The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1866-09-14
The National Republican Party.


approached the question of reconstruction,
arose from the diverse views prevailing among
its friends in the Northern and southern
States. The North. with the simple magnan-
unity which belongs to great and powerful
Christian people, desired only just peace
As an example, it was believed that after
fair trial, some representative traitor should
suffer for his crime The majesty of the law,
We said, must be vindicated. There was no
general desire for any punishment of the
Southern people at large We believed they
had been misled, and were anxious to see
thein restored to their old relations in the I'm
lon without needless humiliation. Our friends
in the South, the Unionists, white and black,
were not forgotten. Their rights of property
"a d person, we were determined to protect
1t necessary with the whole power OF the ma
tior. Especially did we feel that the race
which had suffered so long and so cruelty ana
for whose injuries the nation had paid SO fear
tul penalty, had yet unsatisfied claim up
on us. To educate them for higher estate,
to protect them against barbarous legislation,
to arm them with the ballot for selfprotec-
tion--what less could we do for the men who
had fought in our ranks and the women who
had concealed and fed our escaping prisoners?
The Tribune called for universal amnesty and
Universal suffrage, and favorable though
fainS echo throughout the North showed with
what kindly disposition the people were begin
ming to consider the problem before them.
TO the great body of the Northern people,
the war had been thing remote, brought
home 10 their daily lives only by the increas-
ing frequency of the tax-gatherer's visits OF by
the sharp pang which followed the announce
ment that some dear life had been laid down
for the dearer flag. At the South, it was in
deed and in ruth a civil war; There the in
eAtnguishable hatreds burned, which are only
Ended when men oppose to the death their
'orner friends and neighbors. Secession was
no abstraction to Unionists in Tennessee and
Missoari. 1t was embodied in men whose
FEATURES and manners were as familiar as the
gong and coming of the sun. 1t was the
source OF outrages and affronts uncomfortable
by man. Andrew Johnsons wife was stripped
and scourged by secessionists. Is it wonder
~ ,m Southern Unionists Congress heard on
ly ontreaties to disfranchise at once and for
ever all men who had voluntarily participated
in the rebellion. In Maryland, and Missouri,
ana Tennessee, rebels were already excluded
from the polls. The Unionists demanded that
their enemies should be stripped of al politi-
cal influence; the leaders were to be inelizible
to office, and their property was to be confs-
Gated. On the other hand, they were not dis
posed to entrust the ballot to the freedmen.
In brief, the Northern Unionists saw clear
ly their duty toward the freedmen, but were
il iilierent about the punishment of the great
body POT the rebels; the Southern Unionists
saw clearly their duty of self-protection
against the rebels, but were comparatively in
different respecting the freedmen. The posi-
tive impulses Of both parties were right, and
The indifference on both sides was wrong
Congress, thus drawn in two ways, took the
middle course marked by the constitutional
amendment If the President had remained
faithful, more might perhaps have been done.
As tits, the civil rights of the freedmen are
as ured, so far as legislation goes, and the pro-
lection Of the Freedmens Bureau has been
continued to them, notwithstandi ng the Pres
ident's opposition. On the other hand Con-
sress proposes to exclude perjured traitors
tIon offices Of trust and emolument. With
Suffrage Congress does not directly interfere,
and in Senator Fessendens opinion has no
right to interfere. Tie amendment however
allows the States to exclude rebels, but does
not allow them to exclude any other class of
citizens, without loss Of representation at
Washington. The wisdom and prudence OF
these measures has extorted from the opposi-
ton the tribute OF a surrender unprecedented
III political history. The Copperhead party at
one step has come over to the Republican
platform, accepting everything, only asking as
an especial favor that their old friends the
rebels be not compelled to accept conditions
which are nevertheless confessed to be unan-
swerably just and mild!
we have been rudely awakened from our
dream OF forgiveness and harmonious restora-
ton, by the recent conduct of the rebels. We
have seen them sending their old leaders to
claim seats in the American Congress We
have seen them electing their piratical chiefs
to office at home. We have seen them sup
pressing free speech in the old fashion, which
we too well remember. Our Southern friends,
recently assembled in Philadelphia, have told
us how completely they are overslaughed by
the hordes of still insolent rebels, "paroled
prisoners of war;" who have returned to their
homes. Their words were confirmed before
they were uttered, by the tales of rebel inso-
lence and outrage which have come to our
ears day after day for months. The North is
hotn SO forgivizg mood to-day, as a year
ago. We owe protection to our Southern
friends. Every insult offered to them is an in
suit to u.s.
They too have learned something. The re-
port from the Philadelphia committee on the
states still without representation in Con-
gress, appears in another column. One of the
SIGNATURES TO that document is James III.
Bells, Of Texas. Our fellow citizens who lis
tened to Judge Bell a week ago, know what
weight attaches to document which receives
his approval. The high qualities of mind and
character indicated by his address here, mark
INN as man who in any community cannot
ran to exercise very great influence. He is
Southerner by birth. His solemn conviction
as expressed in that report, is that there can
oe no security for Southern loyalists or their
o'Auien' ana no safety for the country, unless
'i' government shall confer upon every citi-
zen OF Inc Southern States. "tbe American
brthright OF IMPARTIAL SUFFRAGE and
equality before the law" That report was al.
SO signed by delegates from Louisiana. Miss
issipp: Alabama, Georgia, North Caroline
and Virginia. 1t was discussed in the Conven.
ton. Nothing was done by that convention
without discussion. The objection to the rec
ommendation OF the committee was mainly
because the time for negro suffrage has not
fuliy come Mr.. Bolts of Virginia. called AL