The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-09-29
The White Feather.

The National Committee of the Republican
party have issued an address to the American
people. THE decree OF a council ~ said Cotton
Mather, "hath no more force than there is force
in the reason of it.n With sorrow, we pronounce
the Committees address repugnant to the moral
sense OF those American citizens who are inHexl-
bly, determined not to compromise impartial
suffrage This most solemn of reasons, there
fore, confronts the Committees address with
condemnation. The country is in too critical
a condition, the safety of Southern loyaists is
too greatly imperilled, the peace and order of
the future are too gravely threatened, to permit
this address, 80 inadequate to the present situa-
ton, to go forth as representing, as plcdging,
and particularly as binding the radical party.
God grant that the great party of liberty shall
prove braver thansitS half hear, ed leaders
FellowCountry men, lei us consider,
For eighteen months the daily topic of mems
talk has been the reconstruction of the Union.
Unanlmity OF opinion does not prevail. 0ppos-
ing plans divide the nation into opposing par
ties, and subdlvide parties into opposing sec
tons. The Republican party is divided between
The advocates OF readmisson without securing
the negros political rights, and the advocates
of readmlssion only after the guarantee OF inn
partial suffrage. At The first sound of the trum-
pet IN this war of debate, we took our place
under the banner of equal rights. We joined
the cause not to desert 1t, not to betray 1t, not
10 compromise it, but to fight for ii till the vic
tory.
Ii is sacred cause the cause of liberty and
justice; the cause OF honor, magnanlmity, ana
charity; the cause of peace and good will. The
noblest men of the nation are Its champions;
the noblest women are petitioners to heaven TOR
benedicuon upon it. In New England and on
the prairies, bereayed families, who are mourn
ing with proud grief over slain soldiers OF
liberty, TeCoi in their heart OF hearts at ang
less ample iruitlOn of the war than settlement
Just, safe, and final. That settlement must
include the nj pit
zeDs, without que-tiOnlng Gods wisdom IN
varying the Colors of 1.-THE human face dvine.n
Planting their feet on the one true cornerstone
OF reconstruction, tue radical party are not to
be driven from il, not to be persuaded from it,
not to be enSnared from it.
They may, or may not, be a majority of the
loyal North; the question OF numbers remains to
bc settled by trial; but, whether they prove
majority or minority, they are not made OF the
fibre OF towards, and they will never surren-
der. Seeing their opportunity, they mean TO
seize it; knowing their strength, they mean to
exercise it; believing in their cause, they mean
TO win it. At this moment the sky OF promise
is bright with a sacred light, wherein we dis
cern anew the goloen emblem, by this sign
conquer"
This journal and its legion of friends-whom
may God bless ! having taken this position
from the beginning, are resolved to MAINTAIN it
to the end. Therefore, when the National Com
mlttee OF the Republican party unroll their Off.
cial scroll, asking us TO consent to compromise
OF principle, asking us to pledge the Republican
vote OF next november to u reconstruction
the inadequate basis of the pending amendment
asking us to leave the negros political rights
not only unsecured, but undemanded, we can
only exclaim, Heaven forbid! The radical
panty both North ana South regards the pend
ing amendment as proper measure-a measure
which IT advocates with pleasure and earnest
ness-but it regards it as no more adapted to a
basis of reconstruction than would be tariff
bill, or fishery treaty, or neutrality law.
The mere amendment Will not reconstruct"
anything; it will leave things as they are. 1t
will not alter, one whit, the present relation of
the white Rebel to the black loyalist. 1t holds
out a faint and far of temptation to entranchse
the blacks, Just as the Constitution of 1889 held
out, through its three-tlfths clause, faint and
iar-ofl temptation to abolish slavery. Slavery
was not abolished under the mIl1 influence of
temptation, but under the strong influence of
COmpulsion; and the negros eniranchscment
will not be achieved by sucn temptation, but by
such compulsion. Accordingly, the radical
party, Moth and South, white and black, can
assent to no reconstruction short of impartial
suffrage.
Is Congress already committed to a less per-
feet plan? Not at all. Congress is not COM
mtted Tor or against impartial suffrage. 1t has
not tied ITS hands against the future. 1t is free
TO act as the emergency may require. IT, next
winter, it shall choose to make impartial sui
1rage the condition OF restoration. IL can do so,
ana Christian souls VIII cry Amen! We know
personally every prominent member OF Con.
gress, and we know that the leaders do not
mean to admit the unadmitted States on the
meIe adoption OF the amendment. Moreover,
we know personally the leading radicals of the
Republican party outside OF Congress, and we
know that they have no intention of making
the amendment the final measure of admission.
To saw therefore, as the National Committee
say, that on condition OF adopting the amend
ment as Tennessee adopted 1t, "the door
stands iaVitingly open" for the ten other States
is to make promise to the ear to break it to
the hope. There IS Il door, however, that does
''stand inVtlngly open;" and Whenever these
States shall choose to enter through II they will
be received with shouts, thanksgivngs, aud
benedctions; it is the golden gate of impartial
justice.
Is it asked, Why then was Tennessee admitted
on the basis OF the amendment? In the first
place, Tennessee ought not TO have been admit
ted on such a basis; her admission was a min
eled crime and blunder. But the apology
which Congress made for her admission was,
that her attitude was eXceptional-that her
case was not to be precedent for the ten other
States Already the admission of Tennessee
without impartial suffrage proves the peril OF
admitting any of the other States except on this
only safe condition. Her Legislature is about 10
remedy the deficiency OF Congress, by enacting
impartial suffrage at the next session. The
TennesseeaDs who asked for the admission OF
their State without impartial suffrage, SAID at
Philadelphia that no remaining State OF the ten
could be safely admitted except with this guar.
rantee.
We therefore repeat that Congress is not
pledged, either by any existing offer OF terms to
the unreconstruced States, or by the precedent
amendment the basis of restoration. Even the
New York Times. of Monday, September "a
acknowledges this fact. 1t says:-
"The adoption or rejection OF the amendment
has nothing whatever to do. as the law now
stands, with the admission or rejection of mem
bers from the Southern States. A bill providing
for their admission on condition OF its adoption
was rejected by the House, and even if every