The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-11-04
THE DAILY EVENING TELEGRAPH-PHILADELPHA
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1856

tions Of the races. But their horr VI of negro
equality has been vastly more intense. Their
protest against negro supremacy, then
divested OF disguises, resolves itself into pro
test against the invasion of their own political
supremacy Their hostility to negro govern
ment is less of a reality than their hostility
to negro participation in any government.
And since the negroes were vested with the
franchise in spite of them, and were protected
in the exercise Of votes in defiance of them,
they cultivated a "sulky stubbornness," and
allowed the negroes to carry matters in their
own way.
Such result is very much to be depl )red.
1t darkens the future of the South aud adds
to the perplexities of question already greatly
complicated. But the difficulties it interposes
to the successful working of the reoonstruc-
tion scheme are not to be accepted as evil
dence of its defeats or of injustice in the
leading objects at which it aims. Harsh it is
in many particulars, and dangerous, perhaps,
in its creation Of political power out of igno-
rant, semi civilized elements. Time, however,
and the healing influences of a restored Union,
might be relied upon to gradually remove its
harshness and the danger would have been
materially reduced had the whites accepted
the situation, and exerted themselves to miti-
gate its embarTassments. Their obstinate
refusal 70 do either Of these thing5-their
rejection of the conditions prescribed and
tutes the fundamental principle OF the
law-must deprive them Of sympathy to which
otherwise they would have been entitled and
lessen the influence of appeals which they may
address to Congress on the subject. Even
qualified compliance with the requirements OF
Congress would have indicated a spirit to
which the North could not have been indif-
ferent. But the dOgged defiance which has
thus far governed their proceedings, and the
unyielding opposition not only to universal
but to partial negro suffrage, are indications of
a temper which has slight claims upon the
magnanimity or forbearance of the country.
The South might have "stooped to conquer
with fair chances of profit Its failure to bend
even to the inevitable, and to recognize lessons
which are irreversible, may entail excitement
and trouble, but the heaviest loss will, after
ALL fall upon its own people.
Claim of the Southern Negroes to the
Property Ofthelr Late Masters.
From The ~ Y World.
This weeks Anti-SiGyery Standard claims
for the freedmen the landed property of the
South, and the right to hold the highest offices
of the Government In copying the following
passage, we solicit attention to the land claim
and its grounds
1--WE do not claim, as intimated by the New
York Times, any special favor for the negro.
Whatever precautionary legislation we ask of
Congress in his behalf, is only such as the pecu
liarity of his situation~emands The question
OF his political status is not yet definitely
settled. With another adverse turn in the
wheel, and conservative" Republican and
Democratic ascendancy In national politics,
the negro would be driven TO the bayonet, or
| to disfranchisement, If not remanded back
again to actual chattel slavery. We claim land
for him in the South, because under the order
| OF things out of which the Rebellion grew, he
was forced to continuous unrequited soil, and
is, therefore, entitled to compensation, not a
| favor but as a right; because, through the
VI t. -, - it.SIiay
| estates are fraudulenty possessed of an undue
| power, which they now WELD, and Will con-
tinue to exercise to Oppress the blacks, and to
| the great detrimenJ of the Government. There
has been war, and not playing at war, Those
! lands are now legitimately at the disposal of
| the Federal government and should be so
appropriated as to put ourtrue and tried friends
at least upon an equal footing with our red
e@cdne9ds, he@ded enSmies In me new dIspensation of
| army, sagacious as he is proving himself at the
| polls, our conservative friends should prepare
| TO do themselves credit by extending TO the
neg gro a graceful welcome, as fit representa-
| tive OF the regenerated South in the Halls of
| the House of Representatives and the Senate,
| and, should manifest destiny ultims ely lead
him 10 IL, seat in the Vice-PresidenUs or Presi
| dental chair. Such a elimination is not with.
| out the range of future probability in read
| justment of political forces"
1t is but aday or two since we called atten-
| ton to the probable turn of thought which
the negroes would bring into State politics
| under the reconstructed governments, and pre-
1
Southern property. Fulflment treads closely
on the heels of the prediction. If the claim to
! the Southern plantations is not already in the
| minds of the negroes, it is in those of their
| good friends the radicals, who are not slack
in inculcating it. Certain it is that the seed
| will not be scattered on a sterile SOIL and it
| is the most dangerous and disorganizng idea
which has as yet been introduced into our
| politics.
| We do not propose at present to argue
against it, but rather to state the argument in
i its favor, that our readers may see what is TO
be the next phase of radicalism and what use
the Southern negroes will make of the cleo
tive franchise now they have got it. We ex-
| hibit the grounds of the claim as a means OF
estimating the pertinacity with which it will
be insisted ON. What we ask of the reader is,
not to weigh the arguments, or to estimate
their effect on Northern whites, but to Judge OF
the impression they are fitted to make on the
| Southern negroes. For it must be borne in
mind that under the reconstructed Govern
| ments the negroes will have the power OF indie
| belong will control the State Governments,
party, will control its whole action.
The Anti-StaUay Standard uses one argu-
ment which is of very subsidiary Importance.
The assertion that the Southern lands were
forfeited to the Federal Government by the
Rebellion is OF no consequences The enforce
ment of the forfeiture would depend upon q
Congress elected by the Northern people; the
great body of the Southern lands may there
fore be presumed safe from Federal cOnfsca-
tion The blow will be struck by the recon
a.. II ~ -