Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-05-02
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ticipation in the Federal Government,
which the Congressional missuamed' Re-
construction committee have reported to
Congress, is pronounced by the Radical
press as mildly tempered-so mildly, we
presume, that the Southern people should
get up congratulatory demonstrations, Inn
posing professions and hilarious banquets.
Truly, the magnanimity OF the Radicals is
refreshing. The Radical press allege that
the "policy" does not embody their ideas
fullys They wanted Negro Suffrage in
corporated into it; but they dOnOt propose
to hSggle about that now, if this amend
ment to the Constitution shall beadopted,
or not adopted; for until adopted, the
Southern States are not to be regarded as
in the Union. 1t is claimed that, inas-
much as a probationary period of four
years may be required to qualify the Ne
groes 10 the South to become voters and Of
fice-holders, it is eminenty proper that the
participants in the War to take the South
ern States out of the Union, should be de-
MED all voice in the Federal Government
until 1870 ..'...-...... HH
In what the mildness of this "policy,"
denominated by some "the mildest JUS
tiee," consists, we confess to an utter ina
bility to discover. AS compared with can
ibalism, it is doubtless mild; but it lacks
all the elements of boldness, and of states
manship. 1t is "policy" that does not
contemplate the well-being of the country.
The Ne,o York Times "a Republican journal
OF eminent ability rightly says of it, that
''as a plan of paciiicatlon and reconstruc-
tiOn, the whole thing is worse than bur-
lesque," and that "its proper designation
should be "a plan to prolong indefinitely
the exclusion of The South from Congress,
by imposing conditions to which the South
ern people never will submit" The Gin
cinnati Commercial which affects to be an
Independent journal-one day compliment
ing the President and denouncing Congress,
and the next denouncing the President and
apologizlng for Congress-is free to declare
that "as means of restoration and pacif-
cation it is notdecidedly pertinentor clearly
practicable" and that 1T is wanting in the
SSStuIldlS VI ClCdI3 slunPlO duu COhSluol'O
policy, and does not fully meet the demand
of the country, for guarantees of peace,
liberty, credit aud Union"
The reason why the Radicals throw up
their hats in exultation over the fact that
all The Republican members of the Recon-
struction committee united on the propos-
ed ''policy," is because of the hope that it
YIELDS the whole Republican party together
on the nefarious scheme of excluding the
Southern White people from all say in the
administration of the Federal Government
touching themselves, their interests and
their-States. They are happy because they
imagine that they have finally hit on a
'polcy" whereby they will be relieved
from welcoming Southern Senators and
members of Congress, and from counting
Southern electoral votes at the Presidential
election in 1868.
THAD. STEVENS, in speech in the early
part OF the session of Congress, had the
Ihanliness to declare that they aimed at the
perfection of ''poliey' whereby the polit-
ical ascehdency of the Republican party
would be assured. While the sentiment
was an execrable one, STEVENS was enti-
tied to thanks for his boldness in avowing
it. The "policy" under consideration, as
we have said, and shown by citations from
two Republican journals, does not aim at
the good of the country that considera-
tion does not appear to have found a lodg-
ment anywhere in it; it aims at the perpet-
uation of the Republican party, with its
reeking corruption, in power. Bolder and
more manly would it have been bad the
Reconstruction committee reported in di-
rect terms for amendment to the COnstitu-
ton that never hereafter shall the Demo-
cratic party be allowed to administer the
Federal Government. 1t is imagined that
by the adoption of the reported amendment
an effectual impediment will be interposed
to the accession of the Democratic party to
the control of the Federal Government. 1t
is designed, in an especial degree, to be an
outiawry of the members of the Democrat
ic party. The Republican members of
Congress do not entertain the belief that
theSouthern people have not, been COM
pletely, cured of all notion Of ever again
attempting secession; they have no doubt
about their willingness to abide faithfully
in the Uiion; they do not doubt that they
will deal kindly with the freed Negroes;
but they do believe sincerely that if allowed
to send Senators and members into Congress
that, those Senators and members will act
with the Senators and members represent
ing the Democratic party of the adhering
States; aud they believe, furthermore, that
If the Southern people are allowed to vote
for Presidential and Vice Presidential can
didates in 1868, they will vote for the can
didates OF the Democratic party. To them
this appears calamitous-more calamitous
than they considered the institution of
slayery-and it is to provide against an oc-
currence of this sort, under pretense of
visiting punishment upon the South, that
this DISTINGUISHING amendment is proposed.
T5i sa Chief Justice Chase. I'll
W. - teId tt,at t4,;s ,1nlftfoal ioY,ho, III