The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1867-05-17
More Reconstruction De-
I'M an 6cG.

spawning again. Like Balaam's in
spired animal. the manner and not
the matter Of the utterances are
what surprises. These utterances
are in letter from the learned pla-
giarist Of Mass. to Theodore Tilton
of the New York Independent, be-
ginning as follows:
! My DEAR SIR You wish to have
the North reconstructed, A." so at
least that it shall cease to deny the
elective franchise on account ofcol-
or. But You postpone the day by
insisting on the preliminary of a
Constitutional Amendment. l know
your vows to the good cause, but
ask you to make haste. We cannot
! wait.
The reason why 1--WE cannot
wait" is thus set forth
This question must be settled with
out delay. In other words, it must
be settled before the Presidential
election which is at hand Our col
orGd fellow-citizens at the South are
already voters. They will vote at
the Presidential election. But why
should they vote at the South and
not at the North? The rule ofjustice
is the same for both. Their votes
are needed at the North as we'll as
at the South. There are Northern
States where their votes can make
the good cause safe beyond question
There are States where their votes
will be like the last preponderant
weight in the nicely balanced scales.
Let our colored fellow-citizens vote
in Maryland, and that State, now so
severely tried, will be fixed for HUI
man rights forever. Let them vote
in Pennsylvania, and YOU will give
more than 20, 600 votes to the Re-
publican cause Let them vote in
New York, and the scales, which
hang so doubtful, will incline to the
Republican cause. It will be the
same in Connecticut. | mention
these By the way Of example. But
everywhere the pro-slavery party
will kick the beam. Let all this be
done, say, before the next Presi-
dental election.
Another, but more questionable
way to do it, because too tardy, is
thus set forth:
. Another way is by moving each State,
and obtaining through local legislation
what is essentially a right Of citizenship.
But this is too diliatory, while it turns each
State into political maelstrom aud sub
mits question of national interest to the
chances Of the local controversy and the
timidi1y Of local politicians. This will not
do. Emancipation Wa 5 national act.
proceeding from the National Government,
and applicable to all the States. Enfran-
chisemeSt. which is the corrolary and com
ticnal act also, proceeding from the Ma
tional Government, and applicable to all
the States. If it be left to the States indi-
yidually, the result, besides being tavdy,
will be uncertain and fragmcutary.
Otthis monstrous scheme Of con-
solidation "cracked cranium' claims
the paternity, and this is his reve-
lation about how is was done.
There is another way, which is at once
prompt, energetic, and comprehensive. 1t
is by act of Congress, adopted by major
ity Of two-thirds in spite of Presidential
veto. The time has passed when this pow
er can be questioned. Congress has al
ready exercised it in the rebel States. !
do NOT forget its hesitations Only q year
ago. when insisted thatit must do so, and
introduced bill to this effect, | was an
swcred that Constitutional amendment
was needed, and ] was voted down. A
change came, aud in a happy moment Con-
gress exercised the power What patriot
questions It now? But the power is un-
questionable in the other States also. II
concerns the rights Of citizenship and this
subject is as essentially national as the
army or the navy.