The New York herald., 1866-05-10

multiply with every days mail At one time
we hear of some swindling or oppressive oper-
alton in Louisiana, next in North Carolina, again
in South Carolina, Georgia and other Southern
States. 1t is an iniquitous, expensive and alto
gether unnecessary establishment, and should
be abolished.
The Reconstruction Programme OF the
Radical Leader.
Among the numerous anniversary meetings
reported in our columns, those of the Anti
Slavery Society have been the most interesting.
As slavery does not now exist, except under
the patronage of the Freedmen's Bureau, every
body was naturally anxious to hear what the
ant-slavery people had to talk about and what
they wished to abolish. We find that, ignoring
the Freedmen's Bureau and its outrages, and
saying nothing OF the destruction of about one
and half millions Of negroes, the society at
once grapples with the question of reconstruc-
ton and proposes, for the first time, to take
hand in the game of Presidential politics. or
the Anti-Slavery Society Mr.. Wendell Phillips
is both the President and the spokesman. The
other orators amount to nothing. They are
mere fll-gaps and makeweights. Sumner
Chase, Kelly and General Saxton have
written letters to the society; but the only
use of these precious epistles is to supply the
big gun, Phillips. with ammunition. Froth-
ingham, Sargent Hepworth, Morton, Pillsbury,
twaddlng Tilton and the black fellows who
delivered addresses are only the lesser lights
who reflect the radiance of Phillips, the great
lumnary. It il not too much to say that Wen
dell Phillips is the Anti-Slavery Society. With
out him it could not survive; but for his pro-
test it would have been broken up last year.
To his speeches, therefore, we must look for the
real sentiments of the radicals.
What, then, does Wendell Phillips propose !?
What is his theory OF reconstruction? He pro-
poses to give the negroes the right to vote.
His theory Of reconstruction is the government
| of the South by the war power. He "prOtests
| against every settlement that has been pro-
posed either by Congress or the President"
He "is not content with any plan that has been
offered by an appreciable body of the
nation" He and the men whom he repre-
sents want new plan, plan Of
I their own, and that is universal amnesty
and universal suffrage" They do not want to
hang any rebels; they do not want to disfran-
chise any rebels; they offer full and free par
don to the South on condition that all the ne
groes shall be allowed to vote. 1t seems to us
| that ex-rebe FoOte and Senator Stewart have
rather anticipated thfs programme; but Phil
| lips and his followers dNnot choose to recog-
nize Foote and Stewart, sad present their plan
of reconstruction as an entirely original idea.
They follow it out logieaEIy> They demand "a
score of negro representatives in Congress" +"
In other words these radicals have quite seri-
ously adopted the scheme Of negro Congress
men which the HERALD long ago put forward as
the legitimate result of their efE,rts to obtain
negro suffrage. Here is the real object Of the
plan of Wendell Phillips and Company. "The
Senator who goes TO Washington ts take his
seat will find colored man sitting beside him.
When the committees are raised thu1e must
be white and colOred men on them.
Both will be found inspecting proposed public
improvements, such as railway schemes, and
then the next thing is social equality" These
are the words of Wendell Phillips. We pre-
dicted this result years ago, and it has now
come to pass. How do the American people
like the radical programme?
Mr.. Wendell Phillips does not allow the re-
publican party to escape the responsibility Of
his policy. He identifies the party with the
policy. President Johnson is ga traitor" be-
cause I" he refuses to serve the party that ele-
waited him." In other words the President is
abused because he will not carry out the recon-
struction scheme of negro suffrage negro repre-
sentatives and negro equality. Mr.. Phillips
accuses the President Of intriguing for re-
nomination. "He saw what your statesman
Seward saw, with the clcarness of instructive
selfshness, that il the great dominant party re-
mains unit in 1868 there can be but one
| President, and that is Grant" To de-
feat Grant, according to Mr.. Phillips, the
President and Secretary Seward are
trying to break up the republican party.
Chase is also obliged TO give way to Grant.
"Samon Chase in three months put the entire
| capital of the country into bottomless tub
and labelled it National Debt and in II were
| bound up honor, and fame, and national
safety" This is all that Chase gets for his
letter praising the Anti-Slavery Society.
Never was Chief Justice sold so cbeaply.
Even Wendell Phillips will have nothing TO do
with him when such a candidate as Grant is
in reserve. Nor does Congress find any greater
favor at the hands Of this radical leader. Mr..
Phillips thinks that the great fault of Congress
is regard for preceden,s lie is opposed to
precedents He believes in negro suffrage pro-
tected by standing army. "The national
sword must never be sheathed." Congress,
too, is composed Of towards. "Tbey dare not
utter their opinions" Congress discusses what
is constitutional Mr.. Phillips and his followers