The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-05-23

Yigoroue and effective than ever before. In the
lately sisloJal States capital and labor, com
! DInlng and cooperating under free contract
| system, which to them is altogether new, are
| beginning with success to obllterate the track
| OF ruin and devastation. / do not say that ayi
and criticism can find no DARK shades TO darkeu
! rue pleasing picture. Irregularities delorm
| every human work, and the telescope reveals Ia
! US dark spots even on the surface OF the glow
| ing sun.
! In view of this rapid progress of peace and
reconciliation, we might well expect to find the
country, If not contented, yet cheerful and hone
tul, as well as grateful to Almighty God. Such.
inoeed, J. conceive TO be the real state of the
public mind. Many citizens are uuprepared 40
accept the efmproved situation OF affairs Political
zeal gives up reluctantly It's contests over the
dead past and stretches forward to catch the
omens oil an uncertain future This habit of
apprehension is natural enough, and has its
cautlonary uses. But on the other hand con.
science, reason, and judgment are the onlv
practical guides of human conduct. We are re.
CURED by some TO discard this guidance, and to
believe tnat the country, North and South East
ana west, is in a paroxysm of turbulent excite
ment, menacing, near and remote, some new
and fearful revolution. l think that all these
Tears are born OF misapprehension and uninten-
tlonal exaggeration.B The feature of affairs
which dislurbs the public mind, is a supposed
divergence between the President and the
Representatives in Congress of the National
Union party, from which he and they have de-
rived their respective coordinate powers
l agree that IL is altogether easier and alto
gether more desirable that the work of recon
Citation so happily begun and so successfully
prost cuted heretofore, shall be continued and
ended under the auspices OF the National Union
party and OF the President and Congress, as the
representatives of that party.
agree, therefore, that it would be q sad mis-
fortune il divergence. between the President and
CONGRESS should work decline and downfall OF
me National Union party. 1t is dear TO me, for
l am Identified with its rapid RISE its majestic
progress, and its glorious work.
Both the President and Congress might well
expect to be equally involved in the calamitv
which should dismiss this benign party from the
national councils, and see, with mortdcaton
the great responsibilities to which the party had
IN that case proved itself unequal, assumed and
discharged by some new and yet undeveloped
political organization. But President Con.
gress, statesmen, and parties are OF no real ac-
count, in my estimation, when weighed against
the national life.
The national life lately hung on the issue of
victory won in war. 1t now hangs on tie issue
OF reconciliation in peace The nation must
hve-it must live torever-whether it receive
the needed care, in any emergency at the hands
OF one President Congress, and party, or at the
hands OF another. | reasoned in this way
about the triumph Of the war. l reason in the
same way row in regard to reconciliation and
peace. expect that year hence | shall be
found right now, as | am nov admitted to have
Deen right one year, two years, three years ago.
do not think, however, that there is any
necessity for separation between the President
and Congress and the party OF the Union.
admit that the iealouses and suspicious of
the last summer were only temporarily allayed
and not eXtinguished by the elections OF Novem.
Der. They have been sedulously cherished and
Increased until they have revealed themselves In
mt1ammatory debates in the press and popular
assemblies. admit that the National Union
party in Congress has as vet been unable either
to accept or reject the counsels OF the President
vide and enduring separation cannot how
ever, be made between Congress and the Presi-
dent without having for Its groove u serious
difference upon some cardinal political ques-
ton.
At this point it will be well to settle for YOUR
selves what 1t is that we are desiring to see
effected by the President and Congress- We all
agree that we desire and seek Just what the
nation needs at the present juncture. We can
not accept less than this, because it would leave
us suli II not desolated, at least disturbed
ana distracted country. We cannot REQUIRE
more, because even if more were desirable, vet
that more is debatable, and must he the Study
and the work, not of ourselves at this particular
period, but OF ourselves and our successors.
What, then. does the country actually need !
Most persons say reconstruction. | think it
needs no such thing. The country is recon
structed already. 1t was constructed in 1887
As then constructed it was Union of thirteen,
since multiplied to thirty-six, free, equal, self
acting and, in regard to internal affairs, self
governing States. We do not reconstruct that
which has not been destroyed. There has. in
deed; been an attempt at destruction, but II has
failed.
The political system of 1887, constructed by
our torelathers, stands now firm, compact COM
plete, and perfect, just as it came from the
builders hands. 1t was constructed not for
eighty years only, nor yet for time of peace
only, nor yet ttr period of civil war only but
for all ages and for all time. Others say what
the country needs is the restoration OF the au-
tonomy of the nation. | think it needs no such
thing. We have passed that point. The South
ern States during four years we're deranged and
dlsoreanized equally in their constitutional re-
lations to the Union.
They have, however, since that time, orga.
nlZed; their organic powers and functions haze
been renewed, and they have resumed their
Constitutional relations Of allegiance to the
Union. What then does the nation need? II
needs just what have dwelt upon so much
and so earnestly in these remarks. 1t needs
reconciliation, and, just now, needs nothing
more. 1t needs. moreover q very little of this.
1t needs a reconciliation between the Senators
OF the United States who are now acting and
those Senators Who, beng loyal and qualified
Tor membership of the Senate have been already
or may hereafter be, elected by the people of
the several States which were lately involved
in the Rebellion.
1t needs o reconciliation of the same kind
between the members OF the House OF Repre-
sentatives who are now acting and the loyal
mem bers already elected or to be elected by the
people in the same before mentioned States 1t
Deeds Just this Congressional reconciliation. and
nothing more. OF course, l recognize the fact
that the separation which exists between the
acting Senators and acting Representatives and
those loyal Senators and Representatives who
are alreauy, or may hereafter be, elected in the
Southern States Is understood to indicate cor
responding alienation between the constituents
OF these parties irrespectively; but this does not
effect the view | have taken of the case Ii
only shows that what is wanted Is reconcilia-
ton between the alienated constituents as we'll as
between separated Representatives. Let the re-
m In