The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-06-05
Governor Perry ON Recon.truct,op.

1t is reported that Governor Perry, of South
Carolina, is opposed to the present method Of
reconstruction, under the plea that the South
by her military Governors than she will by any
black representatives who may be elected to
the legislative halls. We are disposed to give
Governor Perry credit for much good sense
for this idea A good military Governor who
has been well educated is, from his position,
his antecedents and his earnest attempts to
steer clear Of all political parties, far better
suited to control the disturbed elements Of the
South for few years than the latest and
the sleekest niger that may represent sixth
part Of our enormous national debt-such
Governors, for instance, as General Sickles,
General Pope or General Sheridan. If proof
were wanted Of this the prompt action of the
latter General in removing the Board of Levee
Commissioners of Louisiana, who were about
to appropriate the patronage Of four millions
Of dollars to voting purposes, rather than
benefit the sufferers from tho overflow Of the
Mississippi, is marked instance Of the value
OF military government in the transit which
the South is making from the old to the new
condition Of things and the bringing of order
out Of chaos.
The one great fault of the South was its
rejection Of the constitutional amendment
which was first offered TO them. In this they
could have shaped the suffrage question as best
pleased them. Now radical faction imposes
upon them q worse measure, to which they
find themselves forced to submit. This great
fault is not 80 much due to the Southern people
themselves, who came out of the war pre-
pared to accept any reasonable measures that
the conquering party chose to impose, but
rather to the Brookses, the Woods, the VAL
landghams and the Seymours, who, represent
ing themselves as the opponents Of a powerful
party, advised the Southern people to course
that has retarded the progress of the country
and been curse to those who have accepted
the advice of men who were really nothing
but the galvanized emblems of copper
head graveyard. The sound sense Of the
South taught 1t that to the victor belong the
spells; but the lingering and rabid copper
headism of the North totally m.slei this feel
ing, and, turning it back, with the flattering
hope that by political m management! much that
the sword had lost might be regained, caused
the present retarding Of healthy reconstruc
ton and the burying Of animosities to which
the radicalism Of both sides appears TO pander.
The copperhead press, catching at the smallest
straws upon the political sea, strives to main
tain itself by still holding out false hopes to
the Southern people, while many OF the petty
sheets Of the South, catching at what they think
are the echoes Of a powerful faction, stir dis
content in the hears OF the ignorant and
retard the work of a solution of our national
troubles If the Southern people will analyze
the position calmly they will find that those
whom they have called their best friends have
in reality been their worst en- ,mics, and many
whom they have deemed enemies arc their
best friends 1t Is worth the consideration Of
the South, that their position, as Governor
Perry stales may really be better under the
present form Of government than under that Of
the thck-lipped, fiatnosed woolly-headed and
corpulent niger representatives, who may
soon be as proud In tracing back their descent
from Congo or Soudan as any OF the whites Of
the South now are OF running back to Eng
land for proofs Of pure blood
The Centre Of the Centre Of News.
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