Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-08-14
eTur PATTY OF PROGRESS. y

In July, 1864, the celebrated editor Of the
New York Tribune, one Of the magnates Of
the Radical party Of the present day, adj
dressed letter to Mr. LINCoLS, then Presi-
dent, in behalf Of peace; and besought him
to tender to the people Of the Southern
States, then in arms against the government,
liberal terms" He suggested the follow
ing as a basis Of adjustment:
al The Union is restored and declared
perpetual.
3 Slavery is utterly and forever abolished
throughout the same.
g. A complete amnesty for ali political o.
fences, with a restoration Of all the inha5i-
tants Of each State TO all the privileges OF
citizens Ct the United States.
T. The Union to pay four hundred million
dollars $500, 000,000) in five per cent.
United States stock to the late slave States,
loyal and secession alike, TO be apportiOned
pro rata, according to their slave population
respectively by the census Of 1860, IN com
pensation for the losses Of their loyal citi-
zens by the abolition of slavery.
g. The said States to be entitled hence
forth % representation in the House on the
basis Of their total, instead Of their Federal
population, the whole being now free.
9. 4 National Convention to be assembled
as soon as may be, 10 ratify this adjustment
as NAV be deemed advisable"
This proposition was never offered, but in
less than a year after the date Of this letter,
the Southern armies surrendered, and the
Southern people sought to resume their
former relations to the government Of the
United States and expressed themselves
willing to abide the decision which the re-
suit of the conflict had given to all questions
in dispute.
How stands the case after fifteen months
Of peace Let us contrast the actual condi-
ton Of affairs, item by item, with these frank
and generous overtures" of 1854.
/. The Union is not restored-ten States
being wilfully and unlawfully excluded.
2 Slavery is abolished, and the States and
the people of the South have acquiesced in
and ratified the act.
3. Instead Of a complete amnesty for all
political ofienses, and a restoration to former
rights, Radical legislation still deprives them
Of the dearest right-that Of representation
in the law-maling department of the Gov
eminent, and for their political ofTenses
holds them as DISTINGUISHED political vassals.
f. Instead Of compensation for the loss of
slaves by the abolition of the system, a
persistent refusal to do so, and proposed
amendment to the Constitution forbidding
that it shall ever be given.
8. Instead Of fixing the basis of repre-
sentation on the total population, representa-
ton is denied altogether, unless among other
conditions they will consent to have their
representative population reduced by the
whole number of blacks over the age Of q,
or by State action, to admit this element to
the franchise privilege,
G. Instead of a National Convention Of
all the States to consider amendments to the
Constitution, the attempt is made 10 force
upon the South amendments proposed by
the other section, as humiliating and
oppressive conditions Of the recognition of
the Southern States as States at all; and
when conservative men from all sections
propose a National Convention of unofh cial
citizens to protest against these things, it is
denounced as a rebel assembly, and every
attempt made to defeat its purpose.
The proposition Of 1864 came from the
Radical wing of the party which then con-
trolled the resources Of the Government in
the prosecution Of the war the practice of
1866 is the work Of the same element. If
it should be allowed to hold power in 1868
the Imagination can hardly conceive what
the extent of its demands would not be.