The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-11-18
Sounding the Bugles for Retreat.


From the NJ. Y. World.
Our neighbor, the Times, the clearness of
whose perceptions sometimes outruns the
to devise a method of retreat which shall
save the credit of the Republican party, and
be at the same time practical. But it has
undertaken task for which no ingenuity
will suffice. With the quick discernment
of the possibilities of situation in which its
editor has few peers, and perhaps no supe-
riors, the Times fixes upon the power of re-
vision reserved by Congress over the new
State Constitutions as atfording an opportu-
nifty for change of base and the substitution
of Impartial" for universal suffrage. The
plan does no disoredit to its dexterOus author;
but it overlooks the chief difficulty of the
problem it aims to solve, and Gas we think
we shall succeed in showing) is quite i'm
practicable. We will insert enough of the
Times article to enable our readers to BEE
what we are criticizing:-
''The action OF Congress has placed them 1.-The
Republican parJyl in q false position upon this
subject, and has apparently committed them to
principle which they do not hold.
elf the question were free from side Issues
II would be easily and promptly settled. II it
South. as a body, qualified TO take part In the
reorganization OF the Southern State Govern
mentE. is IL wise or SAFE 10 leave them to decide
what principles shall be embodied In the State
Constitution; what shall be the form aud powers
OF the State Governments; and what shall be
them ?'--there are not ten men out of a
thousand in the Republican party who
are. Se1' How low Should they they beq Tine The great Sasi
mass of them have been kept in the most
stolid Ignorance all their lives; they can neither
read nor write; they have heard nothing of poll
ties and know nothing of the simplest facts of
our history or our governments; they have
neither the capacity TO form opinions nor the
material TO form them from; and as matter of
necessity as well as of fact, they will be aud
simply tools in the hands of party leaders and
wire pullors on the one side or the other, Cir.
cumstances just now throw them into the hands
OF the Republicans. The weight of their votes
can and VIII be thrown into the Republican
scale And IL is this fact which leads the Re-
publicans to accept for them the principle of
univei sal suffrage, and which, We may add, ,
leads the Democrats 70 oppose IL.
1--WE do not think II would be wise to attem pit
20 change the Recons ructton act in this par
ticular now. In the FIRST place it cannot be
done; and in politics nothing Is wise which Is
Impossible, Moreover IL would arrest the whole
progress OF reconstruction, and involves fresh
conflicts complications, ana delays in a liter
| in which delay Is OF itself one of the worst
| things That can happen But the reconstruc-
| ton act reserves 20 Congress the whole business
Of OfreVisiDg the constitutions that may be sent
P 9m t9S S %o % ec6P does % hs
approve, IL can strike them out and send
| them hack for revision and amendment This
seems to us a power which Congress should
| exercl Sc freely and boldly; and IL may so ex-
| ercise IL in regard to suffrage as to make the
| southern constitutions conform TO what is the
| real sentiment and purpose OF the Republican
| party upon this subject. II can substitute i'm
| partial suffrage for universal suffrage 1t can
| forbid the State Governments frOIn making
| color alone ground OF acknowledgements with.
| out compelling them to admit Ignorance, sto-
lidiiy, and incapacity 10 the ballOt-bnX. Ii can
| permit them TO pregcrlbesuch qualifications for
| he suffrage as they may deem expedlent In
| sistiug only that whatever qualifications NAV
| oe prescribed shall apply TO all Inhabitants oi
| the Slate alike Without regard To race or color,
| BY some such action as this II seems to us the
| riehis of the negroes a. the SOuLh may be pro.
tected, without putting Ia peril any interest OF
| heart.
The absurdity of the Congressional scheme