The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1867-11-11
THE REACTION.
From the World.l

Many democrats jump 10 tno cOnclu-
sion that the elections of this year in
sure our success in the Presidential
canvass; many Republicans jump to the
conclusion that General Grant will be
the candidate Of their party. 1t would
be difficult, in the present state of our
knowledge, to contest the soundness of
either inference; although some persons
may deem them inconsistent with each
other. This at least is certain: that
the Republican inference comedies the
soundness of the Democratic, on every
other hypothesis than that General
Grant will consent to be the candidate
of the Republican party. ButifGeneral
Grant is their candidate he must indorse
their policy, which is the very thing
which has been condemned and repu-
dated by these elections. The horse
General Grant is expected to ride hav-
ing received death-wound, we do not
consider it clear that so shrewd horse
man will mount him.
The Republican party is so commit
ted to lis moribund reconstruction
scheme that it cannot retreat from it
without a universal guffaw of deri-
sion. 1t is the maturest effort of their
wisdom, proclaimed as such with every.
form of solemn emphasis. The slow
and painful deliberation with which it
was consummated, the tumultuous indig- |
nation with which President johnson
has been assailed for doubling its wis |
dom, the extra session of Congress to
enforce its rigor in opposition to the
liberal Interpretation of the Attorney
General, have committed the Republi-
cans to it SO irretrievably that its aban-
donment would be fatal to the party.
"You take my house," said batfled Shy
lock, in the agony of lost wealth and
disappointed revenge, "when you do
take the prop that "doth sustain my
house; you take my life when you do
take tire means whereby live" The
Republican party without its recon-
struction policy would be in similar
condition of deploring despair. 1t has
no other principle to stand upon than
negro-suffrage reconstruction. If this
be abandoned, it is party without
principles. Even the Times, which has
of any of the Republican journals, sees
the impossibility of abandoning it with
out the total ruin of the party. Its ar
ticle yesterday reminds lis of the ridicu.
lous attempt of the big-jointed sisters
of Cinderella who "pared their heels
and their toes" in the vain hope of wear
ing the slippers which would make one
of them the kings bride. Supposing
Grant to be the prince, the Republican
party will hardly succeed in getting its
long -heeled negro feet into the coveted
slippers. But if it cuts them off out
right, what will it have to stand emf
If the Republican party adheres, as
it needs mnst, to the negro-suffrage re-
construction scheme, its defeat in the
Presidential election, no matter who |
may be its candidate, is rs certain as it
is that Presidential election will take
place. 1t would be the very insolence |
of tyranny to force negro suffrage upon
the South when it is empbatically re- |
jected by the North. 1t would be such
an impudent Inconsistency that no fair
minded man would for moment justify |
it. Negro suffrage having been over
whelmingly repudiated i'll these cleo
tions in every State where the question
has been presented, the logic of the sit
uation forbids any further attempt to
force it upon the South. If persisted
in, it must recoil with crushing effect
on the Republican party,
No time is left them for agitation to
bring the public mind up to their stand
ard. They are close upon q Presiden-
tial election, which they must carry or
their party is undOne. The country is
already impatient; and as between
further postponement of restoration
and the indefinite postponement of ne
gro suffrage it will not hesitate an ill.,
slant. By the recent elections the peo-
pie have decided that they do not want
negro sutfrageIand do want restoration;
have decided that negro suffrage is too
great price to pay even for immediate
restoration. They will be incensed if,
after this decision, the Republicans con-
time to insist on q wholly Impractical
BILE scheme.
The fact that negro governments are
in process of organization, and that Con-
gress may admit their representatives,
does not vary the case, except to render |
u degrading farce more contemplate.
Certain it is that the Southern people |
will never recognize these bastard gov
ernments as having the slightest valid
idental election heavy bastering ram
will tumble them into shapeless rubbish.
The Southern people will Immediately |
reorganize, hold new elections, Oust the
negroe0, send their own representatives
to Washington, and the House will at
once admit them. The Southern Sena-
tors plus the Conservatives Senators
from the North will form majority of
that body, organize as such, and neither
the House nor the President will recog-
nize any other Senate. This course is
entirely feasible, will be perfectly con-
stitutional, and beyond all question
adopted, if the Radicals are insane or
wayward enough to recognize the negro
governments after this great rebuke.
The only thing that could prevent it,
would be acquiescence by the Southern
whites in the Radical scheme. Who
ever expects that, is better entitled to q
straight Jacket than refutation.
We may therefore consider it as DEM
onstrated that the present reconstruc-
tiou scheme is foredoomed. But until
its destiny is recognized by consid-
cradle portion of the Republicans, it
will be vain to expect their cooper
II