The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-03-13
The Philosophy of the strugcIe

VI Aut olFuEEIes
The Reconstruction bill has proved an
Ithuriels spear in nrevealing the true character
OF the contest now going on in our country in
regard to the late Rebel States. II has shown
that contest to be nothing less than a struogIa
on the part of the old aristocracy of the South
to retain its political power at the EXPENSE Of
the masses Of the people. In support of this
view, let us take the daily arguments of the
New York World, which may be regarded -as
the representative journal of the Democratic
party, urging upon the late Rebels of the
South the propriety of taking action in CON
fornity with the provisions of the Reconstruc-
ton bill. The World denounces the bill as
unjust, oppressive, and unconstitutional: still
it urges the Rebels to action under if. WbyY
The gist of its argument is, that such action
is necessary to prevent a union between the
white and black loyalists of the South. which
would give to them the control of its local
governments. 1t says to the late Rebels. If
you are wise, you can control part of the
negro vote. If you do not, the negroes will
unite with the radicals and carry the day.
This is the one idea which it labors to impress
upOlA bllt lLllub VI lllt ldlb heDGlSs
Now, what does this show2 Does it not
most clearly establish the fact that the Rebel
element of the South, when standing alone is
a minority of the whole Southern people
That it is an Gr5Stocrocy existing only by the
disfranchisement of a large portion of the
masses? Hence, we see that the whole effort
of the Democratic party in this reconstruction
business has been to preSerUe the ascendancu of
the old Southern GriStocracy. When, therefore.
we read in Democratic journals daily diatribes
about the "rights of the South, we must
understand by that expression merely the
special privileges of the Southern aristocracy.
When we read that the South lies PROSTATE at
the feet of the North, we must remember that
it means nothing more than that the Southern
aristocracy is losing its unjust power. When
the Reconstruction bill is called harsh and
unjust and oppressive, we must bear in mind
that it is harsh and unjust and oppressive
merely in this respect-that it takes exclusive
power and privileges from the hands of the
few, and puts them in the hands of the many.
1t is no more harsh and unjust and oppressive
than an act of Parliament establishing uni
versal suffrage would be to the British aristo-
cracy. Democratic devotion to the Consti-
tuition in this reconstruction business simply
means devotion to the special privileges of
the Southern aristocracy. Democratic friend
ship for the South is nothing but friendship
for the minority.
Now, our late civil war was nothing more
nor less than an effort of this Southern aristo-
cracy to overthrow the Government of the
United States, and to found upon its ruins
slave empire. 1t staked its all upon this
grand venture. Having lost, it now has the
etfrOntery to claim that it shall be allowed to
put its feet upon the necks of the Southern
masses. The Republican party says, and
most justly says, that in the reorganization
rendered necessary by the suppression of the
Rebellion, the Governments of the South
should be established upon a republican basis.
We have no right, even if we had the disposi-
ton, to restore the old oligarchy to it's
power over the people. We have no right to
exclude single innocent man from his equal
voice as a member of the political community.
If Congress has any right to reconstruct the
South at all-and it most undoubtedly has-it
has no right to reconstruct it upon any other
than a republican basis. To do SO would be
to violate the fundamental principles of our
form of government, and to discard the spirit,
If not the letter, of the Constitution. The
abolition of slavery has made the late slaves
members of the political community. They
are no longer chattels and things, but per-
sons There is, therefore, no constitutional
ground for excluding them from political
power On the contrary, it would be uncon-
stitutional to do so. Congress has no right to
establish an aristocratic form of government
in any State. Yet it would do so were it to
put the power in the hands of a minority.
There is, therefore, no constitutional method
of reconstruction except upon a republican
basis. That there is no just one except that
is too plain to need augmentation.
REPUBLICAN TRIUMPH IN New HAMPSHIRE