The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1867-01-03


an extreme Radical, says he wiIlagree
TO reconstruclion on the basis OF the
amendment, and Mr.. Sherman, who
has been rcckOned among those who
if not conservative were not violently
radical, says that If the South shall
reject the amendment. he will joinf
with others in reconstruction upon the
basis of negro suffrage.
As have said, there is large maj
iorily in both Houses in favor oisre- !
construction this lciater upon the Con;
stitutional AmeDdment. Among these
may be counted some who, Of choice,
would prefer tho opportunity ma
king tho terms more severe Irpgard
Senator Wade az one of them He
is in favor OF negro suffrage. He wants
negro suffrage inlthe South, but, ashe
says, heregards himse.f bound to ad-
nit the Southern States without ne
gro suffrage. if they comply with the
conditions alre,ldyagreed upon. The
tendency of every days news from the
Soutliiis unfortunately to weaken this
rather Conservative wing of the Radi'
cal party, If it may be called so and to
make converts for the extremists Of
the Sumner and Stevens schools. Al.I
ALBANIA one day, South Carolina the
next, Arkansas the next, reject the
amendment, in compliance with re-
quests and advices from the President
and his friends. and each rejection
weakehs the party in favor Of recon
structlon upon the basis of the amend.i
ment. and at the same time strengths"
ems the party opposed to II, andin fas
vor of thetcrritorial policy. The Pres
ident and the. Democratic party are
the only obstacles to immediate recon
structon. And in their blind opposis
ton to the will Of the majority, tlley
are standing In their own light, as no
man and no party ever stood before.
The acceptance OF the amendment this
winter means Misrepresentation ofthe
rebel States In Congress, and IN the
electoral coitege next year, or theyear
after lis rejection means their ex
clnsion from both. Idon'tthihk there
is any doubt that the Sonth, If per-
mitted to vote at thenext Presidential
election, will give her entire electoral
vote for the Democratic candidate,
whoever he may bc | believe snch
VII! ooe the result, even il the negroes
are allowed to vote, for believe the
negro vote in the South will be very
easily controlled. In the North the
Democratic party will have 10 choose
between the negro and the Irish vote,
for these Two elements can never be
fused in n common political crnciblc.
But in the South the recently enamel
pated slaves will vote for their employ.
ers, or, with them, which is all the
same. 5a
And just hero let mo venture pre-
dc,lon, that II the Radical party OF
tho North shall be driven from it's po.
sition on the Constitutional aIncnd
ment as ls platform, and shall adopt
the territorial pnlicy-a copsummation
feared by many and hoped by some
the Democratic party will takeup that
very amendment and 90 into the ncxt
campaign upon it as their chosen the
ory of reconstruction. The history of
the past Ave years justifies this belief
To denounce a principle one year as
revolutionary. and to advocate 1t as
expedient, il not right, the next, has
been for many years the practice OF
that once great and aggressive party,
of which it can be said TO day, and
with more truth, what was said. of
lone of Rome's great mcn in the days
of his decline; Stat mdgnt nosliaiS
umbra =" he stands the shadow of a
mighty name" 1t opposed emancipa.
ton as II curse, ono year, and the next
hailed il as u blessing, 1t denounced
tho war while it lasted, and thanked
God for the preservation OF the Union
when il was over ltinvcighod against
the Baltimore platform in 1864, and
fought its political baltic upon i in
1866 The worst objection il had to
tho Republican party last year was
that it had deserted the Baltimore
platform; and tho best thing they had
10 say f!r Nv johnson was thnt he
stood true to the principles upon which
ho was clectel-lho very principles
which year ago 1t assaulted so fierce
/, ly, So IL will be in the future. II il
G. essentially tho pnr Y Of old clothes