New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1866-01-17
RECONSTRUCTION.

the Southern States restored to their true position IN
the Union without requiring them TO assent 10
general enfranchisement of the negro population
Thus, a City journal. published NANNY IN me
interest Of the Blacks says only rcnoer
certain that honest. Industrious thrifty 'ntchgeht
negro shall not be prescribed merely because OF MS
color or race. aud we will agree to almost ah!'n
II the journal from which We quote-speakihs aS ="
presumed to DO for a yery considerable Eadca parry
is sincere in proposing COMPROMISE herc ought 10 DO
little difficulty in coming to terms
AS we do not seem TO have made ourselves
thoroughly understood by The Times, we VIII
restatc our essential positions with the utmost
possible lucility. They are as follows:
|. We regard it as of the highest and most
imminent consequence that all political ana
civil distinctions, privileges, disabilities or Gil
fercnces, based on Caste or Color, should DO
forever abolished. Never intrinscally just, they
have, by the overthrow OF slavery. been rendered
glaringly impertincnt and absurd. While Slav-
cry existed, they had certain excuse, II no rea-
son. in the fears of the Slayeholdng class; now,
they are obsolete in reason and a. much be-
hind the age As the Spanish lnquisltion would
be in Ohio or Wisconsin. To our apprehension,
this issue towers above all Others in importance:
so that while we are devoted TO the Protection
and diycrsfca;ion of our National Industry,
we would gladly postpone this or any other po-
i,ical end, to the complete Embarrassment oil
the hitherto degraded and down-troddcn -Four
Millions of our countrymen.
II. While we require aud strive for Impartial
Suffrage. We do not ask nor desire that every
man shall be voter, for we do lot think every
man ought to be- We hold that no man who
chooses to live by Theft or Swndling, or Beg
gary, or BY pandering to Vicc-no habltual
drunkari-no do'-no lunaic-no professional
gambler-has any moral right to be voter.
And while We propose no educational test. We
are perfectly content TO see such atest presented
and adopted even though it should for years pre-
cludc the eniranclnsemcnt of large majority
Of the Blacks. So long a, no harder tests are
applied TO or required OF them than OF Whites,
aud no obstacle intcrposed to their acquiring
the knowledge demandcd-we waive all inquiry.
and agree in advance TO whatever criterion OF
fitness to vote conservatives" may see ut TO
propose.
Ill We propose no compromise fact.
we propose nothing What We arc most intent
on is such n recognition by the Southern Whites
of the humanity and natural rights Of the Blacks
as will preclude the necessity OF any coinpro-
mise, any hgsliug, any contention. We should
even prefer partial measure Of justice freely
accorded by the Southern Whites to complete
one imposed on them by the power OF the trium'
plant Union. fall the mad blindncsses now
provoking sadness the blindness which COM
pcls the Blacks to look norihward for cham
pions of their rights. is most lancntablc. The
South would be this day richer hy Riil'"ns OF
Dollars if her Whites and Blacks were
thoroughly reconciled and cured Of all re-
ciploca distrust. We do wish the ablest and
wisest OF the two races would forthwith meet,
confer, and agree on basis of future concord
and mutual good will--we STIMULATING beforehand
TO give our hearty assent thereto. and TO con.
slider their accord the end of controversy on the
subject And we hope Congress may hold the
matter of Reconstruction in allegiance until II
eau be seen whether the nantes, and rapid IN
crease and diffusion of good will between
Whites and Blacks at The South may not
seasolnbly resul, in some such understanding
and reconciliation between them.
". As to what Congress should or should
not do with regard 10 Negro Suffrage, itdcpcn1,
so clearly Oh the temper and action OF ID,
Southern Whites, that whatever mightbc wisely
said of it to-day may have become obsolete AMI
unfit two weeks hence. II those Whites shall
see fit TO cherish a disloyal, inimical, rcbcious
spirit, and shall be moved thereby to annoy AMI
persecute Unionis,s, White or B!ack-as. in
some localities, they VIGOROUSLY have done
then We should judge that they are not yet
Gt 10 be reconstructed at ALL II they
are bent on evading and nulliyng the Anti
SLAYER constitutional Amendment then Con-
cress ought to take effective measures to defeat
that purpose and secure the Freedmen against
all forms and degrees of oppression. But Il.
on the contrary, the Southern Whites incline
generally to deal fairly by the Southern Blacks,
then we would have Congress touch the matter
very lightly-as lightly as possible. We have
faith that the Joint Committee Will fairly.
searchngly investigate and report the essential
facts for the guidance Of Congress and the irior.
nation Of the country.
Such, briefly stated, are orr views oil
Reconstruction - whether The Times deems
them sincere" or otherwise. We trust they,
at any rate, are not hard to be understood-at