The Portland daily press., 1867-07-24
Political Goa IN en- Sense.

.ea We copy the following paragraphs from an
article, in the New York World Of Monday.
They contain good advice for the adherents lof
90 the Democratic party, North and South 1
10 The question at issue between the President
30 and Congress has passed beyond the domain Of
argument; as much SO as lawsuit has when
2 the court of final resort decides against the
d plaintiff. 1t is true that, in questions OF this
b kind, the people, not Congress IS the court of
last resort; but before the people can redress
: done all the mischief of which they are cana
bic: Before they can be repealed, the States
will have been reorganized and readmitted,
fqt when these acts expire of themselves. Moth
ing therefore could be more nl-judeed and
abOrtive than asitatfon for their repeal; nor
could anything tend more to prolong the ac
b cendancy Of the Republican party. -..,,s
- Ii the object of these acts were the perpetual
exclusion Of the Southern States, an agitation
for their repeal ought to be forthwith commence
q ed, and kept up with sleepless vigor until it
accomplished its object. Bnl nothing could be
more idle than a repeal of these laws after the
States are 'readmitted.a They will then be no
longer in force; there will be nothing to repeal,
If the Southern whites do not have the practi-
cal good sense and the sadaptibilty to circum-
stances to register. to act together, and to con-
troll the new organizations, the negroes and
the few Southern Republicans will form such
noState constitutions as they please, which Com
Il ,gress will sanction and guaranty. In one of
these ways or the other the States will be re-
admitted and pass from under the woke ofnil-
itary domination. *aasjs = b51 So
This Congress surely will not repeal or relax
the reconstruction acts. The first regular ses-
sion OF its successor viii be in December, 1860
more than two years hence. Even then
these odious acts could not be repealed. not
even II their opponents should meanwhile
carry every election in every State The rea-
son is that the Senators hold for six years and
although one-third of them go out 1T the end
~ yaa =. Al -. 4
IN which a majority of that body can lie
changed. If We were certain OF carrying all
the elections, four years would, elapse before
: we could repeal these laws; but if, as is more
probable, we shall carry some elections and
lose som ., 1t may be six years before we pai n a
g majority of both Houses OF Congress TO- -
:, 10 inscribe Repeal ON our banners and make
II our battle cry is, therefore, what no sound
PoHtlcian VIII advise IN existing circumstances.
Before SIX years, before four years probably
before two years, in all likelihood before one,
tne excluded States will be back in tile Union
II bot on white basis, then on,la black one
Inc moment that takes place these laws fall of
themselves, and there is no reason why we
!. should tight four six years series of cam
palgns for the sake of gibbeting their dead
bones. sdf % aaiiJn 0afdfI 81 : : =.
Ga BY refusing to accept situation which cam
A9t We changed while change would be of any
advantage, the Southern whites would surren-
der their States to negro rule, and strengthen
Their enemies in the North who would be in
eensed by this unavailng and apparent aim
ing not merely bad, but abominable, it IS ab
surd to prolong it as if it were a blessing. Re-
peal OF the reconstruction acts is not the way
out OF it; refusal to register and vote is not the
way out; lmpotent cursng and scolding will
not make it more tolerable. But it NAV be
considerably mitigated by a judicious use of
the modicum Of political influence left to the
southern whites. In most localities thew are
numerous enough to out-vote the negroes, and
Shey lay voluntarily down in the nire to be
trampled under foot by them if thew do not
use this advantage. = eh'S uo no ~