The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-03-16
The Prospects of ReconstructIon.

From the Nation.
The eyes of the country are just now turned
more to the South than to Congress. The
latter having passed law providing for
definite method by which the Southern States
may regain their old footing in the Union, yet
having left something to their option, the
chief questions political interest are, whether
those States will conform to the terms of the
offer, and if so, what will be the result Of their
action.
The so-called Legislatures of two States have
already acted decisively, and in opposite direc-
tions. The Legislature of Virginia 1--WE can
not well avoid the use Of the phrases that
seem to admit legality which we wholly
deny) has passed bill providing for the cleo
ton of convention in May, with liberty to
colored men to vote. The Legislature of
Louisiana, on the contrary, has passed reso-
lutions declaring the acts of Congress void,
and has summoned a convention, to be elected
by white men only. Governor Wells has met
this action by proclamation announcing the
law of Congress to be in force and declaring
all elections not held conformably thereto to
be void. The Legislature of North Carolina
has adjourned without taking any action.
In several States there are decided indica-
the white population being divided as to the
expediency Of reorganizing in accordance with
the law, or OF remaining inactive. EX-Gov-
ernor Brown leads the movement in favor of
reorganization in Georgia, where he is OPP
posed by Colonel Gartrell (formerly a member
of Congress) and others. The only prominent
Mississippian who has recommended such
action is General Chalmers, but he will soon
be supported by Others although Governor
/ Humphreys is understood to be opposed to
/ doing anything under the law. In North
Carolina the minority of the Legislature,
comprising all who heartily welcomed the
restoration of the Union in 1865, have taken
steps towards the summoning of convention
| in an informal manner. We have not heard
of anything definite from the other States.
Upon the whole, we judge that, if the law
is faithfully enforced by the President and his
subordinates, the whole South will speedily
conform to the terms of Congress. The
amendment enacted at the instance of Mr..
! Shellabarger deprives the Southern whites of
the option between military government and
universal suffrage, which Mr.. Sherman's pro-
position left to them so that, whether they
elect conventions or not, they must admit
coored men to vote at all their current cleo
tions, while their only chance of escaping from
military surveillance is by adopting constitu-
tiOns recognizing the political equality of all
men. The distranchising clause affects only a
very limited class, not including single man
under twenty-seven years OF age; and it is
improbable that the mass of people not eX-
cluded by law from political action will long
continue to exclude themselves out OF mere
sympathy for the old race of politicians who
are shut out Even among the distranchised
class there are many sensible enough to COM
prehend the wisdom of submitting for time
q to limited disability rather than to keep
their States out of all participation in the Gov
ernment. Congress has deprived the stubborn
4 Of their favorite argument, that il was better
r to control the States without seats in Con-
! gress, than to gain place in Congress by
sharing power with the colored race; for they
are no longer left in supreme control of their
Q States, and they can now see clearly the
e necessity of being represented in Congress.
. It cannot be denied, however, that the
soundest reasoning may fail to afford a basis
for predicting the action of the Southern
4 people. After the elections last fall it GER
: tainly seemed as if none but idiots would, il
q the situation of the Southern whites, refuse tC
accept the Constitutional amendment as &
. basis of reconstruction. Yet they did so Will