Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1866-08-27
The Advice of Republican" Organ.
From the N: Y. Evening Post

From the N: Y. Evening Post']
We hear from the West that the Republican
Congressional Conventions are nominating, Tor
the most part, candidates who favor the imme-
date admission to Congress of members from
all States, subject to the constitutional decision
Of each House. We hope that the Republican
nominating conventions in this and other East
ern States will do the same. At one time We
thoupht this of but little Importance, because
we believed that the present Congress, as soon
a. # reassembled 10 December, would dismiss
the Joint Committee on Reconstruction, and
admit to their seats all claimants who could
take the established oaths. We have found
reason to believe since then, however, that the
vindictive and obstinate men who nave cameo
the control of the Republican majority IN Con
gress are fully determined to carry out !u their
designs at all hazards, and that they VIII re1usc
to admit the States They have ruled SO des-
politically in this Congress that they may nave
the influence to rule that body during the re-
mainder of its existence; and there1ore tne
question, whether or no the Southern STATES
lateIv in rebellion. shall be represented in Con-
gress, is forced upon the people. On tnat
question we believe the majority of the North
ern people do not hold with Messrs. Stevens
and Sumner. They arc tired ola method OF
reconstructed" which appears endless, ana
which after eight months has reconstructed
nothing. They want something done, and they
are conscious that Congress has not done, but
only obstructed everything. They bclleVe
that Congress has supreme authority IN the
matter under the Constitution; and they would,
we believe, have supported Congress, had 1T
last December, as soon as it met, condemned
the whole reconstruction acts of the President,
and proceeded to regular and Constitutional
REORGANIZATION of Government in the Southern
States provided this had been speedy. But 1t
is now too late. But Congress chose to DO
nothing of the kind It has, as Gov. Morton
and other recognized Republican leaders de-
clare, accepted the Presidents acts OF recon-
struction; it does not mean, as these gentlemen
tell US, and as the action Of Congress- proves,
to disturb what the President has done. 1t
only means to do something more; and that
something is so arranged that 1T virtually puts
off the reconstruction, and continues the pre-
sent disorganized state of the country lndeh,
nitely. Now, we shall not argue the right OF
Congress to do this ; we only say that 1t IS not
good policy; that it Injuries the country; that
t keeps open and infames old wounds; that it
nernetuates mischievous strife that it
STRENGTHENS preiudices and hatreds on both
sides that it affords great opportunities for
wicked and ambitious mea to raise false issues
in our politics; and finally, that it continues
the country in what is actually state OF war
and revolution, condition in which, whether
the Executive observes the laws or not, whether
it respects the Constitution or violates it, IS
matter to be decided by its good will and Judg-
ment alone There is no safety--nothlng but
the most terrible danger-to the country IN
such state of things. Daily this danger in
creases. We are threatened now with the
gravcst misfortunes that can happen to coun-
trv Congress leaves us in a revolutionary
state: how far off is anarchy? Political society
is held together, this day, in America, by the
mere good sense and forebearance of citizens;
but how long will this endure? Is it polite or
wise to strain everything in this way? Our
only safety lies in the quickest possible return
to strict constitutional forms. There may be
risks in that, as some well-meaning men assert,
but the risks we are now running are lnhnltely
greater, Under the Constitution, with all
parts Of our complex government working with
regularity, we may hope to gain all that IS de-
sirabe by the safe course of argument and discus
sion. We cannot gain it in any other way secure
ly. We cannot establish the Millennium by mil
itary general order; we cannot put off upon the
general government the work which citizens
must do We cannot achieve, in Mississippi,
by bayonet, reform of public opinion which
was effected in Massachusetts, and New
York and Ohio, only by long, patient and
persistent argument We have the right
of free discussion-let it be used The men
who, with Congress, proprose to keep the
States out, and thus keep the country in dlsor-
der decline to use or exercise this right. They
assert that it would be dangerous--and thus
they make it dangerous, perhaps. Let them
try it; they will find it safe enough, And that
is the only way to reform the Southern States
by thorough persistent, continued, irrepres-
sible discussion.