The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-11-21
Congress and the SOuth-A short Plan
for Decisive Settlement.
From the Herald.

HFOHt tc IICTCtu'
Desperate diseases call for desperate remedies,
and the case OF the unrestored South is despe
rate. The late Northern elections, from the
Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean, with an emphasis
unparalleled in our political history, have
spoken the voice of the North in favor of the
conditions of the pending Constitutional amend
ment. Thes Sc are the best terms to the South
which tie States holding and controlling the
Government have to offer. On the other hand,
in response to these Northern elections, the
unreconstructed Southern States, through their
Governors andLegisatures reject the conditions
of the amendment as so deeply humiliating
and degrading to Southern honor, and so out
rageously in violation Of Southern rights that
they can be treated only with derision, defiance,
and contempt.
This condition of things is styled by Cop
perh9ad journal "a deadlock" and it may turn
out TO be so if Congress shall determine to
recognize the excluded States, as they stand
as riehtfully restored to the control of their
local affairs But Congress is not committed to
this theory, and the reconstructive work done
by the President goes for nothing till approved
by Congress. The two houses have not yet
recognized the en- of the Rebellion, and in the
prevailing spirit, opinions, acts, and declara-
tions Of the State authorities and leading politi-
clans, from Virginia to Texas there is abundant
evidence that over all that region the Rebellion,
though disarmed, still exists, and that the oath
OF Hannibal of "eternal hatred to the Romans
is the oath of the rGliDg classes of the South
against the 'detested Yankees" The same
melI who preached the Constitution in their
conspiracy TO destroy the Governments, accept
the pardOns of President johnson only to return
to the old claptrap OF their constitutional rights,
and are impudently urging the President to try
q coup detdt tor their deiverance from what
they call an unconstitutional Congress.
Have we not had enough of this Is not the
fact established that confidence and indulgences
are thrown away upon the lntractable rebellous
elements of the excluded States? Is 1t not ap-
parent that if lett to their own discretion IN the
matter OF this amendment they will only use it
to infame their people to riots, Instructions,
and anarchy? What then, is the remedy de-
manded? In view of the great ends of law and
order, the restoration of the Union, solid and
strong, security and confidence, justice and
generosity, we think the time is at hand when
Congress should lnterpose its authority, begin
ming de a0U0 IN plan OF reconstruction, which
VIII be at once comprehensive, "short, sharp,
and decsiVe.n We want no deLendd est CdYthdgO
no destruction of CartLage-but we want no
more tnkerlng or temporiZing with this
Southern difficulty. Under the constitutional
war powers OF Congress, by which the armed
forces of the Rebellion we're put down and dis
persed, its disarmed forces may be compelled to
accept and ratity the terms of fair, just and
generous uitimatum of restoration.
We would accordingly submit to the Congress
which is to reassemble in Washington on the
first Monday in December new Constitutional
amendment, or a modification OF that before
the States, so as TO embrace, not the cheating
proposition of impartial suffrage, but universal
suffrage and universal amnesty as the basis of
Southern restoration. The universal suffrage
we mean is the admission 10 the ballot box of
all males OF all races and colors ot twenty-one
years OF age, except criminals and lunatics and
Indians not taXed;" and the amnesty we mean
| Is one which will reach from the Rebel bush
Whacker to Jeh Davis and his Cabinet begin
| nlng with the release OF DAVIS. We would fur
| ther propose the enforcement of this settlement
| upon the rebellious South, as President Johnson
| enforced the amendment abolishing slavery. To
| TINS end an act OF Compress requiring the Presi-
! uent 10 place an army of one hundred thou
SAND or hundred aud fifty thousand men
| under General Grant, for the purpose of hurry
| ing up the good work in the excluded States.
| would be good thing, Something of this sort
| is required TO convince those States and their
| people that an unsuccessful Rebellion brings
It's pains and penalties ard that it is the victor
| and not the vanquished that dictates the treaty
| Of peace.
President Johnsons efforts at restoration
have turned Quito be cloves labor lost" Lei
| the rightful authority of Congress- then he in
| terposed, and in manner which will admit of
| no more trifing and no more deIay et this
| new plan be placed in the hands of General
| Grant for its enforcement, and the thing will
| soon be done. Peace, restoration and harmony
| will speedily follow for while the universal am
| nesty will throw the veil over the offanses and
| offenders OF the Rebellion, universal sufIrape.
| blacks and all, will hold the recovered States
/ firmly in the Union and with the cause OF the
| the additional positive advantage to the South
| of gain of some twenty odd members of Con-
| gress over the plan of negro exclusion from the
suffrage The authority and the power are in
the hands Of Congress, and this is our plan, az
matters now stand, tor short, comprehensive
[ complete, and speedy seVteme nI.