Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1868-11-11
WHAT NEXT?
What the Election Means From
a Radical Standpoint, and
What Has Yet TO Be
Accomplished.
Wendell Phillips Reads a Warm
ing Lecture to Gen. Grant.

The Anti-Slarery Standard of last week
contains the following article from the pen
of Wendell Phillips:
Abolitionists and all earnest Radicals
are now summoned to address themselves
to the work which is yet to be accom-
plIshed. 1t has become very apparent,
through what has transpired in Georgia
and elsewhere, and the Reconstruction
laws require careful revision and perfect
ing in sundry particulars. The negroes
and loyal whites Of the South greatly need
the means Of self-defence. The question
of confscation, especially with reference
to the large amount of land fraudulently
conveyed from the possession of the United
States government to the hands of Rebels,
| should be at once considered, in the inter-
est Of the landless blacks, to whom, by 7ir-
tue Of their past unrequited toll, the soil
rightfully belongs. A system of national
education which shall be comprehensive,
and at least co-extensive with the extern
sion Of the ballot, should early be inaugu-
rated by Congress. The measure of pri-
| mary importance now to be promptly mi
tiated and adopted on the rs-assemblipg of
Congress, is an additional amendment of
the Constitution forbidding disfranchise-
ment, or prescription from official trust,
On account Of race or color, in any State
or Territory of the Union. Such an
amendment, if adopted promptly by Con-
gress and submitted to the Legis-
laturss of the several States, would,
without doubt, now be ratified by
the requisite number. 1t is urgently
demanded to guarantee the ballot
to Southern men, and TO enfranchise
many thousands in the Border and North
ern States. The measure should not be
postponed for the consideration of the
Forty-frst Congress, but should be prompt
| ly acted upon and adopted by the FortisIh.
| Let US have peace" has been many times
reiterated during the campaign just closed.
One danger before US is the assumption
that the fact of Grants election in itself
will insure peace" at the South. Adolf
tionists and those who have studied atten-
| lively Southern society know better than
| this. While Southern Legislatures are
permitted to perpetrate such high-handed
| outrages as the lawless expulsion of colored
| members, as in Georgia, without due pun
| ishment; if Rebels are permitted to take
seats in the House OF Representatives who
come from districts wherein colored and
white Republicans were practically ex-
cluded from the polls, peace cannot be
realized. The negro is still the bone of
contention, aud until his manhood and Do
litical equality is everywhere recognized
he will continue to be disturbing element
in our politics. Smarting under their po-
Iitical discontinue, the Ku-Klux will still
| hold sway, especially if their reasonable
chief Is permitted to remain in the White
House till the fourth of March next. With
the triumphant reelection of Gen. Butler
| and the well-knOYn desire of most Of the
new Southern members for the revival of
the measure, We have strong hopes Of the
successful contamination Of the impeach-
ment and deposition of johnson by the be-
ginning of the new year. With Wade
even two months in the White House, and
such tools Of treason az Rousseau, Steed
man aud Company, of New Orleans, re
placed BY Sheridan aud other trustworthy
loyal men; with the reconstruction law
properly revised and amended with suf
frage and the right TO hold Office vouch.
| safed to the NEGRO everywhere, the nation
may be we'll on the way towards peace"
having secured its essential conditions BE-
! fore Grant is inaugnrated While delih-
crate and organized injustice 10 the negro
il perpetrated, the ''irrepressib!e conflict
will continue, no matter who may be Pres
| ideut. "Let va have peace" then, by
promptly doing those things which make
| forspeace.
The Few era which ope1s before Us, with
the significant defeat OF the Shareholders
and their apologists on Tuesday, is full Of
interest to abOlitionists and conscientious
Radicals, 10 whom the national conflict
means something more than a mere paTli-
san strife, to end with election day. Our
many triumphs in the past have been won
| under circumstances Of adverse opposition
| much more formidable than anything We
are likely to have to encounter in the near
future Opposition We are undoubtedly to
have, but now, as hitherto, logic aud right
are on our side. We have but to press
! urgently and preserviDgly our demand, and
our past successes are a guarantee of ulti-
mate complete triumph. The Times, the
Post, the Herold, and the Conservative
fer whom they speak, already rzultant at
what they deem the eclipse OF Radicalism,
reckon without their host in suPpOsiUg II
to be within the power of General Grant,
II, as iLCl ullCBCg ~ NC lii5 us fOolhAutit ~
materially obsiruct the progress of Radical
| reformation in national politics. 1t the
Republican party consents to be the instfu-
| ment Of that bsnefcent reformation, all
will be we'll with both the party and th e
country. II it refuses, it will only be worse
for the party. There is no hallway house
for permanent lodgnent between slavery
| and genuine repubIcsBism. The only truly
| formidable opponents the A5Oliuonists
ever had were fhe brain champions OF the
slave system while their power was cock
! tensive with the nation and their leader
ship acknowledged North and South.
Their day ia over. The earnest Radicals
are the positive force in the pew order of
things. The tendency of this century is 20
universal Radical Republication.
A REPUBLICAN READS A TYSON TO THE
RADICAL PARTY.
From the Springfield (Mass) Republican, No
yember 4tn.
The result Of the ELECTION yesterday,
though it was all that the Republican par
ty could have asked, was not a triumph of
the Republican party as a distinctive or
ganization. The ticket was not carried in
Pennsylvania or in Indiana by the votes
of men who call Themselves Republicans,
or would acknowledge any obligations TO
vote with the party tomorrow on differ
ent issue.
And il the victory was not achieved By
| the Republican party, as a political Oh
! gauizI:iOn, in It's own strength and By tie
| prestige of its name, no more does it give
| that party, az an organization, new lease
| of power. The issue made before the peO-
! pie, however much politicians may have
| sought to disguise it, was that Of good ai
| miuistration and a faithful execution Of the
laws That is the only issue decided.
The result Of the election does not indi-
cate a popular approval even Of the gen
eral policy of Congress. The election was
carried in spite Of the policy. Had that
simple issue been presented, we very much
fear every one of the four middle States
would have pronounced against it. The
general policy Of Congress ought to have
commanded the support Of the people on
its CWn merits, despite its many defects of
procedure; but there ID great reason to be-
lieve that the people would have been
found wanting under the test, had this
been the issue presented.
1t may seem grabbed and Gsoss-
grained, in the first reckonings over the
victory, to thrust forward such considera-
tions. But it was never Of more impOr-
lance that the true meaning Of the country
should be understood. Congress may as
semble in few days under the emergency
created by the carnival Of crime at the
South. At the longest it will meet in a
few weeks. Upon its temper depends very
much. Representatives have before this
shown strange facility, or fatality, in |
misapprehending the wishes Of the people. |