The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-03-01
The Main QuestiOn-Partia or Perfect
Peace.

From The Tribune.
In the telegraphic synopsis of the debates in
CONGRESS on Monday, we read as follows: DOT.
By Mr.. John Sherman of Ohio in the Senate
''Whe he (Mr. Sherman) was anxious 10 see a
mode adopted by which lovAl men tIom the South
might be admitted to Congress, he never would con.
part in the Rebolion, and he never would vote for
the repeal of the test-oath."
By Mr.. Jack Rogers, of New Jersey, in the
House;- ......# ...
awe have man lat the other end of the avenue)
who is the embodiment Of civil liberty. We have a
man who believes that the Government was made
for the benefit OF the white men and white women
of the country, and not at all for tho benefit of
negroes or negro wenches."
These decarations-antagon in spirit and
purpose as they seem--do nevertheless conspire
In scope and effect: that is to say, each of them,
while urging restoration and fraternity, does yet
contemplate an incomplete. partial, one-slded
restoration, which, in our Judgment, would be
worse than none. Most anxiously desiring the
earliest possible reconstruction of the Union, so
that it be thorough and just, we yet say better
wait year or two than have such a restoration
as either Mr.. Sherman or Mr. Rogers propounds.
Let us consider them separately.
MIR. Sherman wants the Southern States repre-
sented in Congress represented nol1-but insists
that no person who has taken part in the late
Rebellion shall be admitted to a seat. Now, no
toriously nearly all the white people of those
States haze taken part in that Rebellion, and 80
are excluded by the terms of the existing act and
of Mr.. Sherman's programme.
Now we object to that programme that its sue.
cess will not conciliate, nor tranqullllze, nor
satisfy the South, and that it ought not to do so
1t is all very well to insist that the South must
be represented by '1oyal men"-nobody disputes
that. But to say that they must always haue been
loyal-that Georgia, and Mississippi, aud South
Carolina must send to Congress no man who
euer willingly aided the Rebelion-is to mock
her with semblance, yet deny her the reality
of representation lis to tantallze, and irritate,
rather than tranquillize and concliate the South.
What earnest Unionist wants to see Alexander
II. Stephens denied the seat in the Senate to
which he has Just been elected, and some insIg-
nifcance who represents only his own audacous
aspirations admitted in his stead Depend on
1t, "the South" is not to be satisfied, nor even
restored" by any sham representation. MI.
Sherman means well; but his plasteris too small
for the wound, and will rather inhame than heal
II. We are confident we express the general
feeling of the Southern whites when we say
that they prefer TO be kept out of Congress
rather than admitted, II, when admitted, they
are allowed to send to Congress only representa-
tlves who can swear that they never Voluntarily
aided the Rebellion.
And now let us look moment at the alter
native proposition OF Mr.. Jack Rogers
There were in the fifteen slave States in 1860,
no less than 3,953,760 slaves, with 1885, 346 free
colored persons, forming total of 4,2l2, LOG
blacks in those States, whose total population
was l2,3l5,372 In other words, more than one
third OF the entire. population OF the South, in
cluding Maryland, Delaware Missouri, West
Virginia, and the District of Columbia, were OF
the colored race. And if to-day, that section
has twelve millions of inhabitants-(a high esti.
mate, considering the waste of civil war, with
the many thousands of white and black refugees
from its hardships and terrors) certainly not
less than onethird of them are blacks who con.
stitute decided majority of the entire popula
tion of South Carolina, Mississippi, and Loui-
siana, and who fall but little below majority in
several other States.
These four millions are Amercans-natives of
cOuntrV-teIlOW.(lh lh riStlang-fOr the most
part, agricultural laborers or rough mechanics
Injured TO toll from intancy-and experienced
in that department of our national industry
(cotton-growing) which promises the amplest
immediate returns. They are docile, initiative
and plastic to all good influences, eager for edu-
cation, and living in close association with the
landholders and planters-a class conservative
by position and instinct, whose influence over
them, since they have been placed in Just and
benefcent relations to each other must always
be controlling. These blacks have been tried
and tempted in our late struggle and have nobly
endured the ordeal.
They never concealed their desire and expecta-
ton of freedom as its natural result no one
could doubt that their sympathies, as q race
were on the side of the Union; many of them
enllsted and fought bTavely in its defense; yet
all che predictions that they would take advan-
tage of their masters absence in the field to rise
in insurrection and cut the throats of their de-
fenseless wives and children, were utterly, sig
nally ialsihed. And the kindred but later prog
noshcatIons that they would refuse to work
th5t they would keep no faith with their en-
ployers-would choose to wander as Vagrant
thieves and beggars until they perished from of
the face of the earth-have seen quite as em-
phatcally dissipated. We doubt that there
were ever more blacks faithfully at work in the
South, or working more efficiently, than to-day.
We appeal, then, to the Statesmen of the
Southland she still has statesmen-to take
ground boldly for comprehensive and complete
reconciliation-one that shall include every class
in every section-tnat shall leave no dscontents
no heart burnings, no chances of future insur
rections and civil war. ALL RIGHTS FOR ALL
is our platform; which does not imply that every
man shall be a voter, but that color shall not be
perpetual squalihcatIon-that every rational
youth OF man may confidently aspire and hope
TO become a member of the body polite by faith
fully endeavoring to qualify himself therefor
''No taxation without representation" is sacred
principle, justly urged in favor OF the early ad
mission to Congress of representatives from tnt
Stales lately in revolt; we heartily sccept it, in
sistng only that it shall operate in favor OF tia
potion OF the Southern people which was not
as well as that which was, willingly involved il
the Rebellion Agree that every taxpayer shal
be q voter, and that there shall be no impedi
ment OF law or policy to the blacks becoming
taxpayers, and we stand ready to insist on tn
repeal OF the test-oath and the present adml'
sion of representatives from every State in tn
Union. And we feel very confident that a ms
ority in Congress feel as we do.
Let it be distinctly understood that If tn
whites of the South are not represented in Cor
gress, it is because they deny all right OF repre-
sentation or power OF seli-protection, to. tn
blacks. Show us a single State which admit
her blacks to vote on like intellectual, educ
tional, moral, and pecuniary basis with he
whites and we will urge the instant admissio
of the chosen representatives OF that Stat
though they be all ex-lRebei generals OF the mo
obnoxious tyoe. And so long as the late Rebel
shall demand that they alone be represented /
Congress- while their steadfastly loyal neghbol