The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1867-11-14
Marching On.

Ihe st. Louis Democrat says Virginia,
the most doubtful of al the Southerp
States, has voted for a convention, and
elected delegates, of whom a majority are
Radicals. This probably settles the ques-
tion. Had the effect of Northern elections
enabled Conservatives to defeat recon-
struction FH VirginiH, North Carolina, and
perhaps Tennessee and Arkansas would
have followed her example. But if Vir-
ginia votes "aye," what other States can
be expected to vote 'nOZ7 -s-- --
1t may be that Conservatives, though
voting for a COHEeDtiOFs will succeed in
controlling a majority of IT'S delegates in
North Carolina, though we doubt it. Ore
State will hardly persist i'll staying cut in
the cold, while all the States around her
accept the situation, and resume their
places in the Union The convention,
when it meets, viii be powerfully inhu-
enced 10 frame such z government as Con-
gFes5 will aG'Ppt. The tide is running
strongly towards reconstruction. just as
conventions in 1860 and 81, when the cur
rent was toward secession, assembled
strongly inclined to the Union, but were
dritted away into rebellion by forces from
without, so a convention Of Conservatives,
If one should be elected in any Southern
State, would lind itself impelled to pursue
such course as to restore the State to the
Union as speedily as possible.
Ten States will probably apply for re-
admission before next summer. \ Con
gross, anxious 10 settle the vexPd uues
ton, will wait to admit them. The ten
rebel States of 1861 will probably. cast an
almost solid vote for the Radical cundi-
date for the Presidency in '6S. and will
ratify a Constitutional amendment, set
tling forever tbe question of Suffrage.
What will remain? Peare, order, revival
of business, and that genuine Union for
which our soldiers fought. The work will
be dOne-dOne, 50 that it can never be un-
done.
Unless Andrew Johnson uses force fo
prevent COnsummatiOn so devoutIv To he
wished, the question Of reconstruction will
he finally settled within the coming wear.
Nothing but revolution Gun now arrest ths
work. And, if the people are not unprp-
pared to meet even that emergency, no
revolution viii be attempted, or if at-
tempted, it will only hasten the inevitable
result.
We presume, of course, that the Radicals
Of the South will wisely use the power
that victory gives them, for their fate de-
pends upon their own conduct. They can
make reconstruction difficult, if not i'm pos
v
throw the power iutO the hands Of their
foes, ifthey mismanIge. This is so clear .
that we presume they will not throw away
everything they have gained. Thus far,
generally, they have acted with modera-
tinn and good sense. We trust that the
work Of reconstruction, as it progresses to
completion, will prove that the Republi-
cans were not mistaken, when they insisted
that it was safer to trust loyal men than
rebels.
If the promise oftO-day is fulfilled by
the events of the coming year, we may
soou drop the question of reconstruction
as finally settled. 'For four years. says
/ the n. Y. World, "even if the Democrats
carry every election in every State, they
cannot change the law nor interrupt the
settlement which the Republican party has
made" Four years is political eterni-
ty. Political claims four years old are
| barred by the statute of limitations If
reconstruction lasts two years, it will last
/ forever. The settlement once made will
not he disturbed. And the people will be
free to give their full attention to those in
dustrial and financial questions which
already begin to assume paramount iili-
pOrtanCe.