Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-11-05
COLUMBUS, O., TUESDAY MORNING,

the war by Congress. Besides, it gives the
lie to the very conditions of parole eXacted
by our conquering Generals of the rebel
chiefs and their armies. This policy, there.
fore, Is disuniOn in spirit and form. There
is only one policy suited to the genius oil
our federative Observation-Disclosures
The States are sources and should be the
object of Federal Government. What with
standing armies and federal patronage
force in one and fraud in the other this
system in which we have fiOurished and
advanced is failing; and with it freedom
Monarchy or military despotism will take
its place as the inevitable alternative. The
people, by the elections, have declared for
return TO the old order. How can our
federal system with its immense revenues,
collecting and disbursing five hundred
millions per year, ever be maintained: how
can the debt be honestly paid, the interest
collected and the principal diminished,
with the stupendous corruption of ten
thousand officials, corrupt an corrupting,
eating out the substance of the people, un-
less by more direct system of accouuta-
oility. 1t may be necessary to devolve our
immense debt upon the States, divide it pro
rata among the States, as the surplus rev.
enue was once divided, in order to assure
credit and responsibility among the federal
officers. 1t the present horde of harpies
was under the eye of the States, and direct
ly answerable to the people, think you this
land would rot in debauchery as it does now
under tariff and tax laws and their infa-
nous administl alton? Our permanence,
our credit, and our honesty depend on
State administration. The Reconstruction
policy strikes down the federal and State
systems, and therefore it was condemned.
I'd. This policy will not restore the Union,
because, it is doubtful if all the States
South, with all the fraud, violence, pro-
scription and Africanization-will call con-
ventions. Some of them, where the white
Conservatives prevail. may reject this
scheme. If so, we will be in the quagmire
still. They may prefer military to negro
rule. All the reconstruction acts-aftcr
two or three years of effort, then-fall
But suppose that the negro votes register
ed, added to the Radical whites, should call
conventions. and adopt constitutions in all
the ten States. The constitutions are to be
sent to the people for vote. Suppose they
are rejected. All this expense of military,
money and negro power has been in vain
We are as far off as ever from the object OF
the war-Union. Suppose, however, the
States and adopt constitutions. Suppose
they do all Congress desires. They dis
franchise whites and enfranchise blacks
has the State then come in? Not yet
Congress must then adopt. Mr.. Sumner
must then examine into the philoloyy, his
tory and philosophy of their republican,
ism, and it there is feature in any like
the odious word ''white'' in Kentucky,
Maryland, Connecticut, or Ohio-tiIe State
is further off than "when we first began ~
Or suppose the Executive refuses to send
these negro bantlings to Congress-there
the whole matter is crushed i'm the egg.
But if the President sends them, and Con-
gress adopts-we come again to the propo-
sal of the President in his first message in
n q lnr Nf 10 Ill
each House for itself judge of the qualifi-
cations of its members ?" and shall such
members be admitted to their seats? If
kentucky is to be ostracised, because she
has sent Democrats to Congress-if her
whole delegation is to be debarfed, even
those who fought for us and who
were before admitted-if none but black
knuckles may knock at the doors of Con-
gress-then not only is reconstruction as
far off as in 1865, but it is further off. BY
the same conditions Pennsylvania. Con-
necticut and other States, because Demo-
cratic, may be expelled, for they may be
added to the list of the suspected and pro-
scribed. Congress may reform their State
Constitutions. Thaddeus Stevens has de-
clared that members shall not be admitted
simply because the States are in. He must
inquire into their politics. Do they con-
form to his views? Are they thoroughly
loyal, he being the Judge? So that this
policy gives no assurance of restoring the
Union. On the contrary. Hence the peo-
pie are rejecting it.
I'd. Suppose it did restore, what would
be restored? Proud old Virginia? No!
A mutilated negro Bolts Hunnicutt COM
monwealth? Georgia? The Empire Safe
of the South? No! A st. Domingo of
contention and war of races, Louisiana?
dear because purchased with a price by
Jefferson! Bah! A mongrel common
wealth! MeXicos and Perus-noisome
plague spots on our political body, gan
grening the whole system. This would be
our banded brotherhood of States. This
would be the cosmos out of the chaos OF
civil strive? This the Goddess of Beauty
from sea of blood
You may shut your eyes to these facts,
my Radical friend, and try to drown the
lesson of the elections by saying: Better
be ruled By loyal blacks than disloyal ,ohites."
But remember, first, that those blacks were
not loyal; they never fought for us; they
staid on the plantations and fed those who
fought us; and second, that those whites
have for two years faithfully kept their
oath of renewed allegiance-obeyed every
law-submitted to every demand unresist-
ingly, and exhibited such forbearance un-
der outrage that we know not whether to
despise or admire their fortitude. Remem-
Der further that these people, white and
guarantee they have North, and that they
only oppose reconstruction wherein it COM
mands them to do what Republicans in
Ohio and Connecticut refuse to do-make
the black voter. juror, an officer, a DO
litical and social equal. Remembering this,
also remember as Christian men, that as
you hope for forgiveness you must forgive;
and that while white men may be allowed
to change sincerely their devotion from the
lost confederacy, to the successful federal
cause, and thus the dislOyal white may be
redeemed as an intelligent liegeman; your
negro loyalist can never change his source,
his lineage, his blood. his color. his quail
ties, nor his unprogressive nature and in
born lack of intelligence and selt-govern-
ment: But you tell me that the danger
from black ascGndancy is overstated. Let
us see. "A fair computation, at this time
shows that the white vote, if all given,
would be million; and the blacks 65O,OOO
So that the great white majority. which
would amount to 100000, is overslaughed: !:
and how? In Virginia, where the whites
should have 100000 majority, the registra-
ton shows small white majority. In
North Carolina, where, if all were register
ed. the whites would outnumber 10000,
there is, perhaps, white majority. In
South Carolina, where the blacks prepon-
derate some 5000. the black registry is
twice above the white. In Georgia, the
whites are 125000, blacks $4,000; but the
registry shows at last return, a small ma
jority for the whites, yet the whites decline
to vote at all. In Florida, there should be
5000 white majority; the registry shows
black majority 5000; Alabama should
show whites 125.000: blacks 10000; but
the registry shows 15,495 black majority
Mississippi should show whites 75 600. and
blacks $4,000; but the black majority reg
istered is 10000. Louisiana shows 1000
l. sk~ -
shows 4S.175 black majority. Texas should
show $4,000 white to $4,000 black; the reg
istry, however, show an immense black
eponderance.A Arkansas, the whites should
have 10000 majority, but the registry
shows about so many blacks as white. And
lHhprauar fhara iS dnIIht