The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-07-12

regulate the resumption Of the relations ofthose
States.
When the Rebel armies surrendered, the
President decided, and rightly, that civil gov
eTnment had been destroyed In each of the
Rebel States, and he officially proclaimed that
tact In his commissions to Provisional Gov
ernors thereof. The Congressional policy starts
from the same initial point. The President de-
clared that essential conditions, involving great
changes, must be complied with by those
states before they could resume their forfeited
rights. And so does Congress. The President
required the ratification Of an important Con.
stitutional amendment, which had been sub
mitted by Congress representing the loyal
States, and in which the Rebel States had no
voice. And Congress makes a similar demand
to-day. If the President could rightfully re-
quire their ratification of one amendment
changing their whole system of labor, and
destroying what they regarded as vested rights
of property proposed by q Congress In which
they were unrepresented, and in conflict, as it
was with their lifelong preludices, why cannot
the Congress elected as the law.makmg power
OF the country, by the same voters as himself,
require the ratification OF another amendment,
preventing the Rebel States from welding in
creased power in Congress heIea ter, because
Of the war, which, against their desires, had
lifted their slaves into the tull stature of free
men?
That this amendment is in accordance with
the wishes OF the loyal millions who won the
brilliant political victory of 1864 is proven by
the unanimity with which II was supported in
elected as Union member, whether from the
North or the Soulh from the East or the West,
cave it his vote; not barely the twothirds
required by the Constitution, but nearly four
6fths. On this amendment, as a security for
the future, the Union party OF the nation have
planted themselves, and | shall stand with
them most cordially, vindicating its Justice,
wisdom, and necessity, and willing on it to stand
or fall.
For one, l do not doubt the result Shall
Rebels settle their own terms OF coming back to
govern us? Shall they eascend to enlarged and
increased power, using as steps the graves OF
the Union dead? Should not Coneress, whose
solemn duty it is to see that the Republic suffers
no evil pause before the bitter foes OF yesterday
are admitted to the inner sanctuary of the
nations life? Ought they not to guard the halls
OF National legislation from being trodden by
the feet of those who have been numbering the
defenders OF the Union for fidelity 70 an alle-
glance they themselves so wickedly repudiated?
Every newspaper in the land, North or South,
which eulogized Jefferson Davis and vilifed
Abraham Lincoln, now denounces Congress in
the severest terms. Every unrepentent Rebel
and unscrupulous sympathizer Joins them in
their revlings. But rejoice that 1t has been so
faithful so ipfexible in what 1t has regarded as
the pathway OF duty and OF right. And it now
remains tor the people, by their Endorsement or
rejection OF its proposed Constitutional guaran-
tee, to approve or to condemn those who present
1t as an indispensable prerequisite to the resto-
ration of the forfeited rights and the political
power Of our enemies made such hot haste to
| resign and abjure at the opening OF the Rebel
| lion.
Nor are these terms oppressive or unjust
Never has nation whose existence has been
| inperllled and whose hundreds OF thousands of
| graves and thousands OF millions of debt attest
It's gigantic sacrifices, offered more lenient con-
ditlons TO those who Consplred for Its destruc-
| tiOn. Have we forgotten the insulting defiance
with winch their members, sworn like ourselves
| to the Constitution and the Union left their
seats here-the prosecutions conscriptions,
| tyranny, eXpulsions and hangings by the Rebel
| authorities of all who refused to swear like
| themselves, their allegiance TO their country
and their hag-the Wiltul torture and starvation
| of scores of thousands OF our soldiers when
| prisoners in their hands-their unyielding
| perslstency in the parricidal conflict till
armed Rebellion expired, not from change
| OF will but from poverty OF resource
| and herolsm of the loyal boys in blue
| the continued existence OF this hostile feeling
as evidenced in their political and social pro-
| scrIption of every Soutnerner who fought tor
his country, the disloyal utterances OF their
press and pulpit. and the election in every Rebel
| State OF Governors who had served or fought for
| the Rebellion? Despite all this, Congress only
asks that representation, North and South, shall
| be based on those eligible to participation In
political power; that the civil rights OF all per-
sons, natIve-born or naturallzed, shall be main
| tanned; the national debt and the pensi IN list
preserved invlolate; the Rebel debt repudiated;
| and exclusion from office of those who, having
| once taken and broken an oath of fidelity to the
| nation, could not be trusted in the faithful
| tulhlment hereafter of another similar obliga.
| tion.
Contrast this with the course of our fathers
| towards those who, during the Revolutionary
War, refused to fight Tor the independence OF the
| colonies. The Tories OF that day insisted that
| their allegiance and loyalty were due to the
| King, and that they should not be compelled to
| transfer them. But the stern patriots who
| founded our Government would tolerate no such
| argument. Determined to create pure national
| sentiment, they made Torylsm odious in every
| possible way. They admitted none of them to
| seats in the Congress OF the nation against
| which they had warred. They allowed no floral
professions to the graves of the Tory dead, nor
| of euloey on their lost cause. They suffered no
Tory papers to exist and scatter their malignant
| poison over the land. They distranchised and
| eXpatriated them. Such was the Reconstruc-
| tiOn policy Of our fathers.
Strongly in contrast with this as is the Recon
strucuon policy OF Congress, SO mild and for
| giving OF the blacklist OF crimes not for re-
| venge, but for defense, not for punishment, but
| for Justice, our Democratic opponents have
arrayed themselves against it, and the people
arc 10 decide the issue. II you would take on
board as a crew to work your ship those who
had Just been striving to scuttle and destroy
it, then it might be believed thai the American
people would throw open the doors OF their
Congressman entrust appropriations TOR pensions
and the public debt, and legislation TOR all
matters of national concern to those who
sought TO whelm the nation in common ruin
and who, IL they had the power to-day, would
shatter the Republic and rebuild their Con
iederacy.
In 1864, when the Democratic National Con-
Venton at Chicago resolved that the war was a
failure, and demanded an immediate Cessation
OF hostities by our armies, thus waving the
white flag OF surrender, Jefferson Davis, the
President OF the Rebel conspiracy, waited and
watched for the result with the deepest anxiety