Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-06-04

southern states are part OF tno Union
or they are not III they are not, Con
gress has no power to make laws for
them any more than il has for Canada
or Mexico. IL they are, they have q
right to representation in both houses,
granted by the original Constitution Of
the Union, which has never yet been
abrogated, and cannot, indeed, be set
aside without their consent The
Northern Congress, however, has its
army, which the South has no longer,
and the power to make just what terms
it pleases. The use which it makes OF
its power is to deny TO the Southern
States all share in the Government to
question even their right to consider
themselves as States. II depriyes the
six millions Of Southern men Of all po.
ltlcal and civil rights, treating them
like red Indians, except in this, that the
latter have the advantage in not being
taxed All this has been strenuously
opposed by the President, but TO no
purpose, as the Radicals in both houses
have passed the bills over his veto BY
majorities Of more than two thirds. The
last act and climax Of this injurious
system of oppression has been what is
called the Reconstruction act, which
places the South under martial law, and
assigns it to five military Governors
with special departments.
The South is now under a military
despotism, and all civil war whatever is
in abeyance. The soldiers in command
are men of character gentlemen and
christians, and we believe them incapa-
BILE of the ferocions unfairness displayed
toward the South by the notorious Radi-
Gals, Sumner, Butler and Stevens, who
seem to carry all before them in the
Washington Parliament Acts of petty
oppression have been committed which
illustrate the danger Of confding in ir-
responsible authority. General Sickles
insists that the fremen of Washington
shall defile before Federal flag, and
make solemn obeisance to it. General
Pope admonishes aud reprimands the
civil Governor of Georgia for having
ventured to express an opinion on the
Reconstruction act .5..
General Schofeld threatens to sus-
pend the Richmond Times for having
alluded with some pride to the prowess
of the defenders of Virginia. All this
is mild in comparison with the attitude
taken by the triumphant politicians Of
Net0 England The avowea intention
of the demonstration act was that as
soon as the people of the South had made
up their minds to grant the suffrage to
the negroes, to repudiate their debts, and
disown their late leaders, they might
organize State conventions, re estab-
lish State Governments, and return rep
resentatives to Congress. The Radicals,
however, finding that they have it
all their own way, begin to think of in
sisting on still harder terms, Senator
Wilson, haranguing whites and blacks,
at Hampton, in Virginia, tells the people
that they will be readmitted to State
rights if they will only promise to re-
turn Union men" Even this is too
much for the old demagogue, Stevens,
of Philadelphia He writes a letter in
which he solemnly denounces Mr. Viii
son for having promised so much. What
right has he to promise it, when there is
no such State as Virginia, and no one
has authority to say when or how it will
be recognized There must first be
punishment for the guilty and con6sca-
ton of the property of disloyal men.
By this man, and such as he, the resto-
ration of the Unionis indefinitely post
poned 1t is by his fault, and that of
his fellows, that the prosperity of the
Union is at stand still, that the South
ern fields are relapsing into primitive
wilderness, and the Southern people are
starving or emigrating from their homes.
America has been fitted by nature to be
a Paradise on earth-why will her sons
do their best TO make her hell2