Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1866-11-30
WHAT NEXT9

Every Southern State has in effect
rejected the constitutional Amend
mene. This means, ofcourse. that the
rebels decline restoration upon that
basis and demand milder terms. viii
they be granted ? The people have
already answered in the late elections.
Direct issue was taken upon tho que>
tiuu whether the Sou -hern States
should be restored upon the easy con-
ditious offered BY the President or the
severer ones required By Congress aud
the people decided for the latter by
net majority of more than 401. 600 votes.
By this decision they will sfand until
the crack of doom and the obstinaey
of the South will therefore be as uu-
profitable as it is unreasonable
But as the amendment has been re-
ieoted the question forces itself upon
us, what Is to be done next? Our
terms we're tempered down to moder-
ate Justice IN order to secure speedy
reconstruction. That they viii be
abated no farther Is morally certain.
and in this respect our policy may be
considered fixed The amendment
was compromise between the ex-
tremists and conservative parties
1t is pre-eminently a conservative
measure and there is nothing in 1t
which either wing of the Union par
tv would not Of itself have exacted
from the rebels. II spraDg not from
blind prejudice or vindietive passion
but from enlightened magnanimity.
The amendment was offered IN the
spirit of mildness md not of severity,
with a desire to harmonize and molliiy
and not to exasperate- 1t was sup
posed that men of all parties who
deemed the rebellion crime would
ebeerfully endorse It, and that even
the South meeting US in the spirit of
magnanimity would cheerfully make
this qualified confession of her fault
and give this honorable pledge Of 10y
al behavior in future
But oil these expectations are dash
ed to the ground. Through the wan
ton treaohery and obstinacy of the
President the Southern people have
been encouraged in disloyalty, and in
stead OF the humility and submissive
ness appropriate tj a people thwarted
and subdued in an act of crime they
have put on the air Of imperious exae-
ton aud insolent defiance Such
conduct deserves to be not only rebuk-
ed but punished 1t is a new aggrava-
/ ton of their crime, and insteqd Of be-
ing a good reason for abating their
penalty il is a strong incentive to make
it more rigorous.
Shall we not do so? Shall we not
make an example for all time of this
/ inexeusah'e rebel insolence? -? There
is a plan by which we can do this with
/ out transcendiug simple Justice OF in
voking arbitrary measures. let Con-
/ gress demand ne baliot for fbe freed
men We have offered the South the
alternative Of conctdiDg this or sub
mitting t, reduced rep eseutatiou let
US now withdraw the altern tive and
compel them to cpucede to all loyal
men, whether black or white the right
to vote 1t is a shame and an outrage
that while the country Is ia hourly
peril from lurking treason a million
loyal voters should be wanfnnlv dis
franuhised Il Is disgraoeful that with
/ indecent hastewe re enfrauehise black
hearted aud red-hauded white men.
and fritfe- away months and years in
shutting indecisinu as to whether we
shall do as much for white hearted
black men. It is not creditable to our
courage or wisdom hat instead of re
quiring the Southern Insurgents to g.
what is n.anifestly right and just we
let them take their choice between
that and moderate reduction of their
already hopeless minority in Congress.
The legislation which attempts to per
suade men to do right instead of sim
ply requiring them to do it is a mere