The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1867-11-29
KANSAS, FRIDAY. NOVEMBER 1867.

our citizens. To pr owe the reconstruc
ton scheme a wrong against US, citizens
of Northern Slate, who never rebelled.
it were oDly necessary TO show that one of
Us, citizen of Ohio, is as good as q
manumitIed plantation negro of Louisi
ana, and ought to have voice as potent
in the General Government of the Union
The Constitution as it is, involves inc.
qualities 10 this particular among the citi
zens of the different Stat 8, and [ would
not amend it to remove them; it works
co mischief, for we are all one peo-
pie, of the same race of like intel
ligence. in all things alike, morally
and socially. But l would not amend
the Constitution TO increase it where il
exists, or to create it where it exists not;
and, especially. 1 would not give this
enormous excess of power to men Of a
different racr, who are not and can never
be our associates; of whom we know lit
lie socially except that they are ignorant
and degraded, and nothing politically ex
cept that they have always been, and are.
distur bling eleme mt in our system. Their
degradation, ignorance and immortality,
the bitter fruits of slavery and oppression,
entiIle them to our cJmmiseration, but
do not enlitle them to a place so much
above US 10 the scale of political power.
1t would be much smaller concession
by us to the African, and more reasona
bic and just, TO give each negro in Ohio
ten votes, than 70 give the negro in the
South the power over Us, 10 the union
involved in this plan of reconstruction
Il may be said, and truly, that this me
quality will be but temporary; that but
one generation of prescribed white men
have TO die of, and all will be right; a
white man in the North will at length be-
come equal to a negro in the South. This
is true; even less than the truth; it is i'm
possible that these proposed negro repub.
lies shall, by their own action, ever come
into being; or, if created by external pow
err, shall stand alone for single moment.
There will be no attempt to carry them
out, or any pretense of the kind, beyond
the next Presidential election. In The
meantime, there will be war to the knife
o! black against white or barbarism and
poverty and power combined against 10
telligence and property, which can be
restrained only by military power; and
the United States will be compelled to
keep up standing armies in all the recon
strucIed Stetes until they shall be again
reconstructed. Daring this process, the
FIVE Brigadier Generals will not ouly be
autocrsIs each OF his district, but will
control the votes of nine States, and send
TO the Senate eighteen Senators, to the
House eighty-two members, and give, in
the electoral college one hundred votes
for President. This will be better than
the proposed negro supremacy, as our
military officers are generally humane and
intelligent men, and know how to govern
but it is not well to Invest even them with
such autocratIc powers.
But look further to conse quences. II
there shall be q majority of constitutional
votes for one candidate for the Presidency.
and if the one hundred military electors
added to the minority, make a majority
of the whole, there will arise a question
which can be decided only by the sword
and the army of the South, if united uude,
their i've Generals, will settle the cues.
ton of legitimacy at Washington, as The
Pretorisn guard were wont to do al
Rome, and the Janissaries at Conslan.
iinople.
! For these reasons, I concur with the
President in disappearing this Congress
sional plan Of Reconstruction; and the
vote at the late election in Ohio has strong
ly pronounced the disapprovsl of the PEG
pie, aud their objections will not be re-
moved when they consider il in connec-
ton with its attendant consequences.
On the whole do not think it will b
practicable further TO infiame the public
mind against the President. or longer to
retain party power by waging war against
him. Whether be betrayed his party in
the hope of thereby perpetuating his own
power, or sacrificed power and party on
the alter of country, ceases to be ques-
ton of national importance. Il is ques-
ton on which opinions differ, and can be
better settled when the country is rsleiv-
ed from its present disturbed condition.
And on reviewing the ground. as far as
my limited observation extends, l see no
reason TO anticipate reactionary excite
msnt IN favor of extreme Radical men or
measures. The tide is setting against
them and Cannot be suddenly checked.
The more conservative Republican lead
ers, if they would retain power. must
learn to know that there is a public opin-
ion created by themselves or cbangeable
at their pleasure, which, when il speaks
AS il has spoken-is entitled to their
respect. In obedience to this they must
detbToue their Radical despots. aud con-
form in the actions in Congress to the ex-
pressed public will. and lsgislate like ra-
tional men, with cslmness and cousidera
ton rather than with passion. Il is hard
to ask political party to acknowledge
error and retFsce their steps; but in this
case the good of the country requires
and the expressed will of the people de :
mands it. The correction must and vii
be made, either BY them or by those Whc
will succeed them, and it were bet
ter done in a conservative spirit by them
than the Democracy, who will be other.
wise called to the task under more difficult
complications.
If the Republicans will do this prom pit
! " and cheerfully, tsey will probably re,
pain and retain their asceDdency' anu
ttbev may rely on the Democracy TO reno,
! - theD, All ueedful aid Ia restoring and
sscnriap il. That party. whenever in
mower, will unless they have learned
Tisdom from hard experience, adopt OBJ
fashionable measures. or bring forward