New Orleans daily crescent., 1866-11-02
A GRIEyoUs MISTAKE.

pretending to suppose, that the Southern
States are prevented from ratifying the con
stitutional amendment, by the influence of
the persons who under that amendment,
would be excluded from office. The Herald,
in its usual aippant STYLE called this eliminat-
ing process, getting rid of the old political
rubbish of the South" The Times declares
that the failure of these stleaders," as it
terms them, to make any effort, in any way,
for the passage Of the constitutional amend
ment" will afford an opportunity for that
great class IN the South who have heretofore
been excluded from public life, and who will
not be sufferers from the disabling section
in the amendment, to come forward and
take leading part in political affairs,
The Times is not very Ineligible in this
any more than in its tortuous course with
reference to the Philadelphia Convention, and
we are therefore at loss to know exactly
what persons it means by the ''excluded
class. The law does not exclude any white
person from the right to hold Office, except so
far as st prevents two or more persons from
holding Office at the same time. In
that sense the Gins" are always a
privileged class, and the g outs an Excluded
class" But we presume that this law Of
privilege and exclusion rules as inperiously at
the North as at the South. Ii this is not
what the Times means, we may gather some
light from its next sentence, in which it says
:. Political position and political management
il the South have always been in the hands Of
4 class-a class, il is true, possessing the
most property and the best education, but not
certainly owning az the brains-the Southern
aristoeracy, in short
Does the Times wish us to infer that this is
not the case at the North-that political posi-
ton and political management are not in the
hands Of the class owning the most property
and possessed Of the best education? ? In
whose hands then should we find tile diree-
ton Of state afairs-in those Of the class
owning the least property and possessed Of
the worst education ? And are we to infer
that tho permeditated design Of the amend
ment is to produce just such revolution al
the South
The inference is irresistible that such is the
purpose Of those who are now attempting I'd
force this amendment on the Southern States
Ii is confessed that, in the South, the ten
deney Of affairs has been to intrust political
position and political power to those whose
interests and intelligence qualify them to dis
charge those duties. And this after all is
the erperole,atUDt cratcis of governmental FORMS
A system ana q society in which such re
suit is achieved, is considered to have solved
the most difficult Of all governmental prob
lems Such a community may often 60 wrong,
but it is in the way to go right. It may not
be radical" but it must be progressive. It
would be the part of wise and en-
lightened craftsmanship to encourage
this tendency, and not to repress it.
to use the services Of the wealthy and the
educated and not to reject them. The sim
pie statement Of a contrary policy is enough
to show that such poIcylis a grotesque par
ody on the intelligence and common sense of
the age.
But the Times is entirely mistaken in it's
assumption that the failure of the Southern
States to ratify the amendment is due to the
opposition made by the ostracised class. The
Times itself, in previous article had quoted
approvingly the letter Of its Georgia cor
respondent who sad that he knows most Of
the prominent rebels IN Georgia. and has
conFersed with them about the amendment,
which they consider unjust and uncalled for.
But, he adds, $50 far as they are indi-
vlduaily affected by the amendment, have
not heard one speak who1s not willing to con
sent % perpetual dlsfranch1sement, If by 50
DONG ne can assure the security and hap
plness q the people.
Inc 4lmes then declared that the ''promi-
nent rebels are Wiling from patriotic
notaFes' TO submit to a ae@t deal more than
tne= I eonstltatlonal amendment imposes on
Is, doubtless the exact tr,,th mi Il + stronel
negative Of the assertion tbat tesa ve,.y ~
sons nreyent tbe sontber7, states fror, ro+is,
inc the amendment Nof tba faot i 49, tlS ~
nersons so rptbless7v and n,,i1,sf1v ottoo7-a9
by the amendment have held oloof from, tbis
discussion. Men like 5C,eneral T 90 r1,o WOW
be considered. in this resnect. a tyra Of tro
class referred to, would NOT nerrnit tbeir ,,ar-
sonal interests 10 be consulted II +ba discns
go, - 1.: