The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-03-02

PORTIA AND.
Saturday Morning, March q, 1857


~J A~oAAluSy md[Cu a. 4OOt
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The iAseeonstruetisn Compremise.
Z We have hoped that the bill fol- the govern
ment OF the Southern States would not he
come law. True, 1t had passed both the
Senate and the House by strict party vote ::
but the unanimity was only apparent. The
debates in both houses, sufficiently, though
not fully, revealed the discomfort with which
the measure was regarded on all sides. It
commanded the full Republican vote because
there was felt to be necessity Of doing some
thing, and it was evident that nothing better
could be secured at this session. Earlier in
the session it would have failed. The debate
In the Senate after the debate came back from
the House, covers nearly ali the objections to
which the bill is liable. 7.ae .gllrfai
Senator Wade objected to it as a .hasty
measure. s'We need not, he said, "cousider
ourselves driven by time to patch up hasty
measure here that will be unsatisfactory to
ourselves and the country. If we cannot do
1t now, let lis begin again de no1o at the next
session, and take all summer for 1t If neces-
sary." Senator Fessendenu objected to SO
much of it as pledges Congress in advance to
the admission of Southern representatives,
as uncalled for and unstatesmanlike. "I
would very much have preferred" J" he said,
g the military bill, as 1t was called,
pure and simple. 1 belong to that class of
men who think that in difficult crisis,
where there is confusion and 1t is troublesome
to ascertain what it is best to do, true states
manship requires that you should do no more
than is absolutely demanded by the exigency
OF the case" Senator Sumner objected to
the bill, because "there is no provision for
the initiation of the new governments !;
there is no helping hand extended to the loy-
al people who may seek to lay anew the foun-
dations of civil order" Mr.. Buckalaw said,
sIn my mind, neither the original bill nor the
amended bill, as passed by the Senate, holds
any favorite places" but we have already Civ
en- the main objections urged and fcrbear to
multiply mere expressions Of dissatisfaction.
So much for the Senate The Democratic
press at the North has been quick to spy the
error Of Congress. The World invites the
Southern States to accept these terms in sea-
son for the next Presidential election. Ad-
mitting that the g Conservative" cause is not
strong enough to throw away sixty or seventy
electoral votes, it adds, sit those votes
are worth saving, they must be saved
by Southern action this year." 90 The
Chicago Times says the terms are "harsh
but not humiliating" The Buffalo Courier
declares that "there is positively no alterna-
tive except to accept the political situation
and make the best Of it." From the South we
hear that Virginia is preparing to take this
prudent counsel; that Gov. Orr is vigorously
struggling to form in South Carolina party
for reconstruction on the best terms that can
be obtained; that throughout the Rebel States,
as well as in the White House, there Is gen.
eral breaking up ofthe sullen stagnation which
has hitherto prevailed. 10 ~. f..' f
iH' We suspect this ready acquiescence. Wecan-
not forget that Senator johnson of Maryland
voted for the bill avowedly because it was the
best that could be obtained for the South
After the threats of civil war which Democrat
ic conventions and newspapers have so lately
utteaed, this sudden submission is suspicious.
1t was the duty of Congress to provide for the
security of the loyal people of the South. 1t is
the duty of Congress to direct not merely to
allow, the reorganization of civil govern
ments at the South, 1t was the duty of Cen
gress to fix the conditions upon which such
reorganization should proceed, and those con-
ditions should all have been included in the
renewed national compact. We have NO right
to impose upon the Southern States unequal
restrictions. 1funiversal suffrage is good for
them, it is good forius. 1t is time that this
question Ofsufffage were taken from the Leg
islatures and made natio 1al. 1t Is time that
the citizens of one State should indeed be en-
titled to all the privileges Of citizens in the
several States. The constitutional amendment
proposed by the Thirty-ninth Congress has
been rejected by the South. Itshould have
been left to the Fortieth Congress to propose
another, more complete, more satisfactory
This great subject ought not to have been set
tied by compromise patched up during the
idSJ IOftulSuJ VI tile SeSbIOu. Lie Dill was q
compromises compromise reached by parli-
amentary tactics in the House, arranged by a
caucus in the Senate, and finally compromised
again, compromise ofcompromises, between
the two Houses. '''I" A f
IF the Southern States should be restored
under this bill, it will be simply because they
hope to carry the next Presidential election
In conjunction with the Democrats of the
North. If they can carry that election under
national constitution properly amended, SO
be it. The reorganization of those States on
a proper basis is of more consequence THAI
the success of any party. But If Congress
has opened the door to them, without first Sc
curing the fruits of long and bloody war, il
the basis of their reorganization is fully salts
factory to few if any of the statesmen who
conducted the nation through that perilous
period, if tie control of the government
should pass into the hands of rebels and friends
Of rebels before the great questions are fairly
and fully settled, it would be misfortune
which could not be sufficiently deplored. s.