The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-12-10
SPIRIT OF THE PRESS.
EDITORIAL OPINIONS OF THE LEADING JOURNALS
UPON CURRENT ToPICs-coMPILED EVERY
DAY FOR THE EVENING TELEGRAPH.
The Prospect in Congress Vatural lizatiOn,
Reconstruction, aud Negro Suffrage.

From the opening proceedings OF the pre-
sent session of Congress, 1t is apparent that 1t
will be largely devoted to Southern recon
struotion, the natural zstion laws, aud negro
suffrage. These three questions are of the
highest Importance to the party in power, and
therefore challenge the first attention OF the
two houses
On the naturalization question we select
from the various amendments proposed to the
existing laws the instructions given TO the
Committee of Revision of the House, on mo-
ton of MIR. Schenck. Tney are: - First,
whether this naturalization business should
not be restricted to courts of the United
States and the higher courts OF record second
to provide for uniformity in such proceed
ipps: third to require the judges signature
to every declaration aud oertitcate fourth,
to require records to be kept; fifth (ant this
with thej record of the court, Is the main
point), to authorize letters OF naturaliz alton
to be issued after four years residence,
but not to take effect till one year after
date. On the motion of Mr.. Wood, Of New
York. to lay these instructions on the table,
the House was divided-yeas, 33; nays, 125 -
a strict party vote, the Republicans in the
negative. From this we may safely predict
that some general bill of the character indi-
Gated will be passed at this session. The m ain
points are the removal OF this natural alton
business to the United States courts aud the
stopping Of the electoneering nstur allz alton
requiring the certificate of citizenship year
in advance and record thereof. Some such
bill, we understand, has been resolved upon
by the Republicans in Congress, in oonse-
quence of certain alleged wholesale Demo-
cratic naturaliz alton frauds i'll the late Phia-
delphia October elections aud in our New
York city November elections.
Southern reconstruction Is in very slip
shod condition, and will require much patch
ing. Georgia is out OF gear, Florida is in
mudde. Louisiana has been turned topsy-
turvy, with the negroes at the bottom, which
will never do; Arkansas is given over to ruff
fansm, and even Tennessee is shocking ex-
ample of law and order. These belong to the
reconstructed States and two or three of them
at least are to be reconstructed over again. Of
course the unrecOnstructed States of Virginia,
Mississippi, and Texas will be put through the
ordeal of the new constitutional amendment
without much ceremony; but in this amend
ment itself there lies to the radicals a serious
difficulty in the matter of negro suffrage, aud
the removal of this difficulty is now the main
question.
General Grant, as we are informed from good
authority is in favor of new constitutional
amendment establishing universal manhood
suffrage as the supreme law OF the land. the diff
fculty under amendment fourteen is that each
State may regulate suffrage to suit itself on the
universal plan, or by a color qualification, a
property qualification, an educational quail
fcation, or all of these, subject only to
duction in counting the people for representa-
tiop in proportion to the restriction OF the suf-
frage. Thus, if the blacks are excluded from
the suffrage, they are not 10 be counted for
representation; and under this plan South
Carolina, for example, would be cut out of
more than half her delegation in the lower
house of Congress and hal her Presidential
vote. But still it is feared that the whites of
the Southern States, ii left to themselves,
under amendment fourteen, will soon contrive
to take the suffrage from the negroes, and
hence the desire of the radicals to make uni
versal sutfrage-negroes and all-mandatory
upon all the States. General Grant proposes
to settle the matter beyond dispute through
an amendment to the Constitution, but Mr..
Senator Sumner proposes the shorter method
of universal negro suffrage by act Of Congress,
holding that Congress, under "the Constitu-
tiOn as it is" has ample power over the
subject.
Whether the plan advocated by General
Grant or the proposition of Senator Sumner
shall prevail is the question for the two houses
to settle, 1t is possible that the 4th OF March
may come round before a settlement is
reached. Meantime, while these questions of
naturalization, reconstruction, and universal
negro suffrage are before the two houses, we
cannot expect any material measures of relief
to the country in the matter Of the national
tion bills, and the enormous budget OF fraud
upon the revenue, from Kentucky whisky to
French brandy, and from Havana cigars to
the home made article. The Fortieth Con-
gress is not up to the mark of retrenchment
and reform. It's record is budget of blum
ders, extravagances prOfigacies, aud corrup-
tions; but the Forty first Congress, which
meets on the 4th of March, may perhaps bs
fruitful of better things, from the hints and
recommendations of President Grant. We
are compelled at last to turn to him as the
hope Of the country. There are no signs of
relief from the present short session OF the
demoralized and expiring Fortieth Congress.
More Radical s'Respectability."
From the N. Y. World.
The world has laughed for good many
years at the polite French preacher who,
delivering a sermon on death before the
Court of Louis le Grand, and perceiving that
the King WINGED to hear the words ''we shall
. all die" Immediately corrected himself with
the merest hint of gesturT towards the royal
pew, and added the qualifying phrase, THAT
is to say, the most OF us ~
The Tribune matches the courtly French
divine. "The honest fn6lment," says IL. g.,
"(when possible) OF an obligation is prefer
able to the dishonest evasion and reputation
thereof" Really But il the "honest fulfil
ment" proves not to be possible, one is then
at liberty to evade his obligation dishonesty
and to repudiate it ? Aud so, in like manner,
while one should tell the truth "(when con-
Venient), 4" one is quite at liberty to tell any
number of lies, the truth being inconvenient
"Put money in thy purse" honestly "(when
conveniently but at all events E'put money In