Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1867-10-25
Can Reconst1.uctio be
v~ Reversed.

The idea that the recent election will
have the effect of reversing, repeating,
or modifying the Congressional plan of
reconstruction, is the weakest kind of
a delusion. In the first place, the issue
of the reconstruction in the rebel
States was not before the people that
issue had been carefully and deliberate
| ly passed upon in 1866, when the peo-
! pie elected Congress, and instructed it
to carry out the policy that has been
adopted. The action of Congress was
i'm no wise before the people, and,
even in the absence of national issues.
with innumerable local questions, all
initiating against the party i'm power.
what have the Republicans lost, and
what have the Democrats gained ?
In Iowa and Ohio the Republicans
have elected their State ticket in PEN
nsylvania the Democrats have elected a
Judge by 800 majority. .s.....e
The political character of Congress re-
mains unchanged, and reconstruction,
the business especially committed to
the charge of this Congress, is to go on
to its legal conclusion. In fact, recon-
construction has for the time passed
from Congress to the people of the reb-
eel States. Louisiana and Alabama
have taken the first steps. They have
called their conventions and elected
their delegates. In those States tn g
question of reconstruction is, for the
present, exclusively with the people
thereof. They are TO do all else that is
to be done. If they organize their gov
ernments, Congress will accept them;
and those States, perhaps before New
Years Day, will be fully reconstructed
and restored, and the question irrevoca-
bly, dee ided so far as they are concern
ed. Georgia and the Carolinas will
follow suit in rapid succession, and be-
fore the Presidential nominations, the
whole ten rebel States may be in full
harmony with the Union, with new
constitutions, and new governments,
under which the whole people of each
State will have an equality of personal
aud political liberty. There is not the
remotest possibility that the Recon-
struction acts of Congress will have any
other termination than such as may be
given to them by the people of the reb-
ell States. The acts provide for an ac-
ceptance or rejection of the terms by the
people of the several States. Their &C
ceptance is a final decision of the ques-
ton, placing the subject beyond rever-
sal OF repeal. ..-..
mere Is put one way In whlcn TINS
reconstruction question can come up
again, and that is-in case the State ac-
cept the terms and are restored--if the
Democratic party shall propose to put
them out again. In case Louisiana
and Alabama are restored. as they prob
ably will be early in the winter, reeon-
struction as to them will be decided
finally, unless the Democratic party
shall prOnpga To Thrust thar1, ont auain
In that case, the question of recon-
struction will be raised once more. and
the people will have it before them at
the Presidential election. Should the
issue be thus revived, the Republican
party will not hesitate to meet it upon
the broad principle of having State
governments in the, hands of the whole
people of the State, and not in the ex-
elusive control of select number of
rebels and traitors Chicago Trib-
une. #.'" '..." ...<...i7..