The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1866-05-11
Reconstruction.

Rec0nStructl0n.
The Reconstruction Committee of
fifteen have agreed upon report to sub
init to Congress, Of which the following is
synopsis:
The Committee propose, as an amend
ment to the Constitution, bill! to provide
for the restoration of the States to their
'ul political rights, and bill declaring
certain persons Ineligible TO Office under
the Government The amendment, pro
vides for equal rights to all citizens, in all
the States; for representation based upon
the whole population, excluding Indians
not taxed) but when male persons Of the
age Of twenty-one years are excluded from
the elective franchise, representation shall
be correspondingly reduced excludes
from the privilege Of voting for members
of Congress and for Presidential electors,
until July 4, 1870, of all persons who VOL
unfairly adhered to the rebellion; pro-
hibits the assumption ofthe rebel debt by
the United States or any State and gives
Congress power to enforce the provisions
of the act The bill for the restoration of
the States provides that when any State
lately in rebellion shall ratifv the Consti-
tutional Amendment, abolishing slavery,
and modify its Constitution and laws
accordingly, its Senators and Representa-
tives may be admitted into Congress.
This other bill excludes the following
classes from all office under the United
~
Vice President, and Heads Of Departments
of the Copfederacy; Foreign Agents of
the same officers of the United States
army and navy, Judges OF the Courts,
or members of the 36th Congress who
gave aid and comfort to the rebellion: !:
all Governors of Confederate States, or
officers above the rank OF Colonel in the
Army and Master in the Navy, aud those
who treated Union prisoners otherwise
than lawfully as prisoners OF war.
This reads al well enough, but the
sentence "July 4, 1870" is the "nig-
ger in the wood pile.' The Radicals are
afraid to go before the whole people on
The issues Of the day, and are moving
heaven and earth to defeat that restoration
that they made believe they were so anx-
ious for during the war Commenting on
the probability that Congress will not set
tie the difficulties of restoration before the
next Presidential election, the Louisville
Journal aptly remarks;
Let US suppose that things drift on with :
out any definite settlement until 1868
that isn't far off, and will be upon us, pos
sibly, before we are ready for it-and the
Republican party nominate general Sher-
man for the presidency, and the conser-
vatiye or the Democratic party nominates
General Grant for the same office. Gen.
Grant. and his party, let up suppose, run
electors IN every state according to the
constitution, and obtain a clear majority
of votes in the electoral college. Wouldn't
they take it as a matter of course that
he would in that case be entitled to be
sworn into the Office of President, and to
enter upon the discharge of his dnties as
such Suppose again that Gen. Sherman
and bis party should have electoral tickets
in only part OF the states, say in twenty
five Of them only, and should receive
only a minority Of all the votes in the
electoral college, but majority Of
electoral votes of the twenty five states
in which their ticket was voted for
what then!
At the first blush, We would naturally
say that general Sherman failed of an
election, having received on Y minority
Of all the votes in the electoral college.
But would the Republicans" submit to
that9 Wouldn't they revolt and become
rebels, and declare that their candidate,
though he didn't receive majority of all
the electoral votes cast, was, nevertheless
elected, and ought and must be sworn into
Office and administer the government {?
Wouldn't each candidate contend that be
had been legitimateiy elected, and pro-
nounce opposition to his inauguration trea
son to the government 7"
In that case both candidates would
doubtless go to Washington, backed by
tens of thousands of their armed followers,
the supporters Of each avowing that their
candidate should be sworn IN, peaceatly if
he could be, forcibly if ha must be.