American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1866-10-10

ness transactions. We suppoee that the
offer of Congress- ought to be left open
until the Southern legislatures Gas those
''illegal and unlawful assemblies" are by
courtesy termed) have had an oppostuni-
ty to acceptit. South Garoligaand Tex
as have had this opportunity, but have
thrown it away Most of THE: oiher
Southern legislatures will not meet un-
til January. 1t seems, therefore, fair
that Congress should allow them until
the middle of that m montL to decide up
on their course. 1t cannot well allow a
longer time without consenting to a full
years delay, since the term of Congress
itself expires on the 4th Of March next,
aud it will have only six weeks from the
middle of January in which to frame
and carry out a new policy. The South
will have had six months in which to
make up its mind, and may justly be
held to its decision.
We have thus gone through with all
details of the policy to which we bleve
Congress to be committed 1t remains
to be asked what Congress ought to do in
certain contingencies as to which it is not
committed. 1t has contracted no under
taking, express or implied, with any
State which refuses to accept the amend
ment. And we think that it will be the
imperative duty of Congress to reorgan-
ize every revolted State which thus holds
out after the 18th or Goth of January, by
means of State Convention TO be elected
by all the loyal people of each State,
without the slightest regard to the un-
constitutional usurpations set up by Mr..
johnson. 1t is at best highly danger
Gus precedent to recognize governments
set up and maintained by military power
and executive dictation. That which Mr..
johnson has done to please the white
people of the South, may at some future
day be initiated by another President to
please black people, or without regard to
the wishes Of any part of the people
But if from considerations of temporary
expediency it is thought necessary to
sanction the usurpations of the Presi-
dent, it is certain that such sanction
should not be given in so vague form as
to imply that his action was inherently
right and lawful. Aud such an inference
might fairly be drawn from any action of
Congress which should leave the South
ern State free to come in at any time
with the form of government adopted by
them under Mr.. Johnson's dictation, and
by voters of his selection.
Moreover, it is perfectly true, as MIR.
Beecher urges, that the work of recon-
struction ought to be completed at an
early day, and that the nation as a whole
suffers by delay. This does not prove,
as he imagines, that the work had better
be completed anyhow than that any de-
lay should be suffered A certain meas.
ure of time is indispensable in every
great achievement; and excessive haste
would be ruinous in so great task as
this. But an indefinite postponement of
reconstruction is full of danger. Con
grcss has given the rebels Of the South
an option to assume the responsibility of
government if they will; but it has no
right 20 keep the whole nation waiting
for them. IF the rebels will not act with
Congress, the latter is not merely at lib
erty, but is morally bound, to appeal to
the loyalists Of the South, and to give
them the power to institute and carry on
republican forms of government in har-
mony with the Federal authority. The
Nation.