Baltimore daily commercial. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1865-1867, 1866-05-22
THE PEOPLE HAVE WAITED TOO long
FOE THE RESTORATION OF THE
UNION.

UNION.
More long debates, more constitutional
amendments, and more waiting by the Ma
tonal Legislature for something to turn up"
waiting for political advantages impossible to
be realized, considering the long deferred and
reasonable expectations -disappointed -ofthe
American people. Absolute masters of the
situation as our national legislators were, when
they assembled, because coming together with |
the prestige of unselfsh and single-minded |
patriotism, of marked intellectual ability as |
WE'LL they have wasted glorious opportunities |
to serve the country and to give it speedy |
and permanent peace, such as now is grievous |
to thirk of, sad to remember. The plan de-
sired was the simplest possible; and the con-
stitutonal amendments, first proposed, they
had no difficulty in carrying, because the
country-North and South-beieved that with
the chief causes of past troubles removed, the
country would be indeed at peace. But when
the people saw that politicians and extremists
did not intend to stop there, that the judicious
measures looking to a speedy restoration of
the Union entered upon by the President,
would not be acceptable to those who had no
intention of permitting him to have the credit
of helping restore the nationality, people began
to look upon them more as political caucus,
than as the body of statesmen they were in
tended to be in the provisions of the Consti-
tuition. Neglecting the most pressing wants
Of the nation, its finances, its great needs, as
shown by the demands of the leading trade
and commercial interests, now suffering for
want of enlightened legislation in the direction
of something on which business men can rely
these politicians still stand there, insisting on
mischievous projects calculated to postpone
indefinitely that restoration the nation so
greatly desires.
1t has become evident, in view of all this,
that the people-as contra distinguished from
the politcians-must save the nationality from
further terrible evils; that so long as the Presi
dent cannot be rode over, driven out Of the
way by those who consider him an obstacle to
their present schemes to perpetuate party rule,
that we are to be permitted no real peace.
For nearly six months now, Congress appears
to have forgotten the white man, in its deep
solicitude for the votes of the negro and al
though the most earnest and weighty appeals
for legislative action in view Of the financial
evils which impend over the country have
been made by the Secretary Of the Treasury,
these men never raise their heads from the
pitiful programme they have marked out,
never stop to consider the nations true wants.
Urge upon them the fact that the financial
disabilities of the war, without the war ITSELF
are upon US; that high prices and depreciation
of paper continue because nothing can be done
to give us a permanent and sound system, and
they can point at least to interminable debate
as recorded in the ponderouS Congressional
Globe, to perplex and still further worry the
President; they can show US a single resou-
ton by which eleven States are to be disfran-
chised until after the next Presidential cleo
ton, albeit, every word of said pestilent propo-
siton has cost the nation, in its dire needs,
millions upon millions of dollars.
Meanwhile-as we have already had occa-
sion to remind our readers-seven or eight
millions of the country's badly wanted specie
is sent abroad in two weeks to help balance
accounts with Europe; and in the absence Of
much needed facilities to bring our own wheat
from the neglected West, we are importing
wheat from Europe to give us flour for our
families at fifteen dollars per barrel. And
whilst all this is going on, and these politicians
are lounging in their cushioned chairs at
three thousand dollars per annum, the peo-
pie are counselled to be patient; are sought to
be comforted with the assurance that if they
are faring badly, as the result Of such man
agement that our colored friends have been
made "citizens." and with a little further
wrangling-say five or ten years, perhaps
will probably be made ''voters." And for the
special benefit of the latter, ''eleven millions
is not much to set aside for the coming year
out Of the multifarious taxes on all we eat and
drink and wear; and albeit our thoroughfares
are dotted with one armed or one legged SOL
diers who fought for something else, and who
now have to earn living for their families,
they are now told that it was not so much 6
restored Union and the Constitution they
fought for, as to give the people further
chance to wrangle over the status of the negro
and to furnish millions to support him and hi
keepers in idleness.
All this has to be reckoned for when these
men go home to face their constituents; anC
no logic and no sophistry will suffice to cove
up or disguise the barren result And le
these evils progress a little further; let trade
languish, and the prices of the necessaries O
life still further advance because they will no
attend to the finances and commercial Interests
Of the country, and they will finally be me
with a storm Unpopular Indignation which vii
drive them from the positions they have 81
long abused. The people want good govern
ment, as distinguished from mere politica
defamation; they want substantial results, in
stead of that interminable thrashng of chat
to which they have been so long coolly com
mended. When the politicians wranglet
through quarter of century, and the people
fought through bloody civil war of four year
to settle the status of the negro, they had no
the slightest conception that they were to b.
consigned to other years Of feuds and dispute
over the remains, the mere debris of the fight
And yet to judge of the manner in which thes
politicians are determined to keep the negr
in the arena as something over which to quar-
rel and so attain power, what is it but consent
ing that the colored race is the dominating
race here, the one of all others whose condi
ton must nlonopotize erery thought, whose flu
ture influence is to settle the nation destinies
The people are weared out with all this, ant
the politicians may rest assured that they vii
have to end these proftless feuds.
Meanwhile, let the great body of the people
the moderate men, the patriotic men, thos
who desire a breathing space from bitter guar
rels IN order to look after their private in
terests, to educate their children, let sucb-w,
say-come to the rescue. Let them, in sus
tanning the President-the true friend of peac,
and restored Union-consgn all public dis
turbers to that condemnation and obscurit,
they have so richly earned. The decision il
the case rests with the people, at last; an,
they have borne and forborne with degree @
patience that seems unexampled, when W
consider the provocations that have been given
The indications increase with every hour tina
the people are getting aroused to the necesst
that exists for putting down the whole arm