The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-05-24
State Sovereignty-The Consolidation
Policy.
From the Times.

From the Times.
The phase of radicalism most likely to en-
gage attention is that which affirms the abso-
Lutte sovereignty of Congress over all matters
pertaining to the States. The doctrine pro-
mulgated by Mr.. Sumner, insisted upon by
Wendell Phillips, and accepted by journals
not always in alliance with the extremists is
that Congress may and should legislate for all
the States to the extent that may be necessary
for the complete establishment of its policy.
Negro suffrage, of course, affords the imme-
diate test. The destruction of the slave sys-
tenn, it is argued, will not be finished until the
political and civil equality of the negro is
secured throughout the Union. And since
many of the States are inimical to the change,
while others are i'll no haste to effect it, it is
contended that Congress should forthwith
assert its authority in the premises, and in
sure universal negro suffrage by a national
enactment. The proposition rests on the
ground that the old idea of States Rights is
exploded, and that what Congress may do for
the freedmen at the South it is bound todo for
the blacks in all other States. In pursuance
of the same reasoning, the Baltimore radicals
appeal to Washington for help to enable them
to set aside the action of the Maryland Con-
vention. From which it would follow, that
u
central power for consummating purposes de-
veloped during the progress of the war, the
ultra Radicals are pushing the consolidation
policy to a point that involves the overthrow
of the control hitherto exercised by the States
on questions relating to their internal affairs.
There is a glmmering of plausibility, If
not of reason, in this manifestation of radical
opinion. Logically considered, negro suffrage
is now part of the national policy. Con-
10 Of "a conditions.
reconstruction, and has thus affirmed It's
desire to obliterate distinctions based upon
color or race. 1t has done this ostenslbly
on the score of Justice, and as a means OF
contributing to the national safety. Ana
inasmuch as the Government is composed
of Northern members, and is supposed
TO represent the Northern WILL the IN
ference is not extravagant that the prin-
ciple which the North has thrust upon
the South in respect of negro votes, 1T
is prepared to carry out in It's own con-
Germs. To declare that the negro is qualified
TO govern the South implies a consciousness
that the negro is qualified to share in the
government of the North. There can be
no escape from this conclusion except at
the expense of consistency. The adyocates
of consolidation, however, fall into two mis-
takes, either of which would be fatal to their
plan.
They assume, in the first place, that negro
suffrage at the South is concession TO justice,
when in reality it is merely measure of par
| tisan expediency. And they take it for granted,
| in the next place, that because the States
composing the Government build their recon-
struction policy upon the hypothesis that
Federal authority is supreme therefore these
States win not object to the extension of the
theory to their own cases. Nothing could be
more erroneous as question of fact or more
superficial as a question of reasoning. The
ala H..
limit beyond which Congressional action of the
same character would be rank usurpation,
And though the Northern people uphold sur
render of the principle of State sovereignty in
its application to the South, they cling as
tenaciously as ever to that principle in iti
application to themselves.
IL happens, too, that States which are just
now among the stronghOlds OF radioalism are