The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-12-21
FRIDAY, DECEMBER q. 1866.
Southern Folly and its Fruits,

Southern Folly and its Fruits,
THE telegraph reports that the body now
exercising the functions of so-calIed Lcgis-
lature in South Carolina has just rejected the
Constitutional amendment by vote OF 05 to
|. 1t is probable that the folly and madness
OF the South will finally compel the settle
ment OF this reconstruction question upon a
thorough radical basis, just as its persistency
IN the Rebellion resulted finally in the com
plete overthrow of the system oI American
slavery. At the breaking out of the war the
nation would have been contented with the
prohibition OF slavery in the Territories, and
would probably have given almost any desired
guarantee to its existence in the States As
time wore on, and the contest began to de-
yelop with its true and grand proportions,
public sentiment rose in its demands, and MI
Lincoln pressed his scheme of gradual COM
pensated emancipation, reaching to the year
1900 for its completion. But the toOlhardy
South stopped its ears and rushed on to ruin.
A year later, and MIR. Lincoln issued the
Emancipation proclamation, to take instant
effect. Had it not been for the persstency Of
the South in the Rebellion, slavery would
have been in existence i'll all the old slave
States to-day.
So, too, with this Constitutional amend
ment. 1t does not meet the highest demands
of Justice. 1t is dstasteEul to our more ad-
yanced statesmen. BY implication, at least,
it allows the late Rebel communities to dis
franchise, in some instances, a majority of
their citizens. Its adoption would be followed
by the legalization of the present irregular
and revolutionary State Governments of the
South. YET in a spirit OF mercy and conci-
liation it was adopted and held out TO the
conquered South as a basis of restoration.
Never before did victor grant such mild terms
to the vanquished. But the South is contu.
macious, defiant, eXasperating. 1t scorns
the mild and generous terms held out by the
nation. 1t places i self in an attitude of hos
tilty to the Republic as real as that of the
late Rebellion. Its spirit is the same that
animated it throughout the war. Its leaders,
in rejecting the terms of peace offered by the
nation, are the same proud, implacabe con-
spirators against liberty and free government
who precipitated the late bloody contest
upon us.
What will the result be? viii the nation
recede from lis position? Wi the defeated
Rebels be allowed to dictate terms 10 the VIC
torious people? No; but the oily of the
South will probably save us from a compro-
mise, and force settlement OF the questions
at issue upon asound republican basis. These
illegal State Governments created by the Exc
cutive, and officered by late Rebels, will be
swept away as their Confederate predecessors
were. Reconstruction will commence from
the bottom, and with the principle that the
loyal clement alone is Me true material of
the State.
1t is to this conclusion that the South is
pushing us, just as surely as she pushed us
to the overthrow Of slavery during the war.
She might save herself from this res uIt by
accepting the terms of the Constitutional
amendment; but she refuses to do it. Hence
she leaves us no choice but to take the straight
forward radical course to true and flal
settlement OF this great question. The result
will show, as we have so often seen before
in this great contest, how God Overrules the
wrath of wicked men to further His own
great purposes of moral government in the
world.