The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-09-11

uduus upon all lne issues OF Jne war against
rebellion, and propose to nullify and ignore
them.
DEMONSTRATION" at the Latest Bates
Affairs in Georgia.
From The ~ Y. World.
The expulsion of the negroes from the
Georgia Legislature is perhaps the most note
worthy event since the Chicago Convention
congratulated the country on the fual SUCCESS
and signal triumph of the Reconstruction
measures of Congress. 1t is conducive to
public instruction and to the formation of a
sound judgment, that this "outrage'' took
place before the Inauguration of Seymour aud
Blair, before their election, before even the
Presidential canvass is yet fully opened. 1t
has occurred while the Rump Congress is yet
supreme, while the President is bound in
legislative letters, and the powers of which he
is despoiled are divided between the radical
Senate and the radical General Of the army.
There could be no condition of things at the
Federal capital more favorable to the success
of the new State governments. And yet the
experiment has already virtually broken.
down in the most important of the recon-
structed States.
Those who have doubted whether the negro
governments can be transformed by peaceful
means, need have no further misgivings
The chief step towards such transformation
has been successfully taken in spite of the re-
strainiDg effect of Congressional influence,
while that influence is at its height. Dagon
has fallen in his own temple. So irwin
cible is the repugnance of white men to negro
equality, when brought into close contact
with it, that number of white radicals
voted for the expulsion of the negroes, and
other white radicals aided the result by their
absence. We can safely trust the spirit which
pervades the Legislature to make any changes
which may be deemed desirable. Having
braved the frOwns of Congress and taken
this step, at a time when Congress
farther and complete what they have
begun, when they find themselves
backed and supported by the public opinion
OF the whole co1ntry as evinced in the Presi-
dental election. 1t is demonstrated that the
whole thing can be managed without resort
ing to any action outside of the new state
governments or to insurrectOn against them,
by the easy and peaceful method of controll-
ing those governments and making them the
agents of their own reformation. We have long
had full faith in the feasibility of this method of
operation, and therefore saw no necessity for
concerning ourselves with their direct over
throw. Ever since it became certain that
these governments would be organized our
advice has been to get control of them as the
cheapest and shortest way of eliminating the
negro element fcom Southern politics. The
TACT that the whites are majority in most of
the States enables them to do what they
please, now that Congress has formally sur
rendered control by recognizing the State
Governments. 1t has no longer any pretext
for interfering except to uphold the new Gov
ernments against competitors, aud if no
competing governments are organized, and
necessary changes are made by controlling and
remodelling these de facto governments, Con
gress is powerless to arrest the reaction, even
durlng the short remaining period of radical
supremacy. Nor can the President be called
upon to protect the new governments if they
are made the instruments of their own trans
formation.
If, as the Tribune and its Georgia correspon.
dents claim, the State Constitution has been
violated by the expulsion of the negroes, the
prospect is all the more encouraging. Congress
has been, for the last six years, te aching the
doctrine that constitution is whatever its in
terpreters choose to make it. The Legislature
OF Georgia are apt pupils. When Congress
excluded the Southern Representatives, three
years ago, its strong point was the unquestiOn-
able authority OF each House to Judge of the
qualifications of its own members. Whether
they decide right or wrong there is no supe-
nor authority to review their decision. The
Georgia Legislature acts upon the same prin-
ciple. It, as well as Congress, is the
sole judge of the election and qualifications
of its members, and its decisions are equally
whom the State Constitution adm 'ts there is
no mode of redress any more than when Con-
gress excluded members whom ths Constitu-
ton OF the United States would admit. A State
Constitution, as well as the Fedora Constitu-
tlon, may be thing of wax in the h 4nds of its
interpreters and If it be true as tbs radicals
claim, that the expulsion of the negroes is a
violation of the Georgia Constitution D. they are
only made to swallow a small dose OF their own
medicine.
Let us hope that this exclusion will operate
as salutary check on negro insolenJs. 1t is
as complete denial of their political equality,
as exclusion from the suffrage. Negro office
holding IS a logical consequence of negro
voting. Exclusion from Office while they are
permitted to vote, will make them discon-
tented and mutinous. The withholding Of
the one privilege leaves them the disposition,
and the conferring OF the other gives them the
power to be troublesome. Such an inJonsis-
tency cannot long continue; and as the public
sentiment of Georgia does not tolerate negro
o1hce-holding, it will presently discover that
the tranquility of the State requires the sup
preston OF negro voting. The expelled mem
bers will take good care to identify the two
rights as mutually involving each other. They
are the common offspring of the doctrine of
negro equality. The people of Georgia, TO
avoid one, will sooner or later extinguish
both. 1t is fortunate that the negroes will
discover that they have ben humbugged
Whle lhelr pretended friends, the radicals,
are still in power. 1t will turn their wrath
against those who have fed them with false
hopes. Before the time comes for readiusting
the suffrage, they will have ceased To care any,
thing about it, inasmuch as it is a mere prlvi-
lege of electng white men to Office. Thay
will not wish to beat the bush for others to
catch the bird.