New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-05-10
ppcONgTRUCTyON PROSPECTS


The World copies the Rebel melody we trans
cribed from a music-sheet published in Rich
mond, and admits that its author does not
seem sufficiently reconstructed to be represented
in Congress just yet. Ii then asks us three
questions, as follows:
%" BY what rule OF equity does The service Of few
thousand Southern Blacks in the Union army maDy OF
them dragged into IL by conscrphOn) entte the 6eV
ederaes throughout the war; to the elective franchise
Give the ballot you choose, to every @
writer OF this song and from every White voter VINO mas
sung but why should the great body OF the BLACKS and nd
rewarded for services which they never rendered, aJ
tho great body OF the Whites be punished for dogSeo
which they mover sawF
Hnsper.-Wc advocate the enfranchisemehC
of the loyal Black people OF this country, not
because some of them fought for the Union,
but on the broader and higher ground that
they are EH-citizcns-loyal Americans. Inc
fact that many of them voluntarily and gal
hntly fought to preserve the Union, whiie
many of those who would perpetuate their
proscription fought against it, renders Their
prescription moro palpably, fagrantly unjust
and Observation-Disclosures we urge it. AS TO
Whites as well as Blacks we would punish none
but for his own rnconstrained offenses.
90 VIII THE TRIBUNE tell us what It thinks OF the
erners ike dow orr Gov Brown and hundreds OF others
who arc exorting ali their influence In favor OF loyal re-
constructions and at the same time eniranchlslns tnc
negroes who dug the Rebel trenches and constructed the
Notifications in assaults upon which We ioSt more soueiS
than In all other hostile opcratonsF'
ApS,per.-"The negroes who dug the Rebel
" trenches" &c. did so under direct constraint,
or deceived by the Rebel falsehoods which
assured them that the War was waged by
" the Yanks" on purpose to kidnap them ana
sell them to Cuba We would not punish the
fahr fcl-
tions. AS 20 Gov. Brown, Gov. Orr, &c, &C.
VIC favor their speedy enfranchisment and re-
gret that it is not already accomplished.
"a viii THE TRIBUNE tell us what ia editor meant In
the noted article by which the candidate fOr Senator CON
mittcd political suicide when he declared mat ne was IN
universal suNragci Would his universal amnesty nave
included tho song-wrer in question: or IS wri,ing
over the Southern Conederacy directing energies
against the Union In war;
Aps,cer.-We are in favor of Universal Am
nesty for all offenses committed III support OF
the Rebellion, unless they involved gross ylo-
lations of the humaner laws of War. ASSasSi-
nation by poison, rope, or knife we wonio
punish whether perpetrated for or against the
Rebel cause We are not in favor OF entrdn-
chising any one who is still Rebel. and who
sfH labors to incitc hostility to and hatred oil
the Union. We would pardon his oiicnses com
mitted prior to Lees surrender. We would not
if he is still good old Rebel like The
Richmond song-writer, intrust him with the
government of our country. Would the UortdE
The World proceeds to inquire about the
stanzas long ago written for these columns III
reference to then recent employment oil
Federal force and arms to catch and return
runaway slaye-stanZas wherein the Federal
Noo (,bua emnloyedl il termed 1.-THE Haunting
"lie." 1t wishes us to judge between this and
the good old Rebel" song, which We cheer
fully do-as follows:
THE TRIBUNE likes the Federal ensign better
-rery much better-since it has come to sym
boize Liberty and Justice for All than it did
when it was lawfully desecnted to cover and
countenance the ncfarous doings of the man
steaer, and to wave approvingy oye1 the
auction block where women and children were
sold to the highest bidder. How is it with The