The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-12-24

oIacy by false rendering of the Southern case, and
ON the other 70 deude the southern people by
false exposition of Northern sentiment. The result
OF the elections has but partial y undeoeiyed the
as the Macon Journal says-to disseminate
the "false views" Of the CopDerhesa press. Ihe
whoeuth has not been PermSte,d 70 TeoGh rn0 toS
In ihe Northern Sta es" although every intellgent
man resident in this latitude knows not only that
no reaction is uisoermbe, but that the tendency OF
opinion is IN the direction OF stronger measures
than have hitherto been proposed. Southern nope
but the occasion calls for the truth not for baseess
hopes and that is precisely what canuotbe gathered
from Democratic O'umns.
The Macon editor has discovered that the calou.
latons on which the South has proceeded in reject
ing the Const tutonal amendment. and IN triusIng
TO sugge other terms are 'mere dreams" Wnen
tins conviction becomes general as 1t Wlli Oe by
and by, curses will be heaped upon those who have
OF tbe pobtics Tg s,tus,ion" Meanwhile the Journal
and Messenger cries for the sober truth that the
South instead of being vlctimized by pernlc!ous
dreams, may learn to make che best OF the inevi.
table. --- - ---..
The Augusta tGal Constitution dtist asks with evil
dent Wha' does the North really wantp
"Does she want the South to adopt the Constltu-
tionul amendment unGer positive guarantee of full
restoratiOnp Let CONGRESS make the solemn asser-
ton. No such guarantee has eyer been given but
have been deliberately told, beyond denial from
any authoritative source that this humiliation,
were our people disposed to accept It, would not
supposed to represent the North, tell us, in plain
language what you really want TO do in order to
we viii honestly declare them TO be SO, and submit
to the Will OF Providence with cletn hearts, II
sible Of aceeptance will accept them, and accept
them in good faith. Could any proposition be more
fair to earnest men-the men of '61, who rolled the
blue wave Of battle over us, because they loved us
reason together; let us for season-this Christmas
ason which rings in the new ChrIst-curb our
stubborn pride and be candid The North has the
pride OF success and the South has the pride of insult
or defeat Let us divest ourselves OF this pride and
come to an understanding
The Constitutionaiist has caught the right spirit
Its intelrogatory may appear superfluous 10 us at
the North, but the intent which prompts it merits
respect
What, then, Is "the sober truth" which the
South must learn to contemplated What reay are
the terms with which 1t must comply to secure
The fist point TO be recognized by the South is
the necessity OF abandoning the policy OF passive
resistance on which II has proceeded since the
adoption by Congress of the am mendment. For this
in some degree :" resnonsibIe His own conSse since
the elections has been guided by an apparent but
untenable, expectation that tho reso ve OF the
North would wear itself out, and that, by waiting
patiently for that event, he would achieve triumph
for his views
part of the Presl ent we are persuaded HIS pas.
siveness is considered 0bsnacY and the resolve of
however has largely affected tho Southern people,
The feeling which causes Them to reject the ameni-
ment because 1t excludes their leaders from Office
induces them to adf ere to the policy OF The Pres
dent, whom they understand to be their lr1end. It
Is said indeed that he has exeIted hlmselt to
decision of the A ALBANIA Legislature is in part attn-
butable TO his influence BE this it may, the i'm.
mobility which ne unfortunately mistakes for firm
ness has been accepted as he fitting property or
prpciple OF Sou hern statesmanship the prevailing
idea in both cases being that the refusa to comply
with the terms proposed by CONGRESS will
the offer Of other and more favorable terms.
South W suffers this is the Worst the inertia 'ne oe
one side were more than equal TO the Impeling
force on the her, the policy which meets the plans
n utlI limit nsoI Tuhf milf tnaf %
preval. In existing circumstances no Wever, this Is
int Ossible. The passive resistance on which the
governing States as surely rebellion yielded to
10y atty on the ba field. 1t is simply question of
time; ior the will of the North is xed its power
is fully equal to any possible emergency.
But the terms? The Constitutionatist has not far
to search to fnd them. just now, they are COM
plised III The pending amendment, which the South,
IN its "pnde OF Insult or defeat, refuses to accept.
The requfs st OF q guarantee OF soIetion a conse.
quence OF ratifylng the amendment Is, ss we have
repeatedly cohtended, essentially reasonable: Mr..
spaldinS's resolution at present before the Recon
rltatlve assurance Tor which the Augusta journal
pleads. The dec carations OF MessIs Sherman and
Wade in the Senate, and the known dispo siti0n of
large proportion of the Republican RePIesentatvps
leave room to doubt that restoration would fo-
low ratification Still, Congress would add greatly
to the moral strength OF its position by solemny
asserting the intent and scope of the amendment
and SO removing the uncertainty which appears in
What the North really wants the South to do to
restoration is to afford guaran that hall
circumstances of the country. The North has
framed the Amendment as an embodiment of the
guarantees 1t requires They form the minimum
demand which WI be presented to the south for
acceptance. If rejected in their present shape
they Will be pressed in some other, with this differ.
ence, however that the next time the North will
not consult the Southern Legislatures, but will
carry out the pan in its own way.
1t is for the South to determine whether the brief
opportunity that remains to it shall be wasted or
turned to good account. Nine weeks more will
end the session. and with it the chance OF resIora.
tion On the basis OF the Amendment After tina (
Georgia cOntemp orares may rest assured resto.
ration will give place to reconstruction. The "sober
truth" they crave is in this nutshell,