Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-12-27

upon the stage Will a5 nuCn NSaeHloAoo
as if it had not been weighed in the bal
ance' of public opinion and found wanting.
On Wednesday the following amendment
to the Reconstruction Acts was passed in
the House by strict partizan vote under
the party lash Of the "Grrat Comm"ner
from Pennsylvania
BE 1t enacted That 70 much OF .he 18th .cci1on
of an act passed March %, 1867, sntiileo ala eot
supplementary &c I'll act to pIoHltio tol tie nlui
efficient government of The rebel States, p9secd
March 2, 1857, aud to facilitate their rebtorahon
as requir that & majority OF Ill me Ieglsseisa
votes Of the district shall be cast IN faVor OF the
ratification If The constitution before 1t becomes
valid be- AID the Same Is hereby, 80 TAR n0dlhed
that msjori'y 81 ihe -otcs cast III me ciection
shall be considered valid, ana Is Affirming or
rejecting said constitution
SEC. Z ind be 1t further enacted, That the
votes of the several States mentioned III the acs
to which this is amendatory may, at the time OF
voting the ratification of the constitution, vote
also for members of Congress, who shall be en-
titled to take their seats members OF the House
Of Representatives taking the oaths OF Office
required by law whenever and as coon as such
States are Clulv reconstructed and entitled to rep
resentation in the Congress of the United States
and until new appointment shall be mace, the
elections for said members shall be a"cording to
the districts as they fexlsted in the Years 1898
and 1859, except when otherwise provided ior
and the same election officers who shall make the
returns of the votes cast on rat1 eaton or IeJec-
ton of the constitution sha enumerate, ana GER
tify the votes cast for members OF Congress, nd
give certificates of election to those possessing
tho largest number of qualified votes. s::td who
shall be entitled thereto.
The telegraph informs us that on the
following day it was read twice in the
Senate and referred. It will hardly meet
with sufficient opposition there to prevent
Al, 10,
will serve to delay its final passage but
few days. Thus the Radicals are deter
mined to secure and hasten the RECONSTRUCT
ton OF the Southern States, under negro
supremacy, in time for their nominating
Convention i'll May and the election i'll No
ve1aber. Conscious Of their certain defeat
by the intelligent white vote of the North,
they expect to secure victory by creating
negro balance of power in the South.
We do not believe that the support of
Judge CHASE or their votes prevent his
defeat. And even if it does decide the re-
suit of the next Presidential contest in favor
of the Radical candidate against a majority
of the legal voters of the North, We are not
prepared to believe that it will be submit
ted to. Congressman may disregard the
solemn instructions of their constituents
given at the ballot-box, and legislate con-
| fesscdly '' outside of the Constitution for
party purposes, but if their unconstitu-
| tional acts come in conflict with the views
! of the people, and their illegal negro voters
| thwart the wishes OF the legal white voters
of the North, we believe q power greater
! than the veto Of Presidents, more potential
than the verdict OF a jury, or the decision
of Judge, will decide this question of Re-
construction and negro suffrage adverse to
the enactments OF Congress-
! The intelligent and weIl-posted Washing
ton correspondent Of the Boston Post Estates
| that the Democratic members Of the Re
construction Committee lave attended the
meetings regularly, not for the purpose of
taking part in tho business of the Commit
tee, but to keep posted as TO the purposes
and designs of the Radical leaders. The
Conservative and Democratic members ex-
press themselves in strong opposition to
| the Southern people taking any part in
elections, or other proceedings under the
Reconstruction laws. and they urge that
the Southern whites shall simply protest
against the whole proceeding, and withhold
any assent to anything which is done, as
they predict that the time is not far distant
when Congress will pronounce all these
elections null and void, and will restore &c
the States their old Constitutions.
These views are in accordance with an
opinion formed and expressed by us some
time since, and though Congress may de-
clare and vote their firm determination
to continue their policy of Africanizing the
South, we believe the people of the North
will rise up en- 0easse and overthrow legis
lation at once unconstitutional and destruc
tive of every principle of liberty and free
government We shall await the approach
of the coming day with patience, unawedby
the midnight gloom which now envelops us.
| General Hancock
We publish to-day the message of the
President calling to the attention of Con
gross the order of General HANCOCK on ia
md nf