Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1866-11-27
To ADVERTISERS.
THE FUTURE OF THE SOUTH.

THE FUTURE OF THE SOUTH.
No. 6.
There never was more mistaken idea than
that of the hardship of the terms demanded bv
the North as the condition precedent to the re-
admission Of the lately rebellious States to
Congress This idea is being insisted upon
principally by the two classes who are aes
tined TO 4" go under" politically, whenever the
South may be restored to full communion in
the Government in accord with the North with
reference to the future OF the Union as a
whole. We refer TO the class of secession lead
ers st the South, and the politicians of the
North, who, adopting theories of that class,
lett untried no effort to aid il to DESTROY the
Union during the war that did not absolutely
endanger their individual liberty and lives
One may search the history of every civil war
aho its consequences that has occurred as far
hack as accounts OF the history of nations have
been preserved, to find terms granted 10 the
unsuccessful party to any great civil war So
lenient and truly fraternal as those which
Congress, on behalf of the vIctors in our war,
now oner the South. These terms are, simply
an offer that the South shall consent to share
with the North, East and West in the enjoy-
ment Of all the blessings and privileges
which the latter have worked out Of
the opportunities afforded by American
institutions. They ask not for the life of q
single man of all whom they regard as leaders
In the work OF bringing about the rebellion.
which has cost them 1.-THE North) the lives of
hundreds OF thousands of their children and
brothers, and three thousand millions of na
tional property 1.-THE public debit and PERTAINS
half as many millions, the property of i'm d.
yiduals of Union sentiments, North and South
The only penalty they demand is after all. but
mere bond of security for tbs preservation of
the peace and property OF all sections in the
future Ii is the exclusion from participation
in United States effiee-holding OF any grade.
of the men Of the South who were the leaders
in the rebellion. As the burnt child breads the
fire, so the North will not (as it should not)
remit 70 these men their former opportunities
10 work mischief for the whole country. The
demand that the South shall not enjoy repre-
seutation in Congress for their former slaves
unless enfranchisirg them, involves no
hardship whatever. 1t simply places the
South on terms of absolute equality with all
other sections of the Union in this matter of
representation in Congress, and applies with
equal force throughout the land ItinyoIves
no obligation on the part of the South to de-
yoive the privilege Of the vote upon the freed.
men That is question left by the proposed
amendment wholly to the solution of the Soutb
itself II may eatranchise the negro in its
II TO be its interest so to do. The loss of its
right TO representation TOR two-fiftbs of its
former slaves Is a mater of little practical i'm.
portSnce, more especially when IL will have
the opiien of getting full representation for all
it, former slaves whenever II may deem
that policy best for its own interest
The main reason why the amendment
Is dIstasteful 10 most persons in the
south, Is because In ostracising from Fed
eral COMMUNICATIONS the class re-
sponsible for the rebellion and its conse.
quences, II sets the seal of national reprobation
upon TIE cause for which the South, one and
all suffered so much through the machina.
lions, usurpation and short-lived despotism OF
that class. With nine tenths of the white
people of the South the question is, then, but
little more than one of pride and sectional
Pique. lttouches individual personal interests
except Of the class referred 10 above, I'm No
manner whatever, save in proposing to benefit
the Southern people TO a wonderful derree
whenever, through its opportunity, they accept
the offer OF Congress TO re-enter the Union
with all the rights enjoyed by any and all
al the North. We are no belle yer that the Con.
persead press al the North and Southern State
officials and the press Of the South in the inter-
est of the perpetuaton Of the former power of
ihe secession leaders, can much longer pre van,
che Southern masses from comprehending thess
few plain facts Though kno wing well that not
one man in hundred throughout the South as
yei sees q newspaper not in the interest of
her party OF geucgradation, we do not be.
lieye II possible that in the altered condi-
ton of her affairs the truth in these mat
tiers can be very much longer shut out
from her popular mind Yet it is by NO
means impossible thar 1t may fail to effect
a Judgement therein until after Congress, tired
of Waiting for the light to break in upon the
South, may, under the lead of extreme men,
resort to extreme measures to carry out the
views Of the latter. No one doubts the power
sands deny their right so to do Nor does anv
one conceive OF any feasible plan by which the
exercise of that power can be prevented. when
ever Congress 50 wills. These are also plain
facts which should be realized in the minds OF
all the South as speedily as possible. OF what
avail, therefore, are Southern or Northern pro.
tests concerning the Constitutional rights of the
South in the present crisis9 Who that pro.
pose TO ignore them. will be moved an inch
from the conclusions wrought in their minds
by the war, by such appeals from sources in.
imical TO the eause OF the Union as involved In
the war! Never were ink and breath more
sigrally thrown away, than in arguing al this
time to show that the Constitution fails To give
the yictors in the late war complete power
over the terms upon which the lately rebel.
lions States shall be permitted TO resume their
position In the Union.
TIE INTELLIGENOER FOB MICRO SUE.
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