The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-09-20
Folly of HE sout',--sioiusion OF Our Politicn
Difficulties.

Difficulties.
The action Of the Georgia Legislature in
| excluding negroes from seats in it's body and
from the jury box opens a complicated ques-
ton 1t is both unwise and ill-timed and may
lead to serious consequences. In fact, the
leading politicians and press of the South
generally are acting most imprudenty, and are
provoking the dominant party in Congress to
arbitrary and unconstitutional measures, which
might be avoided. The moderate men of the
republican party-and they constitute an over
whelming majority both in and out of Con-
| gress-want to have the reconstruction matter
settled and the Southern States restored to
Union. But the party will hardly submit to
such action of the South as will utterly sub
vert its policy and undo all that Congress has
been doing for the last three years The great
object of the reconstruction legislation was to
enfranchise the blacks and to give them an
equal chance with the whites in all the rela-
tons of life. The door to political privileges
was to be open to them as well as to the white
| people if they should have intelligence and
| power enough to reach and use them. Yet in
the face of this policy and legislation of Con-
gress the Georgia Legislature has drawn
broad line of distinction between the two
races and declared the negroes Ineligible to sit
as Legislators or jurymen.
The question is, what will or can Congress do
under the circumstances? Georgia has been
rastorad tn ITO nrivilaras in thu Trp;on h1 tho
declaration Of Congress, and is, therefore, on
footing so far, with New York and other States
with regard to the management of its own
internal affairs. Still its Representatives and
Senators have not yet been admitted to seats
in Congress. Heretofore members from the
Southern States were excluded because these
States had not been reconstructed and declared
restored. Will Congress now refuse to receive
the Representatives from Georgia? Will it
recede from its action declaring that State
restored and reconstruct it again, in conse-
quence of the conduct of the Legislature? Or
will it admit that Georgia has the right to
exclude negroes from the Legislature and jury
box in defiance Of its policy and reconstruction
measures? In whatever way we look at the
matter there are complication and difficulty.
| This imprudent and ill-timed conduct OF
Georgia, as well as the folly of the South
generally, is leading the country to a central
lied despotism or military dictatorship. Con-
gress may not give way on the negro diff
Guilty raised by Georgia and reconstruct
| the State anew. In that case what becomes
of the constitutional privilege Of a State
in the Union to regulate its own internal
| affairs? And if such action can be taken
with regard to Georgia, why not with New
York or any other State? Where would il
end? Should Congress not resort to such an
extreme measure and show moderation in this
case, in consequence of the great principle
involved, it will show more sense than the
Georgians have shown. IT. fortunately, Sc
rious difficulty should be avoided we shall
have to thank Congress and not the foolish
Southerners.
The North had right to impose what penal
ties it pleased upon the rebels, for they were
conquered in war. Their restoration was moi
matter of right, but of policy, and as mat
ter of policy we thought, and still think, i
would have been better had the Southern
States been restored Immediately after the
war closed. That would have prevented tn,
political troubles of the last three years as wei
as existing difficulties. There was not tn,
least fear of another rebellion. There canno
be another war between the North and tn,
South. But Congress chose to reconstruct
the rebel States in its own way, and we canno
go back. The true policy is to make the hes
of things as they actually exist. We hope
Congress will show more moderation, there
FORE than the stupid and imprudent Southern
ers have shown.
At all events, the people should settle thes,
Southern complications in the approachin,
Presidential election. Should General Grant
be elected by an overwhelming vote we may
expect peace and harmony. He is conserva
tive, and would carry the mass of the republ
can party with him in conservative policy.
The election of Seymour might reopen th,
reconstruction question and keep the country
in state of dsorganization and politica
excitement. The Southerners would become
more imprudent and add to existing complica
tons. The object of the republican party il
its measures of reconstruction was politica
ascendency--to hold the power 1t had ac
II qured-and il il should succeed, as in al
probability it will, there will be no longer
9 necessity for holding the South under arbitrary
!, rule 1t can then afford to be magnanimou,
and moderate. As to the bugbear of militar,
II dictatorship should General Grant be electe,