The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-05-15
Gen. Ben Buffers Plan OF Reconstruction
Negro Suffrage the Main Question.

from the Herdtd
General Ben Butler, having failed with the
Reconstruction Committee of Congress- has de-
livered himself of his views and his plan of re-
construction before public meeting in Boston.
We have already published his speech; but as
the pTonuacidnento OF one of the great
guns of the radical camp, and as the plan
OF the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher's nominee for
the next Presidency, il is entitled TO some spe-
Cial attention.
General Butler holds that, having in the con-
quest of the lately rebellious States acquired
the title to all they possessed OF life, liberty,
land, slaves, rights-constitutional and other
wise'-surely we NAV require them "to come
and live with us under the divine law" What
this learned doctor of divinity regards as the
divine law" will presently appear. There
are, be says, two plans of Southern recopstruc-
ton before the country-the Presidents plan
and the plan of Congress. He does not like
the Presidents plan, because there Is too much
charity in it; and he cannot admire the Con-
gressiOnal plan, because there Is too little of
charity in It, He says the Presidents plan
"would be a good one if all the people in the
South were loyal" but that "those who have
been fighting us tor four years don't love us,
and don't love the Union, and the fact that
they have abolished slavery because thay were
forced to do it don't make them love us any
better; and the fact that they have been ordered
to repudiate the debts of their rebellion don't
create that ardor and affection among them
which they should feel for the Government"
Hence the conclusion of General Butler is that
the abounding charity of the Administration
towards those people is 'elove's labor LOST or
to shorten the argument of the General by a
phrase of scripture, lit is like casting pearls
before swine," which is pretty near the legal
opinion OF the amlable Thaddeus Stevens.
The original lawgiver to the Rebels of New
Orleans then reviews the plan ofCongress in all
its details, and says that these terms "seem, on
the face, well enough" but that one is forced to
exclaim, on reading them through, ''Where are
the rest OF them?" as one would say when his
servant brings him his bread and coffee for
breakfast, where are the eggs and baconr r
In other words, where are the blacks? where
in this proposition, do we find the protection OF
the rights Of those men who have been faithful
and have fought side by side with u.s." General
Butler complains that Congress, in resorting to
bribe to the ruling classes of the South is Civ.
ing premium to rebellion, is begging the ques-
ton, and poil Tedly asks, why does the govern
ment hesitate to do Justice to its Coloret cti.
zens 7" Moreover, he contends that it you let
| the Rebels Tor Southern whites) do all the
| voting, they will have everything their own
| way. In Iact, at almost every point, General
Butler finds this plan OF Congress unfair, unjust,
| FOOLISH and impracticabe. 1t is at best, he
| thinks, but a cunning scheme to put off the
! whole question Of reconstruction till after the
! next Presidential elechon;" a view of the sub
| ieCt, which we think every dispassionate, rea-
soning man will say hits the nall upon the head.
! But what does General Butler propose? What
| intalible panacea has this experienced inventor
! OF patent medicines and Union washing machines
Tor the present dlsordered condition of things in
| the Southern States? Here it is. He proposes
constitutional amendment binding the United
States, the States and the people to pay the ma
tional debt and to repudiate all the debts of the
Rebellion. Then he should speak out in plain
English, mo compensation for emancipated
slaves" Then he would put it into the Consti-
tuition that there shall be no such thing as pro-
peTty in man; and then that whites and blacks
IN the several States shall be on the same foot
ing OF equality in regard to suffrage as in the
matter OF their civil rights. Then, by putting
these propositions and those of the Joint COM
mIttee OF Congress all together, he thinks we
would secure magnificent scheme OF reconstruc.
tion.
Negro suffrage however is the essential
feature of General Buffers plan and the barter.
ing away of the negros rights upon the ground
OF eXpediency will be a severe trial to Senator
Sumner and all that class OF progressive rad
calls. General Buffers views are valuable mainly
from the fact that he Is an outspoken repre-
sentative of this class. What is 10 become OF
the scheme OF the Committee OF Fifteen in the
Senate, which is distasetu in ITS leading features
to rad Gals and conservatives, we shall not un
dertake TO say; but we are quite sure that some
thing more satisfactory than this to New Yorh
and Pennsylvania will be required to keep Ole
! Virginia and South Carolina out OF tine mex
. . ."H....r .. D..