance Of those govern
ma Uff .aI z a
they can give place to the e ect Of tue PEG .
? e sately o the govern ment. This time,
ne believes, cannot be far distant at farthest
But the extension Of franchise o. the ne
gr0es cannot be authorized BY the war pow
er, because tits a purely civil measure, hav-
ing no relation 20 the prose cuti0n Of the war
or TO the exceptional necessities in the
transitional stage from war % a solid peace
Il is a measure designed 10 be Of permanent
civil application, affecting the organic sys-
tens Of States for ell t.mei and therefore ID
is entirely beyond the range OF the war
power Of the President Those who find
FAULT with the President for not uudertak
ing, under the war power, 10 secure 10 the
freedmen the franchise, which Is purely a
political possession, talk without rega-d to
law or reason.
The only power which Congress has upon
this matter Of securing freedmen suffrage is
the power Of proposing an amendment to
the Constitution 10 that end. We doubt
whether there IS a member 10 either branch
visionary enough % imagine 10 u be posi- Die
to obtain the ratification Of any such amend
ment by three-iJurths Of the States Not
one Of the late Slave States would ratify IL
Of their own accord, nor would oue-ouarter
Of the other States, for the simple reason
that more than three-f0urtbs Of them ex-
clude colOred men from their own ballot
boxes, and Il would be moustrously uufust
for such States 10 compel the Southern
States, TO an electoral syst N they them
selves are unwilling 70 adopt. II the North
ern negro, who has always been free, and
mad opportunities for mental Improvement.
is deemed unit 10 vote by the Northern
States, they are in no position 70 insist that
the Southern negro, whose faculties have
been dwsried and benighted BY liie-lonr
slavery, shall be admitted 70 the Southern
polls. The abstract question Ehether the
black nau ought to be allowed TO vote has
nothing to do with the case The point Is,
that until we Of the North establish thai
suffrage for ourselves, we have no right 10
force 1t upon others. The divine apothe-m.
physician heal thyse.f," would confoand
Us the very hrst Instant We should under
take 20 deal with q constitutional amend
ment on this subject, re ating 70 the late in
surrecti0nary States There j. no wsy but
70 leave this matter where the Constitution
LETT IT., % the discretion Of each individual
State No action Of Congress upon the
subject Of freedmen suffrage can have any
practical result. AL talk about il a nm
warrantable, because 10 Is morally certain
that nothing substantial can come from il.
and il is only calculated 10 delay recon-
struction unnecessarily.
As re ates % The tsst oath, perhaps there
may be more room for rational doubt. Pos
sibly it may be proper Tor Congress 70 msin-
tain is dignity b. holding 70 that oath.
waich makes it impossible for any mau
who ever has been 3 tra.t 5r % sit Ia the
national councils. But % IS little else than
POINT Of diglity. No practical danger 10
involved in il. The future D. legiauce Of the
late traitors who have beea pardonsd By the
trsEidelti may be a. securely relied upon
as that OF any ass of people N the South.
There is no reason % doubt that they have
taken che oath Of allegiance 10 abs8ute
good faith They eau have No m8t.g- 90
break D.. Nobody believes q renewal Of re-
Be lion possible. 10 Is not 10 thal these Rem
ressutaUves and Senators elect should 81
excluded from the halls 0f national legisIa
tor merely a. a punishment Ifit is best 10
punish them, . should be done with the reg
liar psips aud penalties Of the law, visited
upon thcir properly ana Ilerslua- There is no
such independent Punishment known % the
statute book as exclusion from places al
public trust. That exclusion il only incl
dental % rome high penal couTic.ioo.
This test oath was originally Intended y -
simply protective, not as eli punitorv. Il
i 10 longer necessary Tor protective uflr-
poses, because there is no iangs. trss.os.
either sctlal Or potential. Yet We rssrs-f
that feeling which shrinks from rivipr
the exalted seats Of the national capitoi y
men 50 lately covered from crown ~ -
with treason, evea though they nov shor
nothing but loyalty. But ought thaf fssl.
ing 20 Re INDUCED 81 The expense Of the
best IRtsres.s Of the country, which impa-i- Z
o1sly cal ior az early rororstructi1u l.
there any dignity inveived 10 the ease
which EoaEi Justify she coatinuancs Of this !
suspension o, The representative principle, Z
which = ne Esfy vita ssssncs Of or anvil