Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-12-20

Wilson, from his seat in the senate, says
that it all turns upon the fact that at the
North the people will not admit the neces-
sity of negro suffrage, while others not
even SO honest, refuse to see in it anything
but issues of purely local and temporary
character.
! In order to understand correctly the
meaning of this wonderful reaction, we
have first to look at the events just preced-
/ ing the change and account for the I'M
mense majorities everywhere in favor of the
Radicals in 1866. Just before those cleo
lions of that year the fourteenth amendment
to the Constitution, commonly known as the
Howard Amendment, had just been
submitted by Congress and unani-
mously rejected by the Southern States.
The Legislatures which rejected the pro-
posed amendment submitted able and Dig
nified statements of the causes which in
duced their action-manly protests against
voluntarily dishonoring and Furnishing
their chosen and faithful leaders in strug-
gle in which all were equally guilty. What
ever pains and penalties an Infatuated
partizan Congress might impose would be
borne with all the fortitude possible, but it
was inhuman to ask people to brand with
infamy their dead kindred and friends, and
prescribe with their own votes the beloved
leaders in the councils and the armies of
their short-liyed government.
This refusal to ratify the amendment was
seized upon by party eaders and papers,
and the Northern masses were made to be-
lieve that the esprit of the rebellion" was
not crushed. It was in vain that patriots
pointed to the faithfully kept pledges of
Appomattox, of the utter poverty and help
lessness Of the Southern people, the bitter
feelings OF prescription and hatred, fired
by calculating politicians, spread through
out the North and carried thatentire section
in the interests OF Radicalism. Possessing
two thirds majority i'll the House, they
secured it in the Senate by depriving q
Senator of his seat by legislation which will
over be disgrace to that body.
Thus secured, and believing their strngth
to be impregnable, overriding the vetoes
of President JOHNSON, they undertook to
reconstruct the South in the interests of
their party by measures even more extreme
than any yet attempted. Admitting its
unconstitutionalty they have forced upon
the white peoplc of the South legislation,
which creates i'll ten States, governments
completely under the control of negroes ;
established throughout the unreconstructed
States, negro suffrage. Having accom-
,,liahed this, Congress adjourned, and their
acts were submitted to the people for
their ratification. And disguise it as they
may, it was the direct and unqualified dis
approval of this legislation, which the
Northern people proclaimed in their late
elections.
In order TO show this conclusively, we
have only to refer to the platforms Of the
opponents of Radicalism, and the expressed
opinions of their candidates. In Massa-
chusetts the Democratic platform could not
be misunderstood, as the following resolu-
tons will show
e ResoIred That each State in the Union is free,
sovereign, and Independent, and entitled to exer-
else and enjoy every power, jurisdiction and right
which is not expressly delegated to the General
Government III the Constitution of the United
States.
who have passed laws outside of and in defiance
of the Constitution for the purpose of subordina-
ting the civil to the military power have tritled
with the safeguards of Justice, liberty and peace,
and are guilty Of perjury and usurpatlon."
The language Of their candidate, Hon.
JOHN Q. ADAMS was no less plain. He
says
| The scheme of introducing ten States TO this
| Union which have been so manipulated in the in
terest of the ruin party, that Glass; inferior in
number and descent, destitute of property or edu-
cation. brutalized by ages of barbarian, and de-
graded by centuries OF slavery, shall, by organic
| laws, be fastened upon the neck of the superior,
ADLER, and more numerous race, is so at variance
with every theory of Democratic government SO
obnoxious to every etatesmanlike concentration,
and so repugnant to all the national impulses of
people, that it must be stopped betimes. if we
would Dot inaugurate an era of revolutions.
But in itself, it becomes tenfold more dangerous
| to constitutional government when imposed by
party for the purpose OF perpetuat1ng Its power
and is defended on the insolent assumption that
| its supporters monopoliZe the virtue and inteli
| gence of the nation, and its opponents are too
ignorant, too wicked, and too "disloyal to be
| trusted.
This dangerous heresy has been rebuked, but it
must be crushed and then we may hope for a re-
| turn of peace, and new era of calm constitu-
| tional government.
In New York, the language of the plat
form upon this subject was no less explicit
The third resolution reads as follows
"That We denounce the effort of the Radical
party TO retain the power it has usurped by es-
tablishing negro supremacy in the South by mil
itary force, coupled with the Acknowledgement of
the mass of the white population, as outrage
upon Democratic principles, and attempt to
undermine and destroy the Republic; and that we
stigmatize the refusals of the party in this State
to submit the question of negro suffrage to the
people, as cowaadly evasion of paramount is
sue in the pending struggle"
In Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and
Minnesota this issue was not left doubtful,
all declaring against negro suffrage at
home and negro supremacy at the South.
In California, Governor HAIGHT, the Sue
cessful Democratic candidate, publicly an
nounced that the vote of the State was
protest of the people against the military
bills of Congress. Everywhere the issue
was directly upon the Reconstruction Acts
and everywhere have they been con-
demned, or so feebly endorsed that the
moral effect is the same.
The President may well ask of Congress