New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-05-26
REpuBL1cAN gENTIMENg.

The New York Evening Post, well known as an
able influential organ Of the Republican party, IS
opposed to the scheme Of the Reconstruction Com
mittee. The most Objectionable feature of the
scheme, in the opinion of that paper is the consd
tutional amendment DISTINGUISHING the Southern
people for term of years. On this point many
other Republican journals, and even some of those
ofradeal tendencies support the views of the Post,
or rather entertain similar sentiments. In order
to show this fact the more effectively the Post has
collected the opinions of large number of its con-
temporaries and its general conclusion is, that
Z" the most thoughtful journals either disapprove
altogether Of the report or have very faint praise
for it, The clause DISTINGUISHING the greater
part of the Southern population" continues the
Post, which is in fact the one which gives pecu-
liar character to the whole, is very generally
objectedto as unwise and impracticable; and other
weaknesses incident to different parts of the plan
are exposed by different writers.n
The Nation, a weekly of good geal Of, ability,
notices the shsurdity of asking the people of the
Southern States to disfranchse themselves as a
condition Of re-admission to the Union-or rather,
the Nation might more property have said, as a
condition of the admission Of their Senators and
Representatives in the United States Congress.
The Nation says that the object of DISTINGUISHING
the Southern people must be either to punish them
or to prevent them from doing mischief; and it
then says that nothing the United States govern
ment can now do, can operate as punishment,
and that the South is without the power, even if
she had the will, to do any mischief. This may be
all very true; but the Nation overlooks the i'm
portant fact that the real object is to perpetuate
the powerpf the cabal which now rules in Con
gress. Argument and reason can have no influence
in opposition to such a motive as that.
The following extract from the Nation is not
without interest, coming from such source:
The great objection which many Of us
feel now to the admission of the Southern people
to the enjoyment of their old rights is based on
what we hear Of the determined dsloyalty of their
temper and Of the hostility which they still cher
ish to the Federal government and to the people
of the North. The number Of us who ask for ven
geance is small butw all ask for security for
the future. Yet no better mode of keeping alive
feelings of dsloyaty and of irritation could be de-
vised than Acknowledgement on great scale for an
ofiense Of which this generation at least does not
see the moral guilt, and we greatly fear will never
be got to see it, do what we may to open their
eyes. Everything which looks like persecution
will, OF course, only lrrtate its Objects keen alive
the old feelings of evaporation, and, by dividing
the community into two elasses-the ene favored,
the other outlawed-lay the foundation for hates
and feuds of which we fear this century would not
witness the termination. We doubt if any worse
service could be rendered to the Union men of the
South than the commission to them-a handful as
they are--of power or privileges withheld from
their neighbours
We are, for our part, for the abandonment of
all attempt at punishment or at anything which
looks like punishment, except in the case of few
leaders, who worked their wickedness knowingly
and who, far from suffering by the war, proftted
by 1t, and who ought to be made an example of for
tlTnk 1ntsA all F,tr @1TaA
are opposed to the creation Of any barrier or the
resort to any means of future protection which
takes the form of a penalty or a disabling act
Fine punishment Of communities is q task for which
neither our government nor any other is compe-
tent.
The Cincinnati Commercial says that the plan
will be taken by the country as very lame result
of five months strenuous effort, and denounoes as
dangerous the doctrine that the amendments
are to be made valid by the ratification Of only
nineteen States. It says:
The secretary of state, in proclaiming the CON
sdtutlonal amendment prohibiting slavery, named
South Carolina, Georgia and other States that had
been of the Southern Cenfederaey as voting for
the amendment. This was a distinct and solemn
recognition Of those States within the Union; and
the amendment of the Constitution adopted by
the vote Of those States is d matter we would not
wish to see unsettled, for there should be no mis-
take as to that which is the Constitution.
Even the Chicago Tribune does not clearly see
that the Southern people ought to be asked to dis.
franchise themselves On this point it says of the
plan:
It asks the Southern people to come into the
Union leaving behind them all ex-nembers of the
Federal army and Congress who have aided them
Ill rebel Congressman, and all Confederate army
1fficers above rank of colonel. This includes not
,nly about all their able men, but all for whom
hey have any respect. 1t touches them on their
enderest Of points, their pride in the rebellion
EhIs IS undoubtedly criminal pride, but it is
doubtful if the Southern people viii vote it so.
The Pittsburg Chronicle denies that the people
+ the North desire to infict any further punish
tent on the masses of the South or to disfran-
hise them. 1t declares that if such an amend
tent be adopted by Congress, it cannot secure the
ALLEGATION Of the required number of States.
The Providence Journal asks if the Southern |
tates are to be kept out of the Union in per- /
etnity should none of them ratify the amend |
ents. That is precisely the design of the radi- |
us; it is their plan-their scheme by which they
Spect to maintain their power. But supposing it |
'mes to that-what then? Well, what then? /
IN the Journal answer? We can answer for the
,uth, that she would rather do nothing but raise
m and potatoes and cotton forever, than to be
in Congress on the terms proposed by
e radicals. The Richmond Enquirer says
link of Bolts and Underwood in the Senate
der the congressional plan Yes, and think of
nameless people who might represent LOUISE
2, should Louisiana do the thing which is re-
ired of her.
ZEE BRowN-CRoUoH POISONING s0AsE.-It is
unconmon for inriae aitIer in aiv;J ~. nri,,;