The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-08-15

versation with our special correspondent, jgave
,,,taranoe TO a sentiment which widely pre-
voils in some parts of the South. "Our only
hope.n he said, sis in reaction at the North
with this as their reliance, party in Georgia
are prepared to vote against the projected
Convention. with the purpose OF defeating the
Congressional scheme of reconstruction.
vot more considerable party in several OF the
States are acting on the advice OF Mr. Hill, and
obstsinine from registration. They will not
recognize the law by voluntary compliance
with any of its provisions. They, too, place
Roth Mr.. Herschel Johnson and Mr.. Hill pro-
ceed ON the hypothesis that the great object
20 ba inst now attained is the Illustration of
fbe plan of Congress. Beyond that, their phi
Iosophy and prophecies are at fault. ALI else
centres in a vague hope of help from the
North. Why that help should be rendered,
except with the view of enabling the South to
dictate the terms of reconstruction, neither the
Georgia Johnson nor Mr.. Hill has attempted
to explain.
Similar opinions are zealously cultivated in
South Carolina under the leadership of the
Charleston Mercury. For some time after its
reappearance, the Mercury displayed whole
some moderation. 1t seemed inclined to accept
the situation with all its realities, and to favor
getting back into the Union in any way which
the North might indicate. Gradually, how
ever, the ante-war spirit has developed itself,
and now the Mercury declaims as furiously
against the authority and measures of Con-
gress as though both we're subject to the will
of the Southern people. The Mercury, t0O is
preparing its readers for ga revulsion of feel
ing" at the North; arguing that sooner or
later it must come and that the present duty
of the South is to stave off reconstruction
II. - ill TIa
argument in support of this conclusion is, that
the continued supremacy of the Republican
party is contingent on the acquisition of the
votes of the Southern States. Prevent this
the Mercury contends and the Republican
party will be defeated then all will be right.
Here is the statement of the case, as it is seen
by this opponent of the law -
"Kentucky as was expected, will send
Democratic delegation to Congress, and an in
crease of six thousand conservative votes in
each of the States of New York and Pennsylva-
mia, at the coming elections, would throw their
delegation and their fifty-nne electoral votes
against the radical party. This is the reason
why the radicals exult over the victory that
Brownlow and his militia gained for them In
Tennessee. They have acknowledged that they
expect to lose the Middle States, and they say
frankly that their continued power can only be
secured by the solid votes of the Eastern States,
with those of one or more of the Northwestern
States, added to the solid radical vote of the ten
Southern States. They admit that they will be
defeated unless the Southern States be admitted
support, through thick and thin, the measures
of the radical party. If the Southern States are
not readmitted, or If they are not readmitted
with radical representatives, the sun of the
radical revolutionists has set forever. In every
Southern State but two the whites can insure
that the call Tor a convention. or the ratifca.
tion of the amended Constitution, shall be de-
feated, and II they do this the South is saved"
The assumption with which the Mercury
starts-that the Republican party is losing
ground in the States 1t now controls-ls gra'
tuitous. An accession of strength from the
South would, of course, add to the perma-
nence of its sway. But on its present basis,
with the strength it possesses, and the assu-
rance of renewed success which it enjoys, the
continuance of its rule over a period sufli-
GENTLY long to complete the work of recon-
struction does not admit of reasonable doubt.
Truly stated, then, the case amounts to this:
The defeat of reconstruction now by the South
will not deprive the party in power of the
opportunity of carrying out reconstruction on
the basis laid down by Congress. Delay may
lead to new and more harsh conditions. For
these, however, the Congressional majority
have time. On some ground, therefore, and
on conditions certainly not less stringent than
those of the present law, the South will be
reconstructed under Republican direction
whether the Conventions be voted down ol
not. Delay may occur, entailing injury upon
the country, especially on the South. But
the final result will be as far as possible re
moved from that which the Charleston journa
predicts for the encouragement of its malcOn
tent friends.
Another fallacy which all these opponents
of the law cherish is, that they may, withou
further inconvenience, Illustrate the operations
now in progress Mr.. Herschel Johnson an(
the Charleston Mercury alike err in this re
spect. Both suppose that by defeating tn
law as it stands, trouble will be brought to al
end; the North will rush to the rescue, an,
the South will be ''savedn-by which proba
bly is meant "saved" from the measures o
Justice and safety which Congress seeks t
establish The idea does not occur to eithe
that perhaps the North will speak in anothe
tone, and will demand the stern punishment
of men whose rebellious aspirations hav
thriven under policy of comparative modera
tion. On the contrary, the Mercury affirm
that the growth of friendly feeling at tn
North is evidence of the population of tn
principles on which Congress has legislated
1'The leading radical members of Congress,
IL declares, shave given up for the present
cherished notions of engeance-confscatio
among the number.
"The public press Of the North is far NOR
moderate in its tone than 1t has ever bee
before. II deprecates harsh or severe measures
IL advocates a restoration of the Union, and
shows plainly enough that, although it is nC
vet ready TO break with the radical party
does feel that the continuance of radical dt
minion is the continuance of dscord and di
union, the encouragement Of revolution, an
fhe continued decline OF political power an
commercial prosperity"
These allegations furnish pretexts for Il
assertion that ga revulsion of feeling" in fav
of the demands of the unreconstructed Sou
has already begun. But there could be
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