Indiana American., 1867-01-04
.tWHOLENo, 2Os.


lasWben q country has been. copyulsed b,
q domestic warevhieh has torn up old 50
cial systems by the roots, there ,isne sbor
and easy path 10 uniyerssl tranquility.--
Tho danger to be apprehepded Is an at
tempt TO aeh arbitrarily and inpatient,
those results which can never be attained
except by delberation and time, or opera
1 tior Of the laws of nature aud human So
ciety. !. Therefore wise man reads al
present Ia. out political almanac, 'Look
out for all kinds Of political panaceas and
nostrums about thistime. Among these
d very loudiy adsertised specific Is Impair.
tial Suffrage and Gtueral Amnesty. Bui
a very suspicious fact is, that il is recon.
mended by two classes Of Union
men whose advice was timid and wrong in
every crisis Of tho war, and Southern sym
pathizers who were the most desperate and
4 unscrupulous Of public enemies.
The qualification OF the suffrage which
is recommended is education. Nor can
there be any question of the vitnl impor-
tancc OF intelligence 10 voters But the
question of the suffrage, must be regarded
by us at this time in its bearings upon the
national security. Now the strength to
the Union sentimentin the unrepresented
States is undoubtedly among the ceIored
population and the poor whites, as in parts
Of Arkansas, Tennessee, Georgia, :, aud
North Carolina. The strength OF the dis
loyal sentiment Is among the educated
lclasses. An educational test for the saf-
frage would enfranchise possibly six Tor
seyenpcr cent. Of the cclorod citizens now,
and it would disfranchise probably half OF
the poor white classes of the. States VIC
have mentioned IT, therefore, plan OF
an educational. test Of suffrage and'a full
amnesty were adopted as a substitute for
the Amendment proposed by Congress, we
should have inrrenched and fortified the
enemy, for We should have secnred politi-
cal power 70 the class most hostile to as.
The truth is, that the matter is much
too complicated to be successfully dealt
with by a phrase, however symmetrical -
1t is utterly useless TO c0nIbinc the two
propositions, If qualified equal suffrage in
1 the disturbed States be essential to.the ma
tional security, the national authority
should estab iish il. ., That isroBe thing. IL
general amnesty be compatible with. ma
tional authority. proclaim il. That is an
other thing. But it certaiuly does not
Follow that if.it bo necessary TO establish
equal suffrage, il is wise TO reiustate rcb.
i. clsj for the, consequences Of one process
may very easily paralyzc the intended re-
suits of the other. s-fL r. q -
Z Tho whole matter 4 questiou Of states.
lmanslfip. The Objects 10 prevent the re.
sumption Of political power by the party
flately in rebellion and still frankly hostile
! to the Union. by such measures as are not
Z fineompatible With the principle of the
4 Government and with the national safety.
The Congressional Amendments proposes
to do this by bpsfns representation upcu
/ the number OF voters, under certain con.
fditions. and by making certain rebel lead
ers Ineligible to Office az the pleasure of
fcencrcys This Inst proyisiun il what
\ stines the hostile sentiment most and that
which the iccpetal amnesty would remove.
B,t IN bay svsteus OF feconstruction that
inability Is essential. Whether Concyess
leaye the actual settlement OF the suffrage
10 tho sta,es or ldirect;v ordaip, il and
whether the suffrsee he qualified or uni