Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1866-11-30
ACCEPT rue INEvrrABLE,

Constitution. The press and public men
generally are discussing the subject Of Re
construction with this understanding. The
rebels, in rejecting the amendment are
pursuing course which will prevent the
offering of more favorable terms. Never
again will they be offered the chance Of
returning to their old political places in the
Union upon such easy conditions. The
amendment which they refuse is, in the
main, excellent; but it has defects. 1t is
comprised in four sections. The first sec
ton, comforting citizenship upon all persons
born or naturalized in the United States;
the third section, prohibiting rebels from
holding office who had, previous tothe re-
bellion, violated an oath to support the
Constitution and the 4th section, providing
for the payment of the National debt and
annulling the rebel debt are provisions
of undoubted wisdom. Reconstruction
without them would be imperfect. The
second section, establishing population as
the basis of representation, we consider
defective. Defective in this, that instead
Of Offering premium to the States to
make suffrage universal, as it proposes, it
should have established the principle of
Impartial Suffrage uniformity in all the
States as part of the Constitution
Now, so far as the rebels are concerned,
we believe in conducting the work of Re
construction after the same fashion that
we conducted the war-radically, vigor-
ously, and without regard to their preju-
dices, feelings; or desires. BEN. BUTLER
hit the nail Oh the head squarely in his last
speech, when he said: ave ask nothing
from those aUho fought against as; neither
do we ask them kow we shall reconstruct
this Government" We began the war and
carried it on for many weary months on
the kid-glove principle. The ''rights" and
''interests" of the traitors were tenderly
handled. The declaration of Congress,
Immediately after the Bull Run disaster,
to the effect that the war should be pros
ecuted solely to restore the Union and not
to disturb the titutions-meaning sla-
very-of the rebel States, was the official
declaration of gingerly policy which re-
suited only in repeated disasters to our
arms. 1t was not until after we had de-
clared for the abolition of slavery, that we
achieved decisive results. Temporizing
didn't pay then. No more will it pay now.
We are not among those who believe that
the rebellion could not have been put
down without arming the negroes. 1t
could have been suppressed without eman-
cipating the slaves even. But all knew, or
know now if they didn't then, that it
would not stay suppressed. We should
have had rebellion on our hands every
ten years Or oftener, unless we destroyed
the corner stone and cause of rebellion
slavery. That done, and rebellion
was crushed for all time. All this talk in
the South that their cause is not lost, ETC.,
is bosh. 1t is emphatically Lost Cause.
Their present hostility is ephemeral; it
will waste its strength in time, and finally
die out entirely. Just now, however, it
is useless to consult them on the subject of
restoration. What is necessary and right,
that should be done, regardless of their
hostility.
The present is a favorable time to effect
changes in the organic law of the land.
We are in just that plastic state when re-
forms, the good effects of which will be
felt for all time, can more easily be accom-
plished than ever again. Experience has
shown that the hardest thing to do in the
world is to get out of rut The past
history of our nation aptly exemplifies this
How general was the wish that we were
wellrid of slavery; how unanimously it was
condemned as a crime and an incubus
and how universal and hearty the regret
that the trainers of the Government had
not prohibited it or at least fixed limit
to its existence, as they did to the contin-
uance of the African Slave Trade. 1t
would have been SO easily and practicable
TO have done it then. But it was suffered
to remain, under impression that it would
gradually die out of itself, In the light
of Experience, therefore, it is the part of
wisdom to take advantage of the present
favorable opportunity, which may not re-
peat itself for century, to amend the Con-
stitution in such manner that those who
come after US may not have cause to re-
gret. The wishes of this or that section,
of this or that party, are of no account COM
pared with the influence these changes
will have upon the millions of people who
are to occupy this continent in the future.
The rejection by the rebels of the proposed
amendment seems almost providential.
They thus render the road to greater re-
forms not only easier, but are actually
compelling the accomplishment of those
reforms. By their stubbornness, they
prevent such changes being made as
would have only a temporary effect, and
compel us to legislate for the future.
We hope therefore, that the next Con
gress will propose an amendment to the
Constitution making IMPARTIAL SUFFRAGE
the rule in all the States. Let it be en-