The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-02-11
The New Reconstruction BiII-DOes It
Mean what iC SeemsI

Mean what 1t Seemsg
FTon, The World
The bill for remandug tue South to martial
law and releasing General Grant from his mill
tary subordinaton to the President, aims at
something different from what appears on Its
face. 1t is not possible that men of ordinary
dscernment should pass il with the expectation
that it can be executed. 1t aims TO repeal that
part OF the Constitution which declares the
President CoMmanderin Chief of the Army,
and that part of it which forbids the habeas
corpus to be suspended except II times of rebel
lion or invasion. To expect the Supreme Court
to uphold law repeating certain portions OF
the Constitution IS preposterous. The sudden
ness with which this bill has been sprung upon
the country, well as the crudeness of its pro-
| visions, indicates that 1T is an impromptu
| man9uvre to meet an unexpected emergency.
There is no evidence that the idea OF this bill
occurred to anybody until after the Southern
gentlemen, who came to Washington to consult
! the President, had digested the plan which the
| South is about to propose as a compromise.
| That plan was intended to be kept secret until
some Southern State mad acted upon it; but its
| premature disclosure In Richmond paper put
| the radical Congressman in possession of it, and
they Immediately set their wits at work to head
IL of. The new bill has been begotten and born
since the Southern plan came out. 1t takes
every body by surprise, not because the secret OF
| the Reconstruction Committee was well kept,
but because the conception OF the bill preceded
its birth by so short an interval e. at there was
no secret to keep. Ii is the fruit of hard
strain suddenly put upon the ingenuity OF the
radicals.
The reason why the Southern movement car.
ries CONSERVATION into the Republican camp is,
that it BIDS fair TO Illustrate their purpose of
/ postponiDg restoration until after the Presiden-
| tia( election. 1t will be carried into the elec-
tions of this year test question. If the Re-
publican party oppose it they will be defeated,
| and the way be opened for their easy overthrow
n ha Presidential They pStOnnn0
from opposing it with any effect before the
people. They must promptly circumvent it by
a coup de man or tall before 1t. The southern
plan runs so closely parallel to the Constltu-
tional amendment which the Republican party
have in so many forms indorsed, that the honest
men of their party cannot be brought 10 oppose
it. 1t differs from the Republican amendment
by omission, only in failing to dlstranchlse the
Southern leaders-a point having no enect on
any permanent policy and which is treated as
transient and subordinate in the amendment
ITSELF the disability beng made removable at
any tlme by q two-thiIds vote OF Congress.
As an offset and compensation, the Southern
plan proposes to bestow impartial suffrage lrre-
spectve OF color, the same properly or educa-
tOnal qualification being required alike of all.
With what face can the Republicans oppose this
offer? Their leaders have face TO do anything,
but they cannot carry with them the honest
masses whom they have taught TO approve OF
the Constitutional amendment. On every stump
and in every political conversation, the Repub-
lcan leaders Will be challenged to state why
they reject what is substantially ther own plan.
They will be required to explain why they de-
nounce this year what they lauded to the skies
| last. 1t will be perpetually thrust into their
faces that they are willing to keep the Union
dissolved for what they themselves confessed
was a temporary ana minor consideration, and
this, too, when that slight change Is compen
stated by the great concession OF impartial sui
frage II there is any honesty or fairness re-
naming among men, the Republican leaders
cannot carry the people with them IN reJectne
| the very terms of restoration which tney them
selves proposed.
1t is their quick perception OF the bearing OF
the Southern plan and of the infinite emDar
l rassment it must cause them II 1t gets lairly
! presented, that has precipitated them into iht
l clumsy maneuvre OF putting the South undeI
: | martial law. This is their mode or making an
i ! omclal declaration that the South mas no
. state Governments. The Southern plan Is tC
; be proposed through the Southern STATE Legls-
latures, in the regular form OF applying lor al
e amendment to the Constitution. An ameh1
ment which those States apply for they WI
. De pledged to ratity, thus putting the Ieasl
e bility Of this plan of restoration beyond ques
= tlon. differing from the Republican amend
Il ment out little in substance, it will differ IRON
y II enurely IN being practicable.
y for congress TO pass an immediate resolution
Z declaring tnat there no State Legislatures II
the south, through which such a plan can b.
u proposed, would be little too bareiaced; ant
D. so they have Matched this crude and blundern
10 bill, which enables them TO make the decara
e tion with different ostensible aim. The bill |
ell proof OF their alarm at the new plan and i
D. designed TO head 1t OFF by disputing the compe
re tence OF the Legislatures that are TO propose il
ID Congress will then affect to treat the Souther