The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-03-07
The Southern Press ON the New Law OF
.f-~<c- RecOnstructIor.

-
With Beauregafsa's bombardment Of Fort
Sumter one of the most remarkable and radical
revolutions in the history of the human race
was inaugurated in the rebel Confederate
States. The full import and consequences Of
this revolution have just been officially pro-
claimed in the new law of Southern recon-
struction. With all the warnings that had
been given them, however, touching their
scornful rejection, from Virginia to Texas Of
the pending constitutional amendment, this
new law, with its sweeping and decisive
exactions, seems to have fallen upon the lead
ing politicians of those States like an unex-
pected calamity. 1t appears to have created
something of that CONSERVATION among them
which followed the terrible march Of Sherman
through South Carolina. They are disap-
pointed, confounded end excited to high
pitch OF impotent wrath: but the scales have
fallen from their eyes, and they are beginning
to realize and recognize the fixed facts and the
necessities Of their situation.
| The Richmond journals, in near rapport
with the progress Of events at Washington,
have for some days past been wholly absorbed
with this astounding utimatum of radical
Congress. One of them compares it with
the "Domesday Boke" Of William the
Conqueror but the wrathful editor, after
showing how the English people, by
submission to the law of necessity, sur
vived that invasion and the revolution of
Cromwell and that which expelled James the
Second, counsels the same policy to the South.
Another Of the Richmond journals harps away
through three columns upon the atrocities Of
this "bill of attainder against nine millions of
people," bnt at the end advises the responsible
people of Virginia to accept the situation and
proceed to action In order to save the State
from seizure by radicals and negroes A
Petersburg paper, of the rebel type, says Sthe
South will accept the slavery under Sherman's
bill. A thousand straws show how the current
is setting. No hazard now In the prediction
that ere sixty days have passed majority Of
the Southern States will voluntarily have con-
formed to the new order Of things"
The special offence, however, which appears
to have most deeply wounded the leading
organs Of Richmond is the advice of submits
sion to the law volunteered by an officious cop
perhead journal Of New York. The Southern
response to this advice is that 1t was not asked
and is not wanted that from 1861 to 1866, in
all that the Southern people saw, "there was as
greedy > palm for bounty money among the
Northern democrats as among the republicans,
while, with few exceptions, the protests that
came from the democratic leaders had the tone
rather of whine for Office and power than the
heroic ring of men ready 70 die sooner thanbe
made slaves o." Just SO and yet the South
has been the willing victim to the false prom
Uses and decisions Of the copperhead leaders
and organs of the helpless Northern democracy
from 1861 to 1867.
But what is the prospect among the people
Of the South Their case il progressing :" as
well as could be expected" Their nstonished
and infuriated leaders of the old pre-Adamite
school are raving that the destruction of their
institutions is complete, that the constitution
has become a mockery, that The Union is
destroyed forever, that they are under the
terrors of an absolute despotism, and all that;
but still there is prevailing undercurrent in
favor of submission to Congress, not only from
the law Of necessity, but for reasons of sound
policy and common sense. Wall street is i'm
pressed with the fact, in the decline Of gold
since the passage of this BILL Wall street
recognizes it as o settlement which, instead Of
turning the world upside down, will turn the
South right side up. Delicate and shaky as is
the machinery Of our present financial system,
sensitive as it has become to the slightest
touch from passing political events, the passage
of this sweeping reconstruction bill has not
shaken it, but has strengthened it This South
ern settlement makes the retention or removal
of President Johnson secondary matter. We
presume that he will be given a reasonable
margin in reference to the execution of this
law and other lawS, and that in seeing them
tlfrbcd.
The people of the ten excluded States are
naturally in state of excitement and per-
turbation. Two hundred years Of the teach
ings, distinctions, castles and prejudices, laws
and usagss Of African slavery naturally pro-
duce violent Southern recoil against negro
suffrage, even at this late day. But stern ne
cessity will teach a people how to remove
mountains and shut out the sea; and the neccs-
sites of the ruling Southern white class are
already leading them to this dreaded conces-
sion of negro suffrage. Why should they
hesitate when they can turn il to the greatest
advantages for both races, socially and indus
trially. and in behalf Of the political interests
of the South in Congress and in the federal adj
ministration! 1t seems only yesterday that
our armies, while fighting for the Union, were
instructed 10 protect rebels in their slave pro-
perry. We have crossed the Red Sea, the
Wilderness and the Jordan and have entered
into the Promised Land since that last trial
under the bondage Of Egypt President john
son as Moses was left behind on Mount Nebo,
and "Old Thad Stevens" as Joshua is no
crroat ohaEas hut ho rnuut do mill ua can oot