The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1867-04-20
TRE
Commercial Advertiser.
SATURDAY y, AFREL ~.
Recommendation in the United
states

decentralization in the United
states
After several Intellectual attempts Z, bring
about the restoration of the political status Of
the Southern Statcs. recently in rebellion against
tine authority Of the general government, Con-
gress has at length, in both branches. adopted a
- Reconstruction Bill" which appears to have
been carefully and wisely drafted. and if carried
into efect-as it Is likely 10 be. in spite of the
Presidents opposition-will eventually secure to
the Southern States their forfeited position and
rights under the Union. The President with
held his assent. but the Radical party in Con-
gress was strong enough to pass it over his veto
by the requisite two-thirds vote. In this course
they were sustained by the sentiment of almost
the entire North and West. The States which
have won the victory in the late contest are fully
determined that if the South-the conquered but
still rebellious States of the so-called : Confcd-
eracy come back, it must be on such terms as
VIII efectually and forever prevent the recurrence
of any future devastating and sectional wars.
The bill, as finally adopted by both Houses,
provides
First-For the division of the ten Southern States
into five military districts, each To be under the COM
mand Of AN army General appointed by the President,
"' va N"N VI ana "A A1n III NAI SAhl
districts.
Second-For the reorganization of the States con-
cerned, in defining a new system of suffrage upon
which State Conventions are To be elected To make
new State Constitutions, and State Legislatures, &c.
subject to the approval of Congress. Universal male
suffrage, whites and blacks, is the system adopted.
excepting such persons as have been guilty of treason
or rebellion, after having taken an official oath in
any capacity to support the Constitution Of the
United States. In other words, IN this preliminary
work OF Southern reorganization the rebel-disablng
section Of the constitutional amendment is applied.
Thiri-The bill provides that when any one OF the
ten States concerned shall have framed "A State Con-
sttution, on the terms laid down, and shall have
ratified the constitutional amendment, and when this
amendment shall have been proclaimed part of the
Federal Constitution, such State shall be eligible for
reldmission into full communion i'll the general Gov
eminent, all these local proceedings, meantime, be-
ing subject to the approval Of Congress.
The bill further provides that until the local
civil governments of the several States concerned
shall he recognized and accepted by Congress,
they shall be regarded as merely provisional Tin
Guiding President Johnson's State cs~tablislments)
and subject to the will Of Congress.
The foregoing are substantially the main fea-
lures of this reconstruction measure, and it is
quite apparent that the North will not offer or
accept anything of a mildcr or more conciliatory
nature. If the South will adopt it as it is offer
ed, and honestly adhere to and carry out its pro-
visions. they may soon be readmitted to their
representation at Washington and to a voice in
the Government, and once morc-or it might
more properly be said, for the first time-fairly
embark on the full tide Of American national
prosperity. The only motto for them to adopt
now, in order TO retrieve past losses, is the pro-
gressive, peaceful motto of the ago. Manhood
suffrage and equal rights for all"
If. however. the Southern States continue sui
lcnly to refuse the terms of reconciliation thus
offered, then they will inevitably continue in their
present humiliating condition of a conquered and
DISTINGUISHED people, and neither Mr.. johnson,
their political leaders. nor the Supreme Court,
can restore to them the rights which they for-
feitcd under the Constitution they foreswore.
In any case, it will require years of peaceful
intercourse, and the exercise of mutual forbear-
ance between the people of the two sections, be-
fore the feelings of bitterness can be forgotten,
and a hearty sentiment of fraternity, pride of
country, and pride in a common ancestry can be
The wounds inflicted by each ON the
other have been too deep to quickly heal. Per-
haps, however, the negro, who, after all, was the
inspiring cause of the war, may, under Provi-
dence, eventually prove an active agent, now that
he is free, of causing the Ratchet 10 be buried,
and of restoring peace, good will and fraternity
between the North and the South. Having been
most emphatically the bane of American politics,
the main cause of : : irrepressible conflict he
may now in turn become the antidote.
Here is something in point. BY recent tele-
news from the South, particularly in two
of the most bitterly rebellious and fire-cating of
the Statcs-South Carolina and Georgia-sOme Of
the leading politicians have been holding meet
ings to discuss public affairs, in which the late
slaves, now freedmen, took part with the whites.
There may be, and no doubt is, Il good deal of
policy in this, with the view to secure the freed
votes. but it certainly indicates 4 great
change in Southern sentiment when men, who
have held and still hold high places in politics,
can 50 far swallow pride and prejudice as to take
the black man by the hand, like any other : man
and brother truly, the lion and lamb are
lying down together. When such things as these
occur at Columbia and Savannah, we may fairly
say that there is yet hoIe for the return of South
ern prosperity, and that it will be of a degree far
in advance of anything Yet known in tLat hithcr-
to unfortunately mismanaged section.
Then indeed will the United States, free from
to Texas and from the Atlantic to the
Pacific. become the great, powerful, prosperous
and enlightened nation that God and nature has
marked out for its destiny.
OFFICIAL commemorative the information of