, 1867-07-26
NUMBER so.
EnElish view Of The Radical lPol,cv.


The present state of affairs in that vast
part of the continent of North America
which has its centre at Washington must be
an interesting object Of contemplation to
every thoughtful man. To the student Of
history, to the political theorist, to the par,
lizaus of domestic or aristocratiO forms OF
government, to the practical philanthropis,I
TO optimists and pessimists 10 such Questions
as the future Of America aud the develon-
ment OF our race, to philosophers, in fact, Of
every. shade and hue, this crisis offers n
spectacle as strange as it is novel-disap-
pointing, it not unexpected; paradoxical il
not altogether unnatural. The fathers Of
the Republic, when they cast of their oop.
/ nectons with Great Britain and her mon.
archlcal traditions, establishing their COM
monwealth on the broadest basis of indyid.
ual liberty that had ever yet been asserted
or claimed BY man. Ali men, they said, ,
we're free and equal. The several commu.
mites into which this country was already
divided were % govern themselves freely
and absolutely by the independent vote OF
all their citizens. The Federal Congress
and the Federal Government at Washington
represented the Union of States in its for
eIgn relations, but at home we're as much
restrained in its authority as the executive
Of the most limited monarchy known ib
Europe The Rump Congress
which now governs the American people has
brought matters to something very much
like reductiO Gd dbsurdum. Either the
ten southern States are part of the Union,
or they are not II they are not, Congress,
has no Poper to make idtos for them any
more than it has for Canada or Mexico IT
they are, they havo right to representation
in both Houses, granted by the original Coh-,
stitution of the Union, Which has never vet
been aJrogated, and cannot, indeed, be set
aside UithOut their consent The northern
Congress, however, has its army, which the
south has no longer, and the power to mako
just what terms it pleases. The use it
makes Of its power is to deny to the South>
ern States all share in the government, to
question even their right to consider them.
selves as States. 1t deprives the six million
of Southern men of all political and civil
rights, treating them like red Indians, ex.
cept in this, that the latter have the adyan>
tage IN by opposed 6y The Ptes;dsn, tsi; so, '
to no purpose, as the Radicals 10 both
Houses have passed the bills over bis veto
by majorities of more than two-thirds. The
last act and climax of this injurious system
of oppression has been what is called the
Reconstruction Act, which places the south
under martial law, and assigns to it five mil
itary governors, with special departments.
The South is now under military des>
potism, and all civil law whatever is 10 abey-
ance. The soldiers in command are men Of
gentlemen and Christians, and we
believe them incapable of the ferocious un-
fairness displayed towards the South BY the
notorious radicals Sumner, Butler and Ste.
vens, who seem to carry all before them in
the Washington Parliament. Acts of petty
oppression have been committed which illus
rate the danger of cOnfding in irresponsible
authority. General Sckles insists that the
iremen of Washington shall deile before q
federal flag, and make solemn obeisanee 10 it.
General Pope admonishes and reprimands the
,ivil Governor of Georgia for having ven-
'truction act General Scho6eld threatens
% suspend the Richmond Times for having
alluded with some pride to the prowess of
he defenders of Virginia. All this is mild
n comparison with the attitude taken up BY
he triumphant politicians df.Mp England.
The aVowed intention of the 'Reconstruc,
ion act" was that as soon as the people of
be South had made up their minds to grant
he suffrage to the negroes, to repudiate their
]ebts, and disown their late leaders, they
night organize State conventions, reestab-
ish State governments, and return repre-.
,entatives to Congress. The radicals, how
way, begin to think of insisting on still
harder terms Senator Wilson, harranguing
whites and blacks, at Hampton, in Virginia,
ellis the people that they will be readmitted
to State rights if they will only promise to
return Union men," Even this is too much
Tor the old demagogue, Stevens, of Phiadel-
phia. He writes letter, in which he SOL
emnly denOunces Mr.. Wilson for having
promised so much. What right has he to
promise it when there is no such State az
Virginia, and no one has authority to say
when or how it will be reeognized2 There
must first be punishment for the guilty and
,on6scation of the property of disloyal men.
By this man, and such as he, the restoration
If the Union is indefinitely postponed. It
S by his fault, and that of his fellows, that
he prosperity of the Union is at stand
,till, that the Southern fields are relapslng
primitive wilderness, and the Southern
people are starving or emigrating from their
homes. America has been fitted by nature
% be Paradise on eartb-why will her
IONS do their best to make her hell Ion
ton Herald.
REL1sIox AND REAsoS.-Man is hot at all set
Led or confirmed in religion until bis religion is