The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-10-31

Here assin, however, this committee harp
upon the old constitution, as il they expected
within few days TO advertise for the recaphlre
OF their missing slaves. or the third section
OF the amendment, excluding from civil Offices.
federal and State, till absolved by two-thirds
vote Of Congress, all persons guilty Of violat-
ing, ny joining the late rebellion, an official
oath to support the constitution, this Texas
committee say cit proposes to stigmatize and
degrade all that is most elevated and most
worthy, and 1t coolly asks us to be the instru-
ments Of the degradation Of our own people"
This may seem rather hard but as penalty
Tor treason it is not so very cruel after all. 1t
Is certainly much better than the hanging
which the law calls for and, moreover, it is
the tate Of war.
The fourth section Of the amendment, relating
to the national debt, all rebel debts and obi
cations and to claims for emancIpated slaves,
this report says has been sufficiently provided
for by the action of the late Texas State Con-
vention. But another State Convention may
repudiate all this work unless it be fixed in the
federal constitution-the supreme law Of the
land. If Texas, therefore, is honest in this bust
ness, she cannot object to this ratification. It
Is this security for the future, touching the
national debt, all rebel debts and engagements
and claims for liberated slaves, which, more
than anything else, gives this amendment its
strength in the North, and which will make it,
sooner or later, part of the constitution, even if
all the Southern States to-day were to adopt
the principle of universal suffrage, negroes and
all. After the most stupendous, bloody and
costly civil war in the history Of mankind for
the life Of the nation, the victorious and power
ful North will have these securities for the
future embraced in this constitutional amend
ment.
The ruling Southern politicians of the old
fre-eating and domineering school Of the South
crn chivalry may denounce it and fight against
1t and array their State Legislatures in opposi-
ton to it; but the North will hold to it as its
ultimatum; and so this year or next year, or
In this generation or the next, this amendment
will be carried through. The States excluded
from Congress meantime are only damaging
themselves by their foolish resistance. If the
September and October, are disregarded by the
South, then we guess that in making our esti-
mates Of the next Presidential contest all the
States wholly committed to the rebellion,
except one, may be left out of our estimates Of
the next Presidential election.
GermHny-Her New Organization and the OPP
position Party.
The difficulties that lie in the way of the crys-
tallization Of great German empire around
Prussia, and that now threaten some embar.
rassmonts in the consolidation Of the new
Power, will disappear. Prussia has in her
favor the great fact that she goes with the in
evitable tendency of the age-that she is up to
the spirit Of the time. If she forces any move
in the changes she does not initiate what was
done at Vienna in 1916; she does not force
States or peoples into unnatural relations to
carry out an arbitrary political programme;
she only forces them forward little faster
than they were going in the direction that
they must inevitably have taken when they
could contemplate their own future apart from
prejudice and passion. Bismarck, like many
other great men, came at fortunate epoch,
and was able to accomplish what has been
done in Germany not SO much in virtue Of his
own great genius as because the past century
Of German history has prepared these very
events. Richelieu may be justly regarded as
the political father Of modern France-the
organizer Of one great kingdom from many
discordant parasitic brain that, forcing this
Power down and lifting another up, made one
harmonious whole where there had been only
jealousy, dissension and anarchy. But the
various peoples that he SO brought together
were ready for the change and the States in a
nearly analogous position in Germany are also
ready for the change, and will soon begin to
see their true position, though portions of the
people are still in the bitterness Of the late
struggle. All will eventually recognize that
Bismarck has guided events for the best inter-
ests Of Germany, and will see that any other
solution must have left the German race 10 the
same condition Of national noncntity in which
they have been kept for 80 many ages by their
own disputes and the will OF various poten-
tates.
But there will be trouble nevertheless in the
organization Of the new relations The cree
ton Of great German Power had become
necessary for the political symmetry Of
Europe; and for the erection OF such Power
nothing was wanting but the consent Of
France. Consent was given; for the present
Emperor saw in these events the final destruc-
ton Of the Vienna arrangement. II was better
for France that the great Power should grow
around Prussia rather than around Austria;
and IL was also better for Germany, inssmuch
as Prussia is really German in fact and at
heart, while Austria is neither. And the very
facts that make Prussia more acceptable
than Austria to France and to Germany, are
what inspire In Prussia an active opposition