Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1867-10-11
Anti-Reconstruction Tactics.

The trainers of the Reconstruction
Acts, evidently anticipated a sharp |
contest in the several Southern States
in the elections for deciding whether
conventions should be held, and tor
choosing delegates thereto, and so
they provided the requisite safe
guards. But it turns out that the
enemies of Reconstruction have taken
different tack. They make no OPP
position at all. They stay away from
the polls and endeavor to dissuade
others from voting, with the hope
that the aggregate vote on the ques-
ton of holding a convention shall fall
below majority of the whole number
of registered voters-in which case
no convention can be held, and the
whole work has got to be done over
again under some other provision OF
Congress. This was the course pur-
sued by the anti-reconstructionists in
Louisiana, where it came very near
meeting with success, and also in
Alabama, from which the returns are
now coming in. The policy is openly
avowed by that inveterate secession
sheet, the Charleston Mercury, as fol-
| lows:
"The course for the white people
Of the South to pursue, with respect
to the future operations of the mill
tary acts, seems to US most plain. Let
them have nothing further to do with
them. Let them neither 60 to the
polls, nor accept Of any position
whatsoever in their enforcement. By
our registration we have accom-
plished the object Of increasing the
majority required to hold the conven-
zion. Without a majority Of the
registered voters it cannot be held.
And now, whether we vote against a
convention, or vote not at all, the re
suit is the same against a convention.
A deSpotism DEGREES it-let this des-
potism carry it out. We should
compromise ourselves in no way by
supporting it. Our time will come.
The Northern people are waking up
to the ruin, CONFUSION and blood, the
destruction acts must bring upon
themselves"
Thus far this sinister do-nothingiSm
: has not been crowned with success.
Even in Louisiana, where it was
favored by the yellow fever and other
accidental circumstances. it just failed
of reducing the aggregate vote be
meath a majority of the registered
voters, and in Alabama the failure ap
, pears to be very decided. Conven
tions, therefore, will be held in boil
t of these States within sixty days, &C
cOrding to proclamatiOns of the Com
> handing Generals. A constitution i,
: each will be named, which will bt
= submitted for ratification to the popu
F lar vote under the same conditions a
the election for the convention. Th,
Observation-Disclosures, therefore, vii
have another opportunity to renew
their tactics Of staying away from til
polls But unless something unfore
II seen Of a public nature shall hay
r arisen in the meanwhile to favor thei
e purposes, they will obviously b
weaker than heretofore. The natura
instincts of the American people ar
e in the direction Of doing something
It OF going ahead, instead of adoptin,
It the dog-in'the-manger policy on
+ large scale. Many who do not relis
= the programme laid down in the mil
= tary acts will begin to feel that recon
+ struction will take place any wa,
: and that they might as well have thei
' share in it. Besides. others of tn
Southern States were more favorabl
disposed in the beginning toward til
o. Congressional plan than those two i
:. which elections have just occurred.
" But it is apparent from the extraC
we have made above, that the anti-r,
constructionists are largely influence
y, in their present course by hopes o
It. the overthrow of the Republican pa
ty and the accession to power of the
Democratic friends, who are expecte
; to let them into the Union untrouble
a by the accompaniment of negro su
- frage. Thus the coalition OF ii
n Northern Democracy with Souther
- di8loyalty still continues. The Mobi
i Register, John Forsyth's paper, eve
70 goes to the length OF assuring the co
20 ored people that "the Radical part
] is on the eve Of destruction" It ma
IN be safely said that no one else has tt
&c news. The freedmen, at all event
y will so far discredit it as to pay I
10 attention to Mr.. Forsyth's turtle
at advice, viz: "You had better sta
at away from the polls and cease
Of NEEDLE with matters Of state that VI
n do not understand" These survi
al ing partners of the rebellion will SOC
ia find that the negro vote will sett
to the reconstruction question over the
On heads, that the Northern Democra
~ under Johnson will fail them as bad
al as it did under Buchanan, and thi
,lv without repentance and amendmel
on their own last state will be wor
To- than their first.-Boston Journal.
A LIVE GORILLA. Rarnnm h