The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-09-07

Ineligible to office and vacating the seats of
twenty-five negro members, is only one out of
many Illustrations of the total failure of the
radical policy of reconstruction, both as a
means of restoring peaceful civil governments
to the ex-rebel States and of strengthening
the republican party through the fundamentally
of the Southern electoral votes. Since the
adjournment Of Congress it has been growing
more and more evident every day that four or
five of the seven rehabilitated States are more
likely to cast their majorities for the democrats
than for the republicans while the increasing
instances of violence and lawlessness recorded
by the press indicate that the policy of Con-
gress has not proved panacea for all the evils
under which the South has suffered since the
that Virginia, Texas and Mississippi have
recently been peaceful and civilized commu-
mites, as compared with Arkansas, Georgia
and Alabama, it may be inferred that
radical reconstruction is rather damage than
benefit to State. This is certainly an
unfortunate result after four years of Con-
gressonal tinkering and patchwork, and
affords poor return for the millions
that have been added to the burdens Of
the people in the effort to engineer the
conquered Southern territory into the Union
as radical States by the aid of national bayo-
nets and negro votes. 1t is not surprising
under the circumstances to find the republican
organs and politicians advocating the early
reassembling of Congress to review its work;
but how is the mischief to be remedied in the
short time intervening between the latter end
ofSeptember and the November election? SO
far as Georgia is concerned the case is full of
embarrassment and trouble for the radical
doctors. When the apprehension of a negro
stampede over to their old masters first fell
upon the republican party it was proposed
that the right to vote in the Presidential cleo
ton should be taken from the people of the
South and vested in their Legislatures chosen
under the reconstruction programme; but in
the case of Georgia even this policy would be
useless, as the Legislature itself has proved
politically unreliable. Some republican
organs have suggested that inasmuch
as the fourteenth constitutional amendment
provides that ''no State shall make or enforce
any law which shall abridge the privileges or
immunities of citizens of the United States"
the action of the Georgia Legislature is in
conflict with the organic law. But here
again difficulty presents itself; for if cxclu-
sion from Office because of color is ''beyond
loubt an abridgment of the privileges and
of the colored people" and there
ore unconstitutional, then all State restric-
ions on the colored vote, including the
property qualification in New York, must in
constitution and null and void. Yet another
proposition on the part of the disappointed
radicals is for Congress to declare that if the
colored members Of the Georgia Legislature |
are not entitled to seats the ratification of the
constitutional amendment by that State was
illegal and insufficient, and hence the State is
not entitled to representation in Congress or
to a vote in the Electoral College. But by
what process is State to be turned out of the
Union when she is once in it? Congress has
spent four years in endeavOring to get the
Southern States reconstructed but by what
right will it undertake to expel State from
the confederation after she has taken her place
side by side with her sister sovereignties?
The fact is that the business of reconstruc-
ton has been from first to last mass of
blunders, folly and wickedness. 1t was botched
by President johnson when he made his pro-
visional governments without calling Congress
together and acting in concert with the law
making power. 1t has been muddled by Con-
gress ever since the radicals hit upon the
policy of Africanizing the South and securing
its negro votes for their party. The people
are heartily weary of it, and the best thing
Congress can now do is to leave il alone and
suffer it to work out its own results in its own
way. One of the principal objections to the
success of the democratic candidates in the ap-
preaching election has been the knowledge
that they would sweep away all that has been
thus far done towards reconstructing the
Southern States and commence the labor
anew after some fashion of their own Il
would be a suicidal policy for the republican
Congress to meet now and attempt to disturb
their work, badly as il has been done, and to
reopen the question Of reconstruction for the
sake of saving few electoral votes here
and there to their candidates They
had better leave the matter in the hands of
General Grant and the voters of the loyal
States. The people do not relish the Con-
gressional policy, with its hordes Of ignorant
negro electors and its Acknowledgement of
white men; but they believe that the Southern
States will speedily amend the constitutions
that have been forced upon them and secure
TO themselves good, sound and beneficial sys-
temaof government. and they have confidence
that General Grant will protect all citizens in
their rights. North and South, white and black
This is the safety of the republican party, as