The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-01-04
The Presidency and Reconstruction.

The Presidency and KecOnsiructiOn.
! What is to be The position Of the Southern
| States in regard to the next Presidency? AS
| the time for the choice of Mr. Jobnson's sue
| cessor draws near and as the tendencies of
popular thought become definite, it grows
daily moro apparent that the overwhelming
supremacy Of the republican party has passed
away /; and that if there shall not be an over
! wheming voice against that party next No
vember it will at least have no power to spare.
| In any close division of the North the dubious
| electoral votes Of the Southern States will be
OF primary consequence, and deep as is the
interest that the people already feel in the
| subject OF reconstruction, it cannot but be en-
HANGED by the consideration that the wrong
done to the South by the destructive and
revengeful policy that has been pursued
may possibly react upon the whole
nation in the anarchy of disputed
succession; for it is imminent that whether
the electoral vote of the Southern States be
counted OF thrown out tho course taken will
| give rise TO more virulent party strife than we
have yet known. If 1t b. thrown oui the party
| choice made; If it be counted they who might
have won had it been excluded will equally
refuse to be bound by the result, and we may
| thus once more find the nation in that very
position that opened the war, the Reputation
OF President and may again have occasion
to reflect on the prophetic dctum OF Kent-
that the question OF choosing the Executive is
tha tat 10 ltv 10 trv oh 9TH Of
government.
! II the radical managers had full control in
the military districts this question would not
| be suffered to emoarrass their action, since an
election for the Presidency in the South would
not be permitted unless it was known before
hand that it would suit the radical game but
as the power for this purpose is not in their
hands we suppose that the elections will take
place without regard to what the result may
be. Electors, then, will be chosen in the sew
eral Southern States, and in eac1 State will
go through the regular formali.ies and send
| their sealed vote to the President of the United
| States Senate. What will be done with those
votes? Here will come up in practical
shape that nice question of the status OF these
| Southern communities But a little while ago
il looked like mere hair-spliting 10 go aside to
discuss whether the States were States or not
| whether Trey were living or dead as political
bodies whether they had never been out of
the Union and could not 60 out, as the nation
maintained through four years OF war or
whether they are not States, but conquered ter
ritory subject only to the rule of arms, as Is
now argued by the party that pretenis to be
The exponent of tho nations will. Now, how
ever, Congress must face this question and de-
termine 1t as part OF its decision on the PreS-
! Dental votes The electoral colleges OF the
several States are constitutional bodies, az
much az the Senate itself il constitutional
body aud in ignoring them il would trample
on the charter of its own existence. "The
| President OF the Senate SHALL says the con-
stituion, in the presence OF the Senate and
House OF Representatives open all the certih-
cat s." This little word call" Is emphatic as
to his duty. He cannot discriminate and
open the certificate received from New York,
or that from Massachusetts,, and refuse to open
the certificate from South Carolina. lie can
not do this unless Congress beforehand takes
80 bold position "a formally to declare that
The constitution is dead, and that those States
that the people fought to retain are no longer
a vital part Of THE nation.
II is declared that Congress will not count
m electoral vote from unrepresented States.
No phrase can put tho two facts on the same
footing. Congress has the power to examine
into the qualifications Of its members, and thus
by the voice OF an INSCRIPTIONS majority may
keep State, OF two or three or more
states unreprescnted at any time and
if there was any relation between
representation end the right 10 cast an
electoral vote, il is obvious thai by this device
Congress might, when II chose, exclude SO
many votes as would determine the Presiden-
tial choice in accordance with It's wishes Con
gress has power over lis members, but has
no power to exclude from participation in the
choice OF the Executive any state Of this
Union, and can only do so by taking revolu-
tionary ground more boldly than u has hiih-
erlo ventured even In It's military reconstruct
ton laws Will IL dare take such grounl at
this ilncture9 Will Congress, knowing tha.
IL no longer represents the popular thought,
knowing that majorites have been given in
oil the great States since IL vas in existence
Against the party ideas II stands upon-will
such Congress carry the revolutionary pur.
poses Of radicalism further thar they were car.
RED by the one that sat ia tic heyday Of radi.
cal powers Viewing tie case only from tho
point Of party expedcney, considering
the extern. 10 which tue mtro polit