The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-12-01

proclamation Of their validity. They are null
and void, because If those States were NO
legally restored they had no right to be in
cluded in the ratification; and, IL legally re
stored, the President had no right to coerce
them to ratification. But this does not affsc
the amendment, which by the approval of three.
fourths Of the States de facto and de jurs con-
stituting the government Of the United States,
has been made part and parcel of the consti-
tuition.
We presume that one Of the first acts OF the
two houses Of the approaching session will be
declaration to this effect 1t is fully author
lied by the overwhelming popular verdict Of
the States holding the government With such
declaration, too, resting upon . judgment
concerning the status Of the late rebel States
which has been rendered by the Supreme
Court since the war, we can have this consti-
tutlOnal amendment ratified and this c0ntr0-
versy thus substantially settled before the final
adjournment Of this Congress on the 4th of
March next. Thus settled, if the excluded
States do not choose voluntarily to accept the
amendment In the reorganization Of their local
governments they will become subject to Con-
gress as unorganized territories and thus SUBJ
| ject to a reconstruction even in the matter Of
their boundaries
From the Southern journals, from the letters
of our Southern correspondents and from all
other sources Of information from the outside
States, it is apparent that their ruling classes
have settled down into the logged resolution
to do nothing to help themselves to q read
mission into Congress. They have fallen into
the serious mistake that il they do nothing
Congress can do nothing With them. But let
South Carolina understand that by this policy
! of "masterly inactivity" she may be merged
by Congress as part of vast unorganized ter
ritory into the new territory of North Carolina,
| and she will be apt to realize the dangers of
doing nothing to regain her character and to
retain her boundaries as State. Dangers, we
say; for the power and the authority are with
Congress, and the will may next appear-if no
other remedy is offered-the will to reconstruct
the States concerned as part of vast unor-
ganized territory recovered by arms from a
hostile government and occupied by an in
tractable people.
The controversy is drifting in this direction,
and whatever may be the individual opinions
| Of the President or the Chief Justice, the all
| important facts still stand out in bold relief
| that the Thirty-nin'h Congress, which passed
| the pending amendment by a two-fhrds vote
in each house, and the Fortieth Congress, just
elected, are substantially the same, and that
between them the power Of Congress over the
excluded States is fixed to the end Of President
Johnson's term Of Office.
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Tho Mysterious Influence Of the Herald
| Yachts, Numorisfs. Theatres, Wars, Me.
| teors. &c.
| The influence Of the HERALD upon everything
| and everybody is so deep mystery that at
temp!s to explain it are, Of course, absurd.
It's very influence, in fact, renders such attempts
nugatory. Thinking upon this influence even
confuses the intellect of our copperhcad CEN
sors, and they run into vagaries contradictions
and blunders that might have been conceived
by Bully Bottom, who only had jackass'
head upon his shoulders, while he thought all
the time he was playing the king of hearts.
| The inconsistencies of our critics show how
easily head even Of copper may be turned
by bordering too long over the pro-
blem Of the HERALD's influence. There is dan
ger in the attempt, and that very danger is
only another evidence of our wonderful power.
Bohemian investigators had better give II up.
| They must, indeed, follow the true scientific
method, and treat this wonderful influence as a
fact, relinquishing all vain theories and discus
sions rs to why IL Ia a fact. Theories in expla-
nation Of the origin of wonders always lead
away from the proper contemplation and study
of the wonder itself In treating fact we
stand on terra firma. And Of course the myste-
rious influence Of the HERALD is q fact. Is 1t
not constantly recognized by the declarations
| of our detractorss We're not all the events that
have occurred for many years past due to the
HERALD! Can we not clearly prove this by the
combined utterances Of our friends and our
] enemies?
Undoubtedly We can. There was the case
of the meteors. What can be more clear than
that the meteoric shower in England was got
ten up in hurry to sustain the HERALD against
| Down East astronomer? II has long been
evident to the meanest capaciiy--that OF our
comprehend contemporary-that Il is because
of our denuncia,ion that countless thousands
constantly pay money TO see the most indecent
play ever put before the city public. II IL also
well known that it is because of our neglect
that the once bost theatre on Broadway has
dwiudlcd to a barely paying condition. We
| have awakened the dormant scnsibilities OF
the clergy, too, and induced parsons to lean a
little-as much as was possible-toward the
side Of public decency in their sermons. We
have well nigh procured the blowing Of the
rocks out of He'll Gate, and Of course the rocks
originally came there only through our oon-
nivauce. Our agitations OF progress and re-