The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1866-03-24
The Southern Leaders The Test

The Southern Leaders The Test
Oath.
We make the following extract from
a leading editorial in the Cincinnati
Gazette Of Thursday. Gov. Andrews,
Of Mass, gave it as his opinion that the
Southern leaders-the men who Sc
duced the people into rebellion-oueht
to be encouraged to bring them back
again. The mistake Of Gov. Andrews
and the Gazette is in believing the
people need any leading and are not
already back, having renewed their al
legiance and become loyal to the old
government
But the practical point we make is. that
the so-called leaders are the cissi who &C.
cept most promptly the event Of the war,
and WHO have an interest in the country
that leads them 70 desire the restoration If
tranquility. It's q serious error TO suppose
that the South would be settled ia loyalty
il these we're deprived Of a voice in at irs,
and the poor whites were N ide dom q Mt
All our Information shows nat the poorer
class Of whites, the sO-called unconscious.
unintelligent masses, are the most hostile
10 the results Of the war, and the most bBr-
barous toward the blacks. They are the
chef art Of the necessity for continuing
the Freedmen's Bureau.
The exception O. the class owning 500
600 and upward, was unioundod ia reason
and an error in policy. II prolonged an
uncertainty Of property which was inimieal
10 the settlement Of society. 1t prevented
the operation Of the economical I ,rces IN
removing the disturbance OF war. The fact
that it has amounted to nothing in the way
Of Justice, abandOn5 that excuse for q policy
which protrscted the uncertain status Of the
properly holders Of the South, and thus pre-
vented the restoration Of the conditions Of
peace.
The point we have made suggests the i'm
perfection Of the congressional test oath as
a standard Of restoration 20 Congress. There
are but few of the men OF character in the
South who did not ~ into the war Of rebel
lion. The test rules out nearly the whole
Of that class who nave the greatest interest
in restoring tranquility, and who are most
prompt b accept the results OF the war. We
pay due regard TO the noble exceptions, but
even they viii admit that nearly all the
brains and character Of the South went
zeslously into rebellion. If, as we have
maintained, these are uost ready 10 co-0Pe-
rate in settling the disturbances Of war on
the conditions the victor has laid down, the
test oath not only rules out the men Of
brains and character, but the class most in
h~uentisl to restore tranquility.
The rule would be juss, if the same Justice
was carried out in all the treatment Of the
late rebels, but ii is not SO carried OIt, and
IL does not answer the end Tor which IL was
made. There IRE rebel leaders the Govern
meut had better have la Congress than some
OF the sO-called Union men Of The South
better than many Of those who applsuded
Mr.. JOhnsOn's ~ OF February speech. A.
exsnder H.. Stephens would be q better
Senator for maintaining the Government ia
loyalty than some of the Democratic oeuat-
Ors from the North. So would Gen. Lee
And Jefferson Davis, whether converted in
sentiment on NOT, would be no worse in
principle than some the North has sent, and
would be more respectable. Mr.. Sherman
made "a mistake IN policy as well gs in fact
when he said in his Bridgeport speech
that Mr.. johnson would never consent that
unrepCutant rebels like Stephens OF Georgia,
shall come back and take their pieces and
make laws for the people Of the United
states; Tor Nh. Stephens Is as good 81 man
as we can get from Georgia, from any men
Of sufficient standing 20 be elected Senator,
and Mr.. johnson has since his election as
Senator, released him from HIS parole.
which implies the coming Of q full amnesty
If it As not already granted. And SO At
should be, for IL would be injustice without
reason 10 except Stephens from an amnesty
which has included b. many worse men.
We need in the settlement of disturbances
in the South, The aid of the leaders of 5oci-
ETY. who are most interested in such resto-
ration. Rules excluding classes, whether
by property or active seryice in rebel
lion, are imperfect whether for the
settlement of society of executing just
&c. What we need is general c0udi-
tons for the s-ttlemaut of political relations
not the ostracism Of individuals or classes
With these complied with, and the cooper
alton Of "the conscious intel gent classes
in the South secured, aud the economical
forces thus brought into full play, we can
afford a general am~uesty-a thing which Is
already ioregOne by the treaty OF the dis
bandmeut of the rebel armies, the remission
to the mass of the people, and the loose use
OF the p-riouius po@cr Ia the excepted
riHsz