Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1866-11-15

Southern ReJtts - Let them Make up !
their Minds and Respond Promptiy-
Far Worning to be Gtuen Against Fur
her F6oling or Equiuocating-7he M
tion Tired of Delays, Agitdtions, Insults,
Riots, Mods, aud Persecutions Of Loyal
Men.
From the Detroit Post Of the 7thl
With but few exceptions the Southern
press has opposed the adoption Of the Con
siitutional Amendment. What effect the
result ofthe elections Of yesterday will have
upon the public sentiment of the South, we
shall soon know. But, at present, the
Southern papers ore controlled mainly by
Southern politicians, and the Southern pol
iicians are largely composed OF that class
who, having committed perjury in addition
to treason, are to be forever prohibited. by
the Constitutional Amendment, from hold
ing Office. Their opposition is only natural,
and to he expected. How strong senti-
ment there may be in the South in favor OF
accepting these liberal terms of reconstruc-
ton, we cannot we'll conjecture. since it has
very few, if any, public organs. But we
think it safe to say that, at the present M
ment, at least, the South means to reject
the Amendment. If it is accepted hereaf-
ter, it will be because Of change of senti-
ment induced by the result of the elections.
SO soon as we can learn with some GER
tainty what the Southern sentiment really
is. under present circumstances, we shall be
prepared to discuss understandingly the
further duty of Congress and of the 10y al
people relative to reconstruction. We are
already satisfied, however-and We deem
it our duty to say so plainly--that Con-
gress is not bound to wait long for the peo-
pie of the South to make up their minds,
and that it ought not to wait long. The
terms offered are LIBERAL generous. magnan-
! imous mildest terms ever offered to a
people that have sinned as the Southern
people have. They are less than we ought
to have demanded; less than would have
been both just and merciful to enforce. The
| nation cannot afford to wait for the South to
hesitate. and hsggle, and equivocate, and
delay The great work of restoration should
be finished speedily. Commerce, business
of all kinds, the public tranquility, every
consideration Of the public good, and polit
ical economy, demand speedy, as well as
an effectual settlement OF the questions that
now agitate and disturb the Republic. -
Within a reasonable time after Congress.
has again met, If the Southern States have
not consented to reconstruction upon tas
terms offered by the Constitutional Amend
ment, it will be proper to institute other
more effectual, and more speedy measures
Of reconstruction. 1t the Southern States
will not come in under their present form
of organization, the nation need not wal
any longer upon their will; but justice snt
the public good will demand that each ant
every one Of them shall be recast into sucf
a form that it will rejoin the Union upor
just terms.
We only intend to give fair warning. n
present, that the loyal North, and particu
larly the radical West, will not abide any
more fooling or equivocating. They are
tired of delays, agitations, insults, riots
mobs, prosecutions Of loyal men, and at
tempts to avoid the just results of the war
We want the Union restored Immediately
upon u just basis. We want peace and tran
guilty re established at once. We wan
the fruits of our victories in the field and Al
the ballot-box. The late rebels-leader,
aud all-have had time enough to make ~
their minds whether they will reconstruc
their States, whether they will really and
honorably accept the situation, whether
they will restore the Union, whether they
will submit to the will of the loyal people
who preserved the Union and conquered
them. Let them now answer yes or no, al
once, and that plainly. If they hesitate
any longer, there is q way to reconstruct the
Union without them, The loyal men OF tht
South only need to be invested with power
and they will do the work Immediately anf
rightly. We cannot afford to wait muct
longer for rebels to decide whether they vii
bring back their States into the Union o.
not, when the loyal men Of the South stant
not only ready but anxious to do the work
the moment Congress invests them with tht
necessary political power. The States mus
be restored ss soon MS possible; and, il the
rebels who now control them will not re
store them on proper terms, they must b'
placed in the control Of the loyal men wht
will After dilly.dsllying nearly two whole
years on the road TO restoration, it is get
ting high time to take the short cut, ant
reach Union and peace by the safest ant
strsightest route.