New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-10-12
ATTITUDE OF THE SOUTH,

lSNSNSS oSSHA 1ASANN-
answered the expectations of many. Politi-
cal madness still rules the hour. Radical ma
iorities have been lessened, it is true, as far
as the popular vote is concerned but their
strength has been slightly increased in the
next Congress IF the vote in New York,
which is to be taken next month"; should cor
respond with that in the States from which
we have just heard, the next Congress will
contain sufficient number of radicals to con-
troll the legislation of the country in spite Of
1.-THE Presidents veto. Their action in exclud-
ling Southern representation is revolutionary
lit is true but it is an accomplished reyolu-
ton; and we have no reason to expect that
a party which has been SO interruptions in
the past will pursue in the future any less
Eresolute policy than that which has oharac-
terized its past history 1t is not in the hour
of their triumph that they will stay the up
lifted rod It isnot the heart of a Stevens
or Banks, or Sumner or a Butler that re-
spends to claim of justice, or is inspired by
a sentiment of magnanimity for the fallen
They might be slow to encounter an antagon-
| list on equal grounds, but their malgnity in
/ creases in proportion to their power to harm,
and their appetite for evil grows upon the
very injuries they infict. They will shape
the policy Of the radical element in the next
Congress. It behooves US therefore to con
slider whether we, as portion of the con
sentative element of the country, will prepare
ourselves to bend to the will Of these ignoble
men, and to abandon the support Of the
President and his policy, Or whether we will
still yield our support to the Constitution and
the laws, and sustain the principles which are
advocated 50 justly BY the executive Of the
country.
The purpose Of the radicals is to secure,
first, the ratification of the proposed amend
ment to the Constitution. They are willing
that the country should believe that on the
ratification Of this amendment by the State
Legislatures, the South will be admitted to
representation in Congress. But they are not
pledged to this admission of our representa-.
tiyes, nor do they design to admit them.
And even if theywere doubly pledged to such
course we have no right to infer from theil
past history that any pledge which may have
|, been given by them with view of securing
an object, will be respected by them when the
end shall have been attained. Their object il
i securing the amendment to the Constitution
is not to secure the admission of Southern
representatives, but is, on the contrary, to
give them pretext for legislation under color
of the amended Constitution which may en-
able them indefinitely to postpone the admis-
sion Of the Southern States to their right OF
representation.
This design is sufficiently apparent in the
positions already taken by some Of the expo
nents Of the radical policy. The Chicago Re
publican, for instance, in a recent issue, con
tends that Congress already has the power of
prescribing to the States what classes of citi-
zens shall be entitled to the right Of suffrage /;
and that under the authority of Congress to
guarantee arepublican form of government,
that extraordinary body has the right to dis,
franchise nearly every white man at the South
and to confer almost exclusively upon negroes
the right Of suffrage in the Southern States.
II doctrine so wild and SO unjust can be Sc
riously urged under the Constitution as it now
stands, there is no limit to the pretensions
which would be set up in behalf of the au-
thority of Congress, if the proposed amend
ment should be adopted which gives some
color to such extraordinary legislation.
| 1t is therefore incumbent on all the States
| without reference to their geographical posi-
ton, to withhold from Congress all further
grants Of authority. Its claims are already
sufficiently extrayagant. Any further conces-
sion Of power to body which knows SO little
how to use it wisely, would be to yield up into
unworthy hands all yestiges of liberty.
Let every Southern State, therefore, per-
enaptorily refuse the ratification of the pro-
posed amendment. self-preseryation urges
us to this course. 1t is the only means OF
sustaining the constitutional and conservative
policy Of the President. 1t is in accordance
with the principles on which the government
established. 1t will be aproof to the friends
Of the Constitution in the Northern States,
that we continue to stand by their side in the
support of what is right, and that no tempo
rizing policy can induce US to attempt pur.
chase Of representation in Congress at the
i pies which constitute the basis Of every true
republican government. We consider that
we are already entitled to representation
under the Constitution as it stands. It is q
right worth having if the principles Of the
| Constitution can be maintained. But an en-.
croachment upon those principles, such as is
contained in the proposed amendment, would
destroy the value Of representation. 1t is not
worth the price which is asked for it, We
should not seek it at such cost Nor will il
be granted to us even though we submit I'd
/ the sacrifice which we are urged to make. A
day will come either when the country shall
be destroyed by radical counse1s, or we shall
be asked to assume the position to which we
are entitled by the terms of the Constitution.
Our standardization will not hasten the com.
ing of that period even by q day. Let us SO
demean ourselves that we may feel, when we
shall be invited to participate in the legisla-
ton Of the country, that We have made nc
concessions of principle which will render us
unworthy Of the position we may then wish
to assume. Let us go into the national legis.
lature on terms Of perfect equality with others.
or let us not go at all. Let us reject through
aIrY, 4,1,,oe