The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-09-21

and Union as that which was sought to be
effected by the States and people In armed in-
surreotion against them both' Agaip:--"We
need not stop to show that such action not only
hnds no warrant in the Constitution, but Is at
war with every principle Of our Government,
and with the very existence of fres
institutions" And again - I" Nor do
these extravagant and unjust claims, on
the part OF Congress, TO power and authority
not conferred upon the Government by ths
Consultation, find any justification in the argu-
ments or excuses urged on their beh alt" And
suIl agaln:-"Such an exercise of power is
simply usurpation; just as unwarrsntable
when exercised by Northern States as 1t would
be II exercised by Southern, and not to be for
titled or palliated by anything in the past his
tory either of those by whom it is attempted
or OF those upon whose rights and liberties IL
Is to take effect. 1t finds no warrant in the
Constitution. IL Is at war with the funda-
mental principles of our form of government.
Ii tolerated In one instance it becomes the pre-
cedent for future invasions of liberty and con-
stitutional right, dependent solely upon the
will of the party in power'
These quotations will perhaps suffice to
show the vigor with which Mr.. Raymond de-
nounced the policy Of Congress as unconsti-
tuuonal and revolutionary. We could mul-
tlply them to any extent. II the Democratic
Convention had required to that address they
would have found great deal more than suf-
feed to make platform satisfactory to Wade
Hampton and the Southern States. We must
be INDUCED in one more quotation-the
closing passage of the address-whioh depicts
in strong language the mischievous and de-
plorable tendency OF the radical policy on the
returning loyalty of the South
"And II that confidence and loyalty have been
since impaired; II the people Of the South are
to-cay less cordial In their allegiance than they
were Immediately upon the close OF the war we
pelieye IL ls due 10 the changed tone Of the
legislative department of the general Govern
ment towards them; to the action by which
Congress has endeavored to supplant and de-
of restoration; to their exclusion from all par.
ticipetion In our common Governments; to the
withdrawal from them of rights conferred aud
guaranteed by the Constitution, and to the evil
dent purpose OF Congress, in the exercise of q
usurpeda and unlawful authority, TO reduce them
from the rank of free and equal members of
republic OF States, with rights and gnitles D.
impaired, to the condition of conquered pro-
subordinate and subject 10 tie will Of their con-
querort; free only TO obey laws In making
WHICH they are not allowed to sh re.
mo people has ever yet existed whose loyalty
and ia1th such treatment long continued would
not ALLEVIATE and impair. And the en- millions
unworthy citizens of free country degenerate
sons OF an heroic ancestry, unit ever TO become
guardians OF the rights and liberties bequeaLhed
10 us by the fathers and founders of this repub-
llc II they could accept, with uncOm planning
s1pmissiveness, 50 m is the humiIiations thus sought
When the editor of the Times has given
these passages faithful perusal, we hope he
will tell us whether, on second thoughts, he
still holds to his opinion of Friday, that
denunciation of the radical policy as revou-
tionary usurpation, in fagrant violation Of the
Constitution, pledges its authors to redress
the outrage by force. We hope he will fur
ther tell us what sort of a howl and hullabaloo
the Times and other Republican papers would
have raised If the vehement elOqu of the
last paragraph above quoted had proceeded
from either of the Democratic candidates, or if
like strain of denunciation had occurred in
the Democratic platform. If he is not a mutt
nous "revolutiOnist," some people may fancy
that 1t will be rather difficult for him to fasten
that charge upon the Democratic party. 1t
will not do to draw opposite conclusions from
the same premises.
We admit that this is mere argmentun,
dd homtnem; but we suppose most readers will
agree with us that it is telling one. But we
need no assistance from the Philadelphia
address to confute the pretence that the Demo-
cratic party is pledged to destroy the new State
Governments by force. There is not only
nothing of the kind in the platform, but
nothing which can bear that construction in
the action of the Southern people. Wade
Hampton himself is trying to carry his own
State for Seymour and Blair through the
agency Of the carpet-bag government. Every
Republican paper has circulated that fact, and
rung with denunciations of the methods he
has advised for influencing the negro vote.
Everybody knows what has been done
in Georgia. In all the reconstructed
States they are attempting to effect
change by political action which recognizes
the usurpipg governments de facto while de-
nying their validity de jure. The example of
Georgia demonstrates that this peaceful method
will be successful if endorsed by the public
opinion of the country in the Presidential
election. No force will be resorted to; none
will be necessary. The same majority which
suffces to get control of the present State gov
ernments will also suffice to alter the State
constitutions. With Democratic President
and House of Representatives, Congress cannot
interfere to prevent the change, and immunity
from such interference is all that the Southern
people need expect or ask.