The tri-weekly standard., 1867-02-21
MIR. sherman,s substitute.

| to SIS, went to the Senate and was amended
by attaching to it what is called the Blaine
amendment. Some other immaterial amend
ments were made, and the bill, as acted on
and passed by the Senate, is known as Sher-
mans Substitute. We publish this bill to-
day.
The military feature of this bill seems to
be unobiectionable; but it is not clear from
the bill whether the existing rebel" State
governments are to be continued, in any
sense or to any extent, while the work of re-
construction is going on. 1t is declared, for
example, that no legal State governments
exist in the South, and that the States shall
be divided into military districts, and the
commanding officers of said districts are au-
thorized, if they choose, to "allow local civil
tribunals to take jurisdiction" of Offences
1t would appear from this, that while there
are no illegal State governments" yet there
are "local civil tribunals" If this be so,
there must be State governments of SON e
kind, to be continued, for without State gov
ernments there could be no local civil tri-
bunals.' Then. if there be State govern
ments, thus banned as illegal, but still per
mitted to continue by Congress, it follows
that these governments would have some
color of right to take steps under this bill to
call Conventions ofthe people. All that seces-
sionists and traitors want, in a case like this,
where power is at stake, is color of right.
1t is provided by the bill that when the peo-
cL1. ,1,o1l lor- lad
a Convention, and formed constitution of
government, and done certain other things,
certain definite results will follow. Suppose,
for example, these "rebel' State governments
now in being, and thus tolerated by Congress,
should call Conventions of the people with
a view of complying with the act, and sup
pose the Union people, in an irregular man.
ner, should also call Convention for the
same purpose, what would follow9 We
would have two Conventions, one claiming
authority under the governments and organic
laws of the "rebeln States, and the other
claiming to represent the people of those
States. Is it certain, under such circum-
stances, that conflict would not occur p
Those in possession ofthe governments would
claim that they had the sole right to act, and
they would characterize and treat the Union
people who might attempt to act outside the
scope of their assumed authority, as revolu-
tionists. But it may be said this is improba-
ble. Not so. If the secessionists and traitors
now in possession of the State governments
should feel that they have ground to hope
that, by complying promptly with the pro-
visions of this bill, they would be relieved by
Congress of their disability under the How
ard amendment, and allowed to hold the of
fees thereafter, as a reward for such prompt
action, depend upon it they would be fore
most in the work. But even if this he not
so, it is ofthefirs Importance in any measure
of this kind, that the mode of performing
the great work of reconstruction should be
clearly set forth. 1.-THE people" of these
. rebel States have been too long already an
inert mass. They need the moulding hand
of Congress. 1t is neither safe nor practicable
for them to move off in the work of rcstora-
ton under bill so vague and general in its
terms as the Sherman Substitute.
Again, it is provided that every male citi-
= except such as may be DISTINGUISHED for
in the rebellion" &c. Well
now, who is disfranchised? This bill dis
franchises no one. All will vote and hold
office under it. The Howard amendment
will not apply to the "rebel' States except
IS they are restored to the Union. The op-
position of Gov Boutwell, and Col. Stokes to
his feature of the bill, was well taken. They
Are not mistaken in the assumption that this
dill would keep the Southern States in the
% any one who may choose to engage in it.
Is this the measure of security offered by the
American Senate to the Unionists of the
South I? Is this all ? If this is all that can
De done now to make treason odious and
oyalty respectable, then we say let the work
20 over to the 4Oth Congress. Weagree with
hat "noble old Roman" Mr. Stevens, that
;he chief hope of Southern Loyalists is IN the
future Congress"
five could have hearing in this matter,
we would respectfully suggest the following
IS basis of settlement. Let the military
Dill, divested OF the Blaine amendment, be
adopted Then let the Louisiana bill be ap-
piled to all the States with alterations as
follows: Let the Governor, the nine Coun-
cillors, and the commissioners to register the
voters, be persons who can truthfully take
the Congressional test-oath of July, 1862.
Then let the test-oath in Mr. Stevens North
Carolina bill be applied to voters and all
subsequent Office holders, with the provision
that the commissioners to register the voters
under the direction of the Governor and
Council, shall have the right in their discre-
ton to refuse this oath to any person who
can not, in their opinion, truthfully take it.
If Congress will adopt this plan it will Sc
cure governments Enthusiastically loyal, based
on much larger white vote than would be-
given under the Congressional test-oath.
But if Congress will not agree to this, let US
have the Louisiana bill as fnality, and that
speedily.
We take it for granted that Mr.. Colfax
will he elected Speaker of the next House of