The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-01-18
Reconstruction.

"There are certain advocates of negro suffrage
who profess to be willing, under certain condl-
tions to the Southern States restored to their
true position in the Union, without requiring
them to assent to general enfranchisement OF
the negro population. Thus, a city journal
published mainly in the interest OF the blacks,
says:-'Only render 1t certain that an honest,
industrious, thrifty, intelligent negro shall not
be prescribed merely because OF his color or
race and we will agree to almost anything If
the journal from which we quOte-speaking, as
Radical party-is sincere in proposing a COM
promise, there ought to be little difficulty in
coming 10 terms ~
As we do not seem to have made ourselves
thoroughly understood by the Times, we will
resate our essential position with the utmost pos
sibe lucidity. They are as folows:-
/. We regard it as of the highest and most i'm.
minent consequence that all political and civil
distinctions, privileges, disabilities, or differ
ences based on caste or color, should be forever
abolished. Never intrinsicallY just, they have
by the overthrow of slavery, been rendered
glarngly lmpertinent and absurd While slavery
existed they mad certain excuse, II no reason,
in the fears OF the slaveholding class; now they
are obsolete in reason and as much behind The
age as the Spanish Inquisition would be in Ohio
or Wisconsin. To our apprehension, this issue
towers above all others in imporLance: so that,
while we are devoted to the protection and
diversifcationo of our rational industry, we would
gladly postpone tins or any other political end,
to the complete enfrancblsement of the hitherto
degraded and dOwntrodden four millions of our
countrymen.
IL. While we require and strive for impartial
suffrage, we do not ask nor desire that everv
man snail be a voter, for we do not think every
man ought to be- We hold that no man who
chooses to live by theft, swindliug, or beggary
or by pandering to vice-no babltual drunkard-
no idiot-no lunatic-no professional gambler
has any moral right to be voter. And, while
yUa No ndu mol tpet Nua rIu
content to see such test presented and adopted,
even though IT should for years preclude the en-
iranchisement OF large majority of the blacks.
So long as no harder tesCs are applied to or re-
qured of them than o. whites, and no obstacle
mterposed to their acquiring the knowledge de-
manded, we waive all inquiry, and agree In ad-
vance to whatever criterion of fitness to vote
conservatives" may see fit to propose.
ILL., We propose no compromise"-n TACT,
we propose nothing. What we are most intent
on is such recognition by the Southern whites
OF the humanity and actual rights OF the blacks
as VIII preclude the necessity OF any compro-
mise, any higeling, any contention We should
even prefer a partial measure Of Justice freely
accorded by the Southern whites to a compile
one imposed on them by the power of the trium =
phant Union. OF all the mad blindness now
| provoking sadness, the blindness which com
| pels the blacks to look northward for cham
| pions of their rights is most lamen able. The
! South would be this day richer by billions OF
dollars if her whites and blacks were thoroughly
! reconciled and cured of all reciprocal distrust
| We do wish the ablest and wisest OF the two
races would forthwith meet, confer, aud agree
| on basis OF future concord and mutual good
! will-we stipulating beforehand to give our
hearty assent thereto, and to consider their
accord the end OF controversy on the subject.
| And we hope Congress may hold the matter of
! reconstruction in allegiance until it can be seen
| whether the manifest and rapid increase and
| diffusion of goodwill between whites and blacks
! at the South may not seasonably result in some
| such understanding and reconciliation between
them.
". As to what Congress should or should not
| do with regard to negro suffrage, it depends so
clearly ON the temper and action of the Southern
| whites, that whatever might be wisely said of it
| to-day may have become obsolete and uLtit two
| weeks hence. If those whites shall see lit to
cherish a disloyal, inimical, rebellious spirit
| and shall be moved thereby 10 annoy and perse
cute Unionists, white or black-as in some To-
Callties they notoriously have done-then we
should Judge that they are not yet fit to be ere
constructed" at all. If they are bent on evading
and nullifyiDg the anti-slavery Contitutonal
| Amendment, then Congress ought to take etfeC
tive measures to defeat that purpose and secure
the freedmen against all forms and degrees ol
oppression. But if, on the contrary, the South
ern whites incline generally to deal fairly by the
Southern blacks, then we would have Congress
touch the matter very liehtly-as lightly as pos
sible. We have faith that the Joint Committee
will fairly, searchingly investigate and report
the essential facts, for the guidance OF Congress
and the information OF the country.
-Such brIfly stated, are our views of recon
structon, whether the Times deems them "sin
cere" or otherwise. We trust they, at any rate
are not hard to be understood-at least not bl
those who wish to com prehend them.