The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-07-10
Which Do they Mean!
From the N. Y. Tribune.

from We ~. 4. IflOune
The Democratic platform opens by demand
ing the immediate restoration OF all the States
to their rights in the Union. Seven of the ten
seeding States have Just been restored to
their rights in the Union against the votes of
every Democratic member OF either House of
Congress, and over the adverse veto of
Democratic President. The platform demands,
also, "civi government for the American peo-
ple," while every vote OF the party at the
South or in Congress is for perpetuating mill
tary government, rather than allowing civil
government to be established on the basis of
universal suffrage. These two demands, there
fore, are hypocritical, and do not express the
true intent and sense of the Democratic party,
which really desires the delay of the restora-
tion Of the Southern States until the present re-
construction laws can be repealed, the pre-
sent State Governments overturned and
new ones established based on the white
vote only. Should the Democratic party
elect the next President, both Houses Of Con-
gress will still be more than two-thirds Re-
publican, and these majorities could not, by
any number of Democratic victories, be
changed in less than four years, or until 1872,
so as to effect the repeal OF the present mode
of reconstruction and the adoption Of a new
one. If, therefore, the Democratic party are
in favor of recOnstructng the South on the
white vote only, it follows, "as the night the
mediate restoration of those States, but
must be in favor of maintaining military
governments therein for at least five years
longer. Immediate restoration" and "re-
stoTation on the white vote only" are at
present wholly incompatible with each
other. Which will the Democratic party
really stand byi Their platform lodges
this vital point. If the party, in the event of
success, will stand by immediate restoration,
they must abandon their crusade against the
rightful authority of the present Southern
State Governments; must accept universal
suffrage, and submit to what they have styled
''negro supremacy" i. e., the right of the
black man to vote, hold office, and sit on jul
ries. But if all these things are irreversible
facts, the Democratic party accept recOnstruc-
tiOn on the Republican basis, just as they
have accepted Union sustained by coercion
and emancipation. They have really no mis-
sion or aim whatever relative to recOnstruc-
tion or the colOred race. Such a course
would swindle and cheat the Democratic party
ont of that very principle or prejudice which
forms their strongest bond of affinity and
cohesion viz: their desire to maintain some
sort of legal supremacy of the white race over
the black. Such a course. there fore, is not to
| be expected.
But if the negrOphobic element in the De-
mocratc party is neither to be surrendered
, nor cheated of its success in the event of a
Democratic triumph, how is it to be gra.ided
| Suppose their utmost dreams fulfilled. Sup,
pose a Democratic President is elected, aud a
decision of the Supreme Court rendered de-
claring the Reconstruction acts unconstitu
tonal Seven of the ten States are already in
the Union under constitutions which forbid
any restriction of the suffrage, and most Of
which forbid any person who desires to restrict
the suffrage from voting at all. Moreover, the
two Houses of Congress remain Republican
and as they refused heretofore to accept con
stitutions or admit Representatives chosen by
the white and Rebel vote only, they proba
bly, would do so again. Besides, the expert
ment of reconstructing the South on the
! white vote only would not premise any better
results when tried second time than wher
tiied the first. TA5n it tended directly e
restore slavery, to produce negro massacrei