The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-06-23
Unseemly Haste.

From the World
1t IS announced with great satisfaction, by
several journals in different sections of the
country, that special sessions of the Legislatures
in certain States to be called for the express
purpose of adopting the Constitutional amend
ment embodied in the latest report of the radical
rcconstructionists. Almost as soon after the adop
tion of the report in Congress as the first mail
could go from Washington to New Haven Gov
ernor Hawley received copy, and the Connec'
ticut Legislature, now in session, but whose
remaining term of service is very short, Will
undoubtedly be called upon to adopt the
amendment at an early day. Governor Bull
lock, of Massachusetts, is rushing around Boston
in an uneasy frame of mind lest his State
should not be the first in the field, and he pro-
poses to call the Legislature together on the
earliest practicable Monday morning. No less
than forty radical members of Congress
have employed Governor Brownlow TO call
his Legislature together, undoubtedly for the
moral effect" which would result from the
adoption of the amendment by the State of Ten
nessee. But Brownlow begins to doubt his
actual ownership of ''his" Legislature, for the
upper branch of that rebellious body has lately
rejected nearly all OF BrOwnlow's appointments,
causing that model divine to swear that he
would send in no more nominations to "such
set." Governor Curtin has officially, and most
ofticlously. issued proclamation to the Gov
this thing with the utmost haste. Governor
Fenton, OF our own State, only hesitates till he
can consult with the party leaders, to see what
effect (after the unfortunate special session of
the Senate) an extra session of the Legislature
will be likely to have upon the fall election.
In no instance have the radical journals,
urging these extra sessions, spoken OF the
Legislatures coming together ''to act upon"
the new amendment. The phrase is always
''to adopt;' and in no case has an extra session
been suggested except in States where the
Legislature is thoroughly radical. The Colum bus
(Ohio) Journal, in calling upon Governor Cox
to bring the Legislature together "to adopt"
this amendment, says:-"A political campaign
is just being inaugurated, and this amendment
presents the proper platform for the Union
party, and an excellent issue for it to make
with the Democracy" OF course, then, the
adoption of the amendment, and thus the vir-
tual adoption of the radical platform, recon-
structIon report and all, is nothing more than
an effort to discount public, or rather party,
opinion in certain States, in advance of the
lall elections
The "amendment" is but the stopper to the
moiasses-flled bottle-the report-which is to
catch the flies next fal; and it stands confessed
that the sole business of the present Congress
has been the construction of radical platform
strong enough for the party to stand upon for
at least another wear. The assured action of
these radical Legislatures in adopting" the
amendment is no more an expression or expo
nent Of public opinion in their States than
would be the adoption OF both report and
amendment III any county caucus UT convention.
The question is not whether the radical Legis'
latmes of certain States will accept the amend
ment but whether three-iourths OF the States
In the UniCn will adopt it.
And with all this unseemly haste in sending
the party platform 10 the Radical Governors, 1t
is not positively stated whether it has, or has
not been laid before the President for his sigma
ture. Constitutjonally, his signature is not
necessary; nor with his oitrepeated expression
of his Opposition to further Constitutional
amendments, at this time, when eleven States
to be specially affected by these amendments are
unrepresented, would it be desirable for the
radicals to draw out in the form OF veto an
ther clearly defined statement OF the Presidents
policy in immediate contrast with the new radi-
cal party platform. But the radicals themselves
have established a precedent, in sending for
Mr.. Lncolns approval the amendment abolish
ing slavery This was done for the express pur-
nose of identifying Mr.. Lincoln with this act.
Mr. Bancroft's recent Historical Defamation
before Congress, in one of its few and far be-
tween illusions to the late President, makes
him prominent in this connection; the "prolidc
pen" which signed the Emancipation Procama-
lion approved the slavery-abolshng amend
ment, has reproduced itselfin about forty female
museums in Massachusetts; and the late Mr..
Lincoln is represented in photograph, litho'
graph, painting and plaster, standing erect,
with a red curtain in the rear, the amendment
outspread on the table, the Emancipation Pro-
clamation roll in his hand, while the President
himself Is supposed, like the portrait of Lord
Snipsworthy of Snigsworthy Park, to be en-
qaaed ''n the act OF somehow saving his coun-
trS,n This scene aud incident should suggest to
the radicals in Congress the presentation of at
b asst one Cor stitutional amendment opportunity
\ 10 our present President.