The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-08-13
Who arc for Peace


General Grant and his supporters are labor
ing assiduously to heal the wounds inflicted
on our country by a parricdal Rebellion and
a devastating civil war, They do not propose
to do this by surrendering everything to the
Rebels and making them lords paramount.
They demand that the loyal people of our
whole country-not part, but all of them
shall be placed on as good footing as the
Rebels, and henceforth enjoy equal advantages
and opportunities, rights and privileges, with
those who squandered one million human
lives and five billions of property in despe-
rate struggle to divide and destroy the Union.
Is that unreasonable .i
The Rebels are disfranchised in two States
only-Tennessee and Missouri-not by Con-
gress, nor by Federal authority in any form,
but by the loyal people in those States. If
this be right, Andrew Johnson, above all other
men, deserves the credit of it; if it be wrong,
he should bear the blame. 1t was he who
gave out the watchword-"Loyal men, white
or black, shall rule America" 1t was he who
managed the first election in that State at
which Rebels were not allowed to vote. He
thus carried the State for Lincoln and himself
in 1864; but Congress did not count her vote
The Rebels of Tennessee and Missouri want
to vote. We want them enfranchised. But
from unmistakable Indications, we infer that,
if they were this day restored to the fullest
rights of citizenship, they would use their
power to disfranchise the blacks of Tennessee,
and perpetuate the vassalage OF those of Mis-
souri. If they will unite with us in favoring
universal amnesty and impartial suffrage We
are quite sure that both will be speedily car
ried. But, 80 long as they demand enfran-
ohisement in order tn at they may disfranchise
thousands who were never Rebels, is it a won
der that they excite little sympathy .Fo..-
In the recently reconstructed States a very
small fraction of the Rebels are disfranchised
COnurpsa On ma nf "a qd
taken solemn oath of fidelity to the Constitu-
ton in order to enjoy the honOrs and emolu-
ments of public station, and had voluntarily,
deliberately violated that oath by aiding the
Rebellion, should not vote until the restriction
should be legally abolished. The radicals Of
Alabama and Georgia have just enfranehised
the dis 'ranchi5ed Rebels of those States; the
other States will follow as fast as they can
safely do so Governor Scott has strongly
recommended this course in South Carolina,
and the Legislature will doubtless coincide
with him, if the Rebels will behave so that
they can. .E.
The World insults the friends of universal
amnesty as follows ...
"NothinR very favorable can be said of the
efficacy of the deathbed repentance; but the
conscience which Is aroused by the terrors oi
view OF the misdeeds of the departing sinner
| than he ever acknowledged In the vlgor of
| health and hope. The Republican party is in
effects ef OF a too tardy repentance Gf Things
| which IL committed without com FUNCTION when
| 1t thought IL had strong hold upon life The
| foregoing paragraphs, commenting on and
! commenting the action OF the Alabama Legis-
lature in removing political disabilities from
| white citizens, are a complete acknowledgement
that those disabilities ought not to have been
| imposed. For what Is the ground ON which the
| Acknowledgement has been defended? WnY,
| that the Southern leaderswere so disaHected and
| disloyRl that they could not safely De trusted
| to exercise political rights. II the reason was
| good the disabilities should have been con
! tinued until there was evidence OF better
state of mind. But the radical organs daily de-
clare that the Rebel leaaers are groWiing con
bolder, Is more reckless, contumacious, and de
! nant, at the present time than IL has been be-
fore since the close OF the war. And yet this Is
| the time selected for the removal of the disa'
| phlues so often declared to be an Indispensable
| pFecaption against Rebel influenced II the cur
@ rent radical accounts of the Southern temper
| sa S1e Solleet, this precauton was never
So hSoessary as at this moment