The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-02-15
COMMUNICATION FROM WENDELL PHILLIPS.
1m the Anti-&aUery Standard.

From the A1tt-StdUety Sdnddrd.
COMMUNICATION FROM WENDELL PHILLIPS.
We consider Stevens bill the best thing yet
offered. Congress has never before got so near
TO real basis of settlement. No doubt the
idea and rule of safe reconstruction is this; No
hitherto Rebel community should be admitted
to any share in the Government until such
guarantees against secession, slavery, caste, and
their attendant evils are secured, as to render
it absolutely certain that no possible effort OF
all Reteldon united could ever disturb or dis
place one of those guarantees an iota, This is
the idea of reconstruction. Victory gives us
the right to claim thus much. After a civil war
between civilization and barbarlsm-a war
between two ideas-the coDquering party has
right to demand such security as will render 1t
impossible tor the conquered idea ever again
to trouble its cOnquerors. Practical states
manship should aim at this, and come as near
to 1t as possible, But 1t must be remembered
that such guarantees are not parchment
agreements; paper amendments, laid up In the
archives at Washington. The only trustworthy
guarantees are those elements out of which
governments grow. In our case, these are
OF political rights, security of person and pro-
perty, industry protected. In providing for
these we must remember the abnormal condl-
tion of the negro at the South. Hitherto de.
tained from getting either instruction or pro
perty, the victim OF cruel, relentless, and uni
versal prejudice for centuries, and just now
doubly hated because his weight in the scale
gave victory to the North, his case cannot, at
present, be brought within those rules which
apply to ordinary communities. The legal re-
cognition of equal rights Is usually enough to
secure, in few years, their practical enjoyment
by the class just admitted to them. But with
the negro, in present circumstances 1t Is idle to
expect this These seeds of good government,
education, and the rest, must not only be
\ planted; their normal and healthy and gradual
development must be secured by adequate pro-
lection from all opposing influences, until they
are 90 far advanced as to DEFY harm.
All evidence from the South is of one kind.
I.ak kl,a
Federal Government must hold the elements of
the Tebellous territories in his grasp until edu-
| cation and the quiet possession of land, peace
able exercise of political rights, continued en-
ioyment of civil rights, the habit of free speech
and full protection to his industry and gains,
| shall have put the negro into the same relation
| to the other classes of Southern society that
! the middle classes OF Europe bear to the richer
| and longer privileged classes there.
When the South reaches this point, the diff
| ferent classes and elements may be safely left TO
| fight out their differences and adjust their rela-
| tions uninteTfered with. Until that point is
| reached, IL is both unjust to the negro and un-
safe for the Union to allow them unmixed self
| government.
A military supervision under Congressional
superintendencc is the best plan. Hence we
| welcome this bill OF Mr.. Stevens. 1t must
| however, be borne in mind that our Govern.
mept will largely take IFS tone and character
for the time being, from the Executive The
spirit which he inspires will, spite OF all op
| position, be felt to the extreme edge of the
Republic, will color and permeate every brauct
and the minutest leaf of the tree. The first step
therefore, indispensable and preliminary to al
others, Is to remove the Rebel who is nov
encamped in the White Housewife, aided anC
sOured by revengeful politicians in his Cablne
and by fossil and servIle bench, baulks Con
gress and resuscltates halt-dead Rebellion
Compared with suchlcolossal sin and evil as his
Forrest, Mayor Monroe and Surratt are meal
WENDHLL PHILLIPS.