The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-02-15


The Louisiana Reconstruction Bill.
From the Times.
The newborn hope of reconciliation be-
tween Congress and the President has been
summarily extinguished. By the passage of
Mr.. Eliots bill for recOnstructing the civil
Government of Louisiana, the House has in
dcated its aversion to all overtures for peace
with the Executive, and all plans of com
promise as between his own will and the
wishes of the Southern people. 1t has de-
clared its purpose to set aside the Constitu-
tonal amendment, and to substitute for
mild measure of restoration harsh and sweep
ing measures of reconstruction. 1t has de-
cided that the States which have rejected the
amendment shall not have an opportunity of
reconsidering their verdict, and that the
efforts of Southern Governors to induce the
acceptance of modified terms shall be ignored
as of no significance whatever. The vote by
which all this has been accomplished forbids
expectations of improvement. A close vote
may be revised and reversed, but ll3 yeas
and As nays are figures that leave no chance of
change.
Mr.. Eliot's bill-embodying the conclusion
arrived at by the majority Of the New Orleans
Investigating COmmttee-sweeps away the
patton and fraud, removes all ofice-hOlders
from the Governor downwards, scatters the
! Legislature with Cromwellian brusqueness,
and deals with the State precisely as though it
! We're Just made subject to the authority of the
! National Government. The point of cOnten-
| tion raised by Mr.. Stevens has been avoided
! by Mr.. Eliot. He lends no countenance to the
tenitorializing theory and indulges in no talk
! about the relative rights of conquerors and
| Ha tha lou
tulness and insutticiency of the existing gov
ernmental machinery of the State and start
! ing afresh from the fact that the Rebellion left
the State destitute of government, he provides
! for its reorganization on the extreme radical
! basis.
The President is charged in conjunction
| with the Senate, with the appointment of q
! Provisional Governor and Provisional Coun-
Gil OF nine persons-only those being appointed
who can take the test oath. In June the loyal
citizens, exclusively, will elect Governor,
! State officers and members of the Legs lature
and III October the same electors will choose
| delegates to Convention to form a State Con-
! stitutlon; both elections to be held under regu-
| latons made by the Secretary of War and the
test oath to be throughout the standard of
| qualification, whether Of electors or of persons
elected. Meanwhile a military commander
! Will be appointed to cooperate with the Pro-
| vlslonal Governor, and exercise wide dis
creuonary authority for the maintenance of
! peace, and the enforcement of laws and orders
growing out of the provisional rGqime. This
| provision Of the bill contrasts favorably with
MI MI stevens scheme Of military government.
nat would make the soldier supreme-the
| civilian subordinate. Mr. Eliot recognizes the
military power only as an auxiliary, to be en-
ployed If the necessity arises.
The harshness of the measure is apparent in
Its Wholesale prescription and disfranchise-
ment OF nineteen-twenteths of the white popu-
lation of the State. The North Carolina
scheme, introduced some time ago. at the in
stance of eX-GovenOr Holden and others.
was much more conciliatory in this regard.
The only disability it imposed applied no tbe
offices and the membership of the projected
Convention, and its only injustice consisted
in its failure to enfranchise the colored neonle.
! Mr.. EliOt's bill is less liberal and less wise.
1t is proscriptive after the manner of Tennes
see and will give rise to the heart-burning.
| the angry controversies, the bitter bloody
strife which prevail in Tennessee to This bour.
In coniers the franchise upon the NEGROES nni
versally, while it disfranchises nearly the en-
tire white population. Practically. therefore.
the reorganization of Louisiana win be in
trusted to its freedmen; they. and they
alone, will have the election Of legislators
and through the Convention the framing
of the new Constitution; the resi-,