Baltimore daily commercial. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1865-1867, 1866-05-03
THE tLTENATUM OF THE RECON.
SERTCTyNN COMMITTEES

In" plan comprised in the final Report of
the Reconstruction Committee is at length
before the country, and its trainers commend
the nation to still further waiting as the price
1t IS to pay for final settlement of affairs.
Other nations have thus the additional chance
afforded them Of debating with themselves
whether the nationality will ever be really
''reconstructedn or not; and, in their eyes,
we are for three years more to be considered
dlsmembered government, two-thirds alive,
the other third, paralyzed Or dcad and this
until the dominant majority may choose to
concede to the condemned, yitality-lfe; for
without popular representation, the States are
not even territories in the privileges they
have on the floor of Congress. Whether Ten
neSSee may be graciousy excepted, we are
not informed; but one thing we believe-tLat
The American people, the great loyal majority
whose privilege it is to pronounce upon this
programme, will never consent to have the
nationality virtually disrupted for almost the
period OF the war-three years more.
10 be sure, extreme ultraism appears to
have little showing in this rendered adjustment
of our difficulties, Mr. Sumner peculiar views
not having been consulted apparently; but
when we think Of three years more of q whole
sale prescription Of the IQyai men Of the South,
Of leaving them as mere denizens Of con-
qucred territory, tie pian seems more fatal to
the permanent peace Of the country, 10 ats sub
StantjGl security and prosperity, than eng
other C5moSt that could hare been devised.
hor one, we protest against this continued
disruption; this attempt to do indirectly, what
they have not the hardihood to do in straight
forward manner-the reduction of the States
in question to the position of worse than ter
ritories, contending still--as we do-for the
great leading principle with which Mr.. Lincoln
started, and which at that time the whole
nation endorsed-that the States never were
out Of the Union. And we insist that if any
other principle or policy is recognized; if for
O}.Y cause the Union is to be considered
broken, disrupted; if States are to be kept
outside at the djctum of sectional maoIiiies,
it IS no longer the Union provided for by the
Constitution but Union dependent for its
being on the breath Of President making poll
tiCians
The nation never went to war for this, never
mace the sacrifices it was called upon to make
for any such pitiable conclusion. And when
the people find that the desire to perpetuate
partizan rule oyerrides the first principles on
which the Union is based, what safeguards
can they have against any attempted uSurpa
ton whatever? who knows what will be the
next enormity proposed when party purposes
are to be subserved?
Let it be noted that all the acts Of the
President most loudly complained Of by the
politicians, are in the direction q leaciag
porer in the hands Of the people, achcrc it
righUMH belongs. His veto OF the Freed
mems Bureau bill, meant this; and was Il
direct protest against the extension of unwar-
ranted official power. And now when we
have plan emanating from Congress, which,
without any apparent scruples, provides for
an absolute monopoly of power for three years
OF peace, which has not the excuse of an cX-
listing war for such remarkable assumption
OF power, We are complacently commended 10
the wrong doing as to q boon conceded, be-
cause not interfering with other great and
prescriptiye rights, such as fixing the status
Of voters; claiming that In this it has shown
the semhlance Of forbearance.
Nevertheless, II the country at large. a
majority Of the States will indeed accent such
a basis for final peace, if they choose to
yield themselves to the manipuIations of these
politicians, what can be done? Three years
Is long time to wait for true unity, and this.
after the war has already been terminated for
whole year But does any one believe that
this anomalous condition will promote real
peace, that it will foster good feeling; that it
viii encourage social and commercial inter
course? nay-@5W citizens Of States not uuder
such disabilities as these proposed for lie
.fa'ed ''etege"," consent to eMigratc 10 these
c9mmomreatfhS 10 S6aI'c The cmQScnlated griri-
tcgcS doled ont 10 them?
And if not, what becomes Of the bright cal.
culations heard not long since all over the
North, of the projected potent Influences of
emigration in teaching these communities to
love the Union, TO develop their resources and
all that?
These are serious considerations; and before
this plan can be accepted, they must be
met. 10 our apprehension--we say again
no better plan could be devised to estrange US
rs States still further, to foster distrust. to
provoke enmity; to weaken the bonds of the
Imon, And the wrong doing must act and
react on all the States. 1t is the nature Of
injustice OF any sort, to plague him who in
hlcts 1t, as well as him who is made the vic
tim Of 1t; and with our immense national in
debtedness with the people FESTIVE under the
ceaseless visits of the tax gatherer, and the
persistent high prices of the necessaries of
life, growing out of all this, can Congress-
afford to cripple us still further in our adj
vance, will they go still further to prevent the
two sections from working together to rescue
the nation from the terrible disabilities brought
upon it by internal troubles and civil war?
For one, we desire settlement on some
terms; for the disappointment of being COM
mended to perpetual wrangling has become
more uncomfortable at last, than the actual
presence of the war. Then, all had made nm
their minds-since the challenge was offered
by the South-to fight it out; and men girded
themselves for the conflict; they accented it
almost as the only and imperative alternative
that could be presented, to settle old issues
which had been agitating the country for more
than quarter of century.
The very conyiction-the war ended-that
the reyolted section was efectually humbled
beaten to a stand still; so terribly chastised for
It's iollles, as to prevent its forever from assn
ming the attitude Of formidable assailant of
the Government. has made us solicitous for
congress to accept the result; and noting that
through months of weary disputing in either
house, the burden of the refrain has been the
prevention Of another revolt, we have felt as
If it was an imputation on both sections--on
the South, to suppose its awful punishment
had accomplished little or nothing-on the
North, that it should fear PROSTATE foe.
That the programme now presented-we
repeat-meets the full appreciation of the
radical leaders, the most noted ultras, none
who have watched their course, can believe.
And If they have at length consented to it, we
may well con clude it was because the admo-
mtons recently coming up from the people
IL 4