The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-10-06

facts just they are In Tennessee State reorganxed
In Maryland. West Virginia, and Missouri. those
whites who participated In the rebellion are denied
the right Of suffrage. Even Governor Brownow oon-
cedes that this was done by minority III Tennessee,
possibly by majoes in the other States The massacre
In New Orleans was doubtless caused by the belief that
the Convention intended 70 attempt the same thing 10
that state You have already seen men OF no small
influence proclaim themselves in favor OF universal
suffrage, upon the ground Of It's necessity And who
ever believes that those who are completely OK
Guided from political power the rebels In Missouri
and Tennessee have not the sympathy Of the great
Northern may undeceive them BY travel
ling with them The most violent secessonists. there
fore had better reflect upon he danger OF leaving these
agitating questions OPEN lisa habit with the South
Upon that rock have they twice split With
the present issues the result of the next Pres-
dental election can easily be foreseen we have
dissolved and made. With q President and Con-
gress favorable to the loyal, and people bit ery OPP
posed 10 those who engaged in the rebellion, means
could easily be found enfranohse the blacks and dis
franchise the rebels Nothing but the bayonet could
avert this and in the excitement or struggle half the
Southern bayonets could be found 20 favor III Mixing
up the other questions OF national credit and national
safety, the faconis rebels would be left wholly with
out support Did entertain what might DO called just
resentment against those from whom have suffered
would not utter these warnings for the drift, OF
cssson But wish punishment which falls alike
upon the just and unjust And this brings me to the
other section, against which SO much complaint is
made-that Of dsquaifyng for office all who, haring
taken the oath Of Office, Afterwards engaged in the
beli0n. Here again must look at facts President
Johnson determined this principle when proclaimed
an end, and recognized minority governments In
the hands of oval men as valid He meant by his
amnesty oath and his pardon warrants that all who had
participated In the rebel traitors and such
that they had forfeited the rights Of citizenship No
one who denies that the Union had been dissolved and
new nation created, 70 make the secedcd States
foreign POWERS and alien enemies questions the correct
meas Of his judgment The only doubt Is to his
OF ndiscrminae pardons before conviction. The tre-
,ndOus weight OF surrounding circumstances
against his power And II the secession theory be
sound, then the psrdons simply utilities, because
Unnecessary and all the consequences Of conquered pro-
vnces subject to the will Of Congress follow But
may be the correct theory, II President john
goes down upon his policy the power Of Congress
to deal with the Whole subject matter will be maintained
The very companionship Of the rebel leaders would
alone turn the SCALE Then it is inevitable that this
don must be accepted or more Onerons will be inn
posed The disqualification does not fall upon willing
whites only. II involves many who accepted triding
Offices, employed substitutes or otherwise engaged
in aiding cause which swept them along.
And II does not touch many who did much in behalf OF
secession and then escaped actual service But the
power o. relief Is in Congress As TO the supposition
that Southern governments could not he carried on
without the aid OF the old Office holders, l have
simply to say, that the people could find better magis
tratcs without them. Mankind will say that the
trusted public servants who went to work to destroy
great and good government should not be again
permitted TO Office under It, Had they remained
in the back ground during the work OF reconstruction,
greater confidence in Sou bern sincerity would have
been felt and difficulties would nave been esscned.
The question of the public debt has been incidentally
tou he'd 1t is rapabe that the people win pause
until that principle is made organic. Alone it would
all Inc rest through The Southern States,
States have repudaed the Con edote debt That Is only
for the State nts and 1t Is not binding upon Con-
gress The people will not trust 10 future venality that
which may be settled permanently own that these
amendments not all that l would desire. But
they give to Congress sufficient power for universal pro-
lection; they look to final settlement, without which
the Southern prosperity can never be revived. They
demand nothing individually collectively for the
Southern people or Southern States which does not fall
vOnklUp
possible way seems to be the best-act promptly and
earnestly accept the amendment in good faith and Start
upon the great for the future. There many
men in influential pos tons who know that all my
erions given TO prevent the quarrel between the
President and Congress said that II placed the loyal
element Of the South between the upper and neither
milestone; that pointed the public mind TO the wrong
scapeg0as; that deluded the rebels themselves and
inspr them TO overt acs aud that It would render the
President poworess for good. he seemed TO to de-
part from hts theories and to attempt the fatal
Of building up party with ncongruous principles
Your and that OF other contemporaries
render the Presidents further advance impossible. He
is e choice but 70 return and do the only practicable
thing 10 be done.