The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-03-20
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The Supplemental RECOMMENDATION Bill
-rhe Prospect in the south.
Fson he Herald.
As the Supplementary Southern Reoonstruo-
ton bill, substantially in the form in which il
has passed the Senate, will doubtless soon
be proclaimed law of the land veto or nc
veto we may briefly restate its leading fea-
tures:
First, before the lst day of September next,
the commanding general over each of the five
military districts into which the ten excluded
States are divided, shall cause a registration
TO be made of the authorized voters, white
and black, under a specified oath of loyalty,
in each county or parish of his district.
Second, upon at least thirty days notice those
military commanders respectively shall cause
an election to be held by the registered voters
for delegates to a recognizing State conven-
ton, and for or against such convention,
provided that such convention shall not be
held unless a majority of all the registered
voters shall have voted on the question, yea
or nay, of holding such convention.
Third when a convention shall have thus
been ordered by majority of the voters, the
commanding general, after overlooking the
returns, in proclaiming the result shall,
within sixty days from the election, call the
convention together, "and said convention,
when organized, shall first determine by
vote whether it shall or shall not proceed to
frame a new State Constitution, according to
the terms of Congress, and if the vote be in
the affirmative the convention shall then pro-
ceed to the work." Next, when new con-
stitution shall have been framed, it shall be
submitted for ratification, on thirty days.
notice, to the registered voters representing
the people. Next, with the constitution thus
ratified, it shall be submitted to Congress, and
if accepted by the two houses, as in conformity
with the conditions laid down, the State con-
cerned shall be declared entitled to a restora-
tion to Congress, etc. The bill further pro-
vides that all these provisional elections are
to be by ballot.
Now, what is the prospect of Southern resto-
ration under this Supplementary bill and the
original law of March 2 In the first place
comes the most difficult part of the work-the
separation of the sheep from the goats in the
registration of voters; for those Rebels ex-
cluded by the pending Constitutional amend
ment from Office, subject to a two-thirds vote
of Congress, are excluded from the ballot-box
in these reorganizing elections. The military
commanders are allowed all the interval to the
last day of August to appoint their registering
places and subordinate officers, to prepare
their plans, rules, and books, and to make
their registrations. But we think that all this
work may be easily done by the first of June.
Then thirty days notice for the election of a
convention will bring that election on the first
of July.
Then assuming that the whole interval of
sixty days allowed will pass before the con-
yention elected and ordered shall assemble, it
will bring us round to the lst of September
with the full organization of the Convention.
Let us say next that it will occupy month
in framing a State Constitution under the
oFH OH aunfhar 1O1,th will
then pass before a ratification can be had from
the people, this ratification will carry us to
the lst of November. Meantime, under the
act of March 2 State Legislature must be
elected and it must ratify the pending Con-
stitutiOnal appointment and this amendment
must be declared part of the Federal Consti-
tuition before any one of the outside States
can be restored. But all these conditions may
be fulfilled in season for the regular meeting
of Congress in December next, if the Presi-
dent of the United States his commanding
district generals and official subordinates, and
the ruling politicians and white people of the
ten States concerned, will only act harmo-
niously together in view of the great deside-
ratum of a restoration to Congress as soon as
possible.
We expect before next March to announce
to the world the complete re-establishment Of
the Union on the new basis of universal liberty
and civil equality, with the restoration of
every Rebel State to Congress. The President
has manifested in his appointment of his five
district military commanders - Schoheld,
Sickles, Thomas, Ord, and Sheridan-his pur-
pose to execute these laws of Congress faith
fully; and from the Southern civil experience
and good services of each of these officers, we
are satisfied that they will carry out these
laws as quietly and kindly as possible to the
people of the several States concerned. Whe-
ther, therefore, the ten excluded States shall
or shall not have voice in this Congress
and in the election of the next and our mex
President, will depend upon the course of the
ruling white class of each of the States directly
concerned; and that class. though to some
extent aisfranchised in this work of recon
struction, we are gratifed to believe, is rapidly
coming round to the wise policy of prOmp
and faithful compliance with the terms O
Congress.
The prospect, therefore, of Southern resto
ration is good and the encouraging indica
tions we are daily receiving from Virginia anC
all the way through TO Texas warrant til
belief ofimmense advantages to all those State
in the way of Northern capital and enterpris
in view of large crops, even this year, of corn
tobacco, cotton, rice, and sugar. Cheerful
submission to manifest destiny will surel
bring to the South in advance of Souther
restoration, those great essentials of inancii
confidence in the development of Souther
industry-wealth and prosperity.
The Constitution, and the Ohang'