The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-10-23


dent next year. as well as a clean sweep in
the Congressional elections-a somewhat ex-
travaga1t calculation in view of the fact that
notwithstanding all their boasting, what are
called Democratic victories have, with single
exception, been the results Of Republican
apathy, not of an actual gain in votes.
After having thus frankly proclaimed its
hopes and the ground thereof the World pro
ceeds with marvellous righteousness to un-
fold the Democratic policy concerning the
future of the South and the Union. Here
again everything hinges upon the hypothet-
cal. To comprehend the philosophy OF the
Worlds teaching, we are required to concede
that the Democrats and the unrepentant
Rebels of the South united will be strong
enough to thwart the execution of the present
plan, and to do much towards debating terms
of compromise. The manner in which this
aspect of the Democratic case is stated hap
PLY blends the arrogant and the ludicrous.:-
81 he strong point Of the Republicans will b.
their large present majoritles In Congress; the
strong point of the Democrats their certainty OF
defeating the radical policy; the strong point OF
the South the ability of its white inhabitants to
renuef the reconstruction scheme contemplate
by standing aloof, and surreudering the control
Of il to the negroes Both the South and the
some concessions to have the question settled
noW, instead of two or four years hence. The
Republicans had better make concessions than
to stand out and lose all"
So, because Pennsylvania has elected O
Democratic Judge by a majority less than
thousand, and because Ohio, while electing a
Republican Governor, has sent a Democratic
majority to the State Legislature, we are re-
quired to concede to the Democratic party a
right to substitute for reconstruction the
almost unconditional restoration of the South
And because the Southern malcontents choose
to stand aloof from the measures now in pro-
gress-relying upon Democratic success to
restore them to the mastery-we are asked to
recognize them as parties to a negotiation for
restoring the Union In other words; the
men who fought against the Union, with their
Northern abettors, are to be allowed to pre-
scribe the terms on which they will come back
into the Union.
In the negotiation for compromise which the
World proposes, the Republican party, al
though confessedly clothed with controlling
legislative authority for years to come, is ex-
pected to give up everything. There is to be
some settlement, indeed, and on a single
point some concession, But what the settle
ment is to be- and how far concession is likely
to extend, may be inferred from the Worid's
programme. On one side is to be the Repub-
lican party on the other are to be the Demo-
cratic party, the Southern malcontents and
President Johnson. And as it is to be a
matter of negotiation and settlement on the
most amiable terms we have no difficulty in
comprehending the purpose of the party for
which the World dogmatically speaks. lt
rests in a nutshell. Excepting only that the
freedmen are to be accorded an equality of
civil rights, the Democratic policy covers the
readmission of the South on terms dictated by
its Rebel leaders-its black people disfran-
chised, its local governments organized on the
States rights model, and its Congressional rep
resentation in the hands of the enemies of the
Union.
On one point we coincided with our contem-
porary. We agree with it that "the country
will demand the settlement of the reoonstruc-
ton question without further delay" There
is, however, wide difference between us as
to the nature of the settlement which the
country demands. The JVorid would have it
Copperhead. We, on the contrary, are per-
suaded that reconstruction will go forward to
completion on the basis laid down by Con
gress without waiting for the remote and i'm
probable contingencies which are the essence
of the Democratic calculation. If our antici-
patton be verified, the World will find a re-
vision of its reasoning rendered necessary by
the presence at Washington of Republican
Senators and Representatives from recon
structed Southern States,