Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-02-27
pStattsa1lall.

OS C~~SS~Sss's'sss&s+ ~
A Republican Paper Condemns
the Republican Plan of Recon
sfrucfiOn.
The Chicago Republican. of the 18th,
denounces' the Radical plan of recon-
struction and calls on Congress to repeal
the whole rmtch Fof RECONSTRUCTION acts
and go back to the starting point. 1T
8 kys: tS
H"For .monthsIwe have had series of
Constitutional G Conventions FROM day
to day, columns of the dispatches have
been devoted by the press to salient
points of the proceedings. What have
we seen? Bodies, called together to
frame organic laws and Goyerppents for
States, attempting to exercise legislative
functions. Delegates seeking to incor-
porate vengeance into the framework of
reorganization. Days consumed in dis
cussing and scrutinizing petty details, for
eign to theiegitimate work of the Conven
ton, such as inquiries into the validity of
the charter granted to a gas company, or
squabbles about the rates of pay, or the
trial of delegate for an act alleged to
6a1eI been committed seventeen lyssrs
ago. What lesson does all this teach?
That ignorance cannot substitute capac-
ity in removing the obstacles to recon
struction-that a man who has dug and
delved all his days; who is illiterate to
the lastSextreme; who could not spell
Constitution" on half q dozen trials;
who knows nothing of history save the
sad history Of his own experiences with
in his own narrow sphere; who makes a
cross mark when he signs his name; who
never understood the comnnonest ruiesof
parliamentary usages untilhe took his
seat as a delegate; who has no appre-
hension of constitutional law; who does
not comprehend the relations existing be-
tween the State and General Government
cannot be ft-to exercise the functions
which task the intellect, experience
and patience of the best minds in a COM
muhity. What light .can corn field
hand she'd on sthe intricate problems
brought under review2 With what
amount of intelligent appreciation of
the issue can he vote .'yea" or may" on
a pending question What can he
know of the far-reachfhg infnences or
proper limitations Of constitutional
provisionl What can he be in the body
of which he is member, except SUI
pernumerary, or an appendage to some
body else Such delegates naturally
feel their helplessness amid $their sur
roundings, and find refuge in dependen-
cy on some mind higher than their own,
blindly following their guide, right or
wrong. The effect of such conditions
cannot fail to be injuriops on public in
terests, and especially upon the work of
the Convention.
part of the results are before US. The
organization made for Alabama has been
defeated. The Florida convention is
split into two portions; each claiming to
have exclusive control over reconstruc-
tion in that State. The Georgia con-
yention is engaged in trying one of its
members for adultery, charged to have
been scommitted years age in New York.
The Arkansas Convention, Just adj djourn-
ed, has provided for disfranchisement,
not only of all disfranchised by the mill
tary bills, but even of those who shall
vote against the ratifying of the consti-
tuition, to be submitted to to the test
of the ballot-box on the 18th of next
March, and which was adopted, as a
whole, five hours after being reported to-
the convention. yrxuns
4ShaH we endorse such folly as this?
What inockery can be greater than to
refer an organic law to the people for ap-
proval or rejection, with the proviso that
all who vote negatively shall be pun
ished2 Despotism could go no further
while pretending to respect the verdict
of suffrage. Incompetency could make
no more ridiculous blunder. Reaction
itself could not make higher bid to in
sure thesdefeat of the CONSTITUTION. I'm
prudence could not put into the mouths
of the country's enemies a stronger ar
gument against the prevailing plan of re-
organization.
B ~ TS*gT f.
h"-Since the above was written, the
telegraph brings us the bill introduced
by Senator Sherman, providing for the
immediate admission of Alabama under
the Constitution her people have just re-
fused to. ratify.t The objection to this
plan is, that Congress has not been Off
cially presented with copy of the pro.
posed Constitution for approval, and
that the acceptance of the instrument,
when ratified by a minority vote, is not
keeping the faith which the rconstruc-
ton laws imply.
The family of the late John c. Cal