The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-10-29
The Amendment South.

From The Times.
One of our Georgia correspondents states that
Alexander H. Stephens recommends the adop.
tion of the Constitutional amendment by the
Legislature of Georgia. II Mr.. Stephens and
few other prominent leaders OF Southern senti-
ment take hold of the matter in earnest, they
can secure its adoption, without doubt. They are
the persons to be most seriously affected by it,
and while the people of the South may be very
naturally unwilling to force it'upon them, their
advice and voluntary acceptance of its exclu-
siohs would have very great weight in deter
mining the result.
We cannot help feeling that the South is much
more interested in the dec cision of this question
than the North. Except in connection with
the general peace and welfare OF the country, it
is OF no direct interest to the Northern States
that the South should share with them in the
control OF the National Government. If 1t were
not true that every part suffers when the whole
suffers, it might be assumed that she local, sec
tlonal interest OF the North is directly promoted
by excluding the South from representation in
Congress, and from all share in the policy and
government OF the country. Each section,
whether wisely or unwisely, is constantly strug-
Cling Tor power, and there are many very i'm
portant and very powerful interests of the
Northern States which could only be injured by
the admission of the South to participate in
making the laws by which they are affected
to accept the Constitutional amendment as the
sole remaining mode of regaining their former
states in the Union, we do it in their interest
and not in our own. We have nothing whatever
to gain by 1t, except as we have always SO me-
thing to gain by whatever promotes peace,
order, concord, and cooperation among the
Sinerent sections OF our common country. The
SouIn mas perfect right 10 reject all advice of
this sort-to denOunce it as hostile to their
honor and to accept instead of it that which
sions and pTejudices which have already over
whelmed them with disaster and ruin. We GER
talnly should be very sorry to have them take
any action in the matter which did not COM
mand the approval of their own Judgments If
they think IL wisest for themselves to reject the
amendment, by all means let them do so. They
have their own destiny in their own hands, If
they make hereafter, as they have made more
than once hitherto, decision unfortunate and
calamitous tor themselves, they will ha We only
themselves to blame for whatever results may
follow.
Meantime, il may be well for them to remem-
Der that nothing creates more apprehension
among the extreme radical malignants of the
North at tie present moment, than the fear that
the South aoiH ratify the Constitutional amend
ment. They see in this the prompt restoration
in the Union under the Constitution; and this
is by no means the programme which they have
marked out for their future operations.
We do not forget, however, that the ultra men
of the South and the ultra men of the North
have always played INTO each others hands and
worked Zealously and steadily tog ether, until
they secured their common end-c1UU lCdr. 1t
is quite posi- BILE that the unconscious partner
ship is not yet dissolved.