The New York herald., 1866-05-30
The New Radical Plan-A Bold Stroke
for tho Negro.

| The New Radical Plan-A Bold Stroke
for the Negro.
| Tired Of the dilly-dallying of the Senate over
the programme presented by the Committee Of
Fifteen, Mr.. Thaddeus Stevens has taken time
| by the forelock and offered to Congress, upon
his individual responsibility, a new plan in the
form of very brief, simple and comprehen-
sive bill. This measure declares that the re-
Gently rebellious States have forfeited all rights
under the constitution; that their present gov
ernments are illegal, although they may be
temporarily recognized for municipal purposes,
and that the States aforesaid are not in the
Union and cannot be treated a. free republics.
The bill then proceeds to point out way In
which the seeded States may return. First,
conventions must be held and new State con-
stitutions adopted. At the elections for dele
gates to these conventions all males over
twenty-one years old shall be legal voters, ire
spective Of color. Anybody, white or black,
may be chosen as delegate. Then the
new State constitutions must be impartial,
without regard to race, color or former con-
dition. This gives the negroes all the rights,
privileges and immunites Of white people. It
gives them more; for another section Of the
bill provides that all persons who have sworn
allegiance to or held office under the rebel
government shall be disfranchised for five
years and shall only be admitted to citizen
ship at the expiration Of that period by fling
their naturalization papers and going through
the usual routine, like other foreigners. These
terms having been complied with, the rebel
States may be received into the Union by q
vote Of Congress; but until then no Senator nor
Representative shall Be entitled tQ BIZ seat.
This is the plan Of Mr.. Thaddeus Stevens
and it does him credit In it he says exactly
what the radicals want and what they are de-
termined to have if the people permit There
is no deceit, no hypocrisy, no double-dealing
about this scheme. 1t is bold stroke for the
negro and against the rebels. 1t opens the
doors of The State legislatures, of Congress
and Of the White House itself to the emanci-
pated blacks and closes and double locks
them against the Southern whites. II recog-
nizes the freedmen as the only loyal people at
the South and brands all the whites as for
eigners without country, having no rights
which our government is bound to respect.
If 1t be adopted it can never be amended,
never altered, never repealed; for one Of its
sections takes care of the future by providing
that the whole act shall become void and all
the States concerned be again excluded il any
part Of it be tampered with. In every way
this plan comes right up to the demands and
expectations Of the radicals. Where others
have Ainched Mr. Stevens is strongest; where
others have employed dubious phrases he uses
the plainest and clearest words where others
have tried to be expedient he Is satisfied to be
consistent His plan is the real radical pro-
gramme. II is the only one which the radicals
can honestly endorse. Compared with it the
schemes Of the Reconstruction Committee Of
Senator Fessenden, Of Senator Stewart and
all the other congressman, are nat,
stale, improbable snd tricky. Mr.. Stevens
looms up above these men 90 Satan does
among the other nends. He has tho moral or
immoral courage Of which the rest seem utterly
destitute. He does not utter 30 many fine
words as Senator Sumner; but in contrast with
him the Massachusetts, talker is q more pigmy.
As Q bold, honest, unscrupulous, consistent,
energetic, pertinacious radical Mr.. Stevens ID
without rival, and the other radicals are in
their right place when they are humbly follow
ing his leadership.
Now that the plan Of Mr.. Stevens is before
Congress we hope to see il voted upon as soon
as possible. Il is unnecessary TO waste time
in discussing It and arguing about it. No
member Of either House can mlsundcrstand or
pretend TO misunderstand this bill. II re-
quires no explanation. Everybody compre-
henls Il at oRce. Those who like it may vote
for 1t; those who do not like 1t need waste no
time IN telling MS why. Trimmers, like the
Hon. Mr.. Raymond, will only vex the public
patience by making speeches against this bill,
for which they will undoubtedly vote when
brought to the test We trust that Mr.. Stevens
will not allow any of his democratic
allies to get of q lot of gabble,
in the vain hope of deceiving their
constituents, before they 90 over to his sup
port This farce Ia completely played out It
is no longer amusing. People who admire.that
sort of twaddle can get 1t cheaper and better
at the negro minstrels We also urge upon Mr..
Stevens to accept Of no amendment to his plan.
II is perfect as IL stands. There is nothing 10
be stricken out and nothing Of any Importance
can be added. Let the previous question be
called for and the representatives put on the
record. Let the radicals rally for the only
plan which fairly and fully expresses their
ideas. Whoever tries to back out Of the vote
deserves to be read out OF the party. Let the
conservative republicans, under the Hon Mr..
Raymond, face the music like men, instead
of lodging and wriggling a. they have
previously done. We all know how they
will vote, and they win only increase the popu-
lar disgust by pretending to oppose Mr.. Ste
vens when they are really acting with him.
The same thing may bc said Of the denocrats
under Jack Rodgers in the House and James
Brooks outside Let them stand suuarelv nv