New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-06-06
him touching the removal of political disabili-


am not sure that the time has vet come to make
ceptons to our general policy in individual 20 do
so would be to open the a1or u applications
such yours by some general enaotmentsi
shall he the rst TO advocate the removal of all dsab
ties under which you labor at present"
Here, then, is our answer to the general
Copperhead arragnment which charges the Re-
publican party with designedly obstructing the
return of the late Rebel States to loyal self
government. Is it not PERTINENT Is it not
cOnclusivef
Pertinent, it surely is; conclusive it would
be if all who follow the Republican standard
were suffused with its spirit. But there are a
very few Republicans in Congress-we esti-
mate them at score to two dozen in all-wh0
seem disposed to play into the adversarys
hands by giving semblance of truth to what
would otherwise stand exposed in the naked
ness of its falsehood. We allude to those who
profess to fear that the Southern States, II
restored, will soon lapse into semiRebol De-
mocracy, will vote against Grant and Colfax,
and send disloyal men to Congress to resist
the payment of the National Debt-and who
thereupon devise and magnify obstacles to
their restoration. These unwise Republicans
are the Copperheads' best friends; they AFFORD
them their only rational hope OF vauhng 70
power next Fall. il
1t is quite true that, if the Southern States
shall now be fully restored, they may vote
against Grant and Colfax; just as we may
catch lots of larks-or, at at least, OF night
hawks-if the sky shall fall. Whenever a
| State votes, there is chance Of its voting
wrong unless it is manipulated as Tennessee
was by Andrew Johnson four years ago. But
there is no other block of ten States 80 certain
| to give large aggregate majority for Grant
and COfax as are the ten now awaiting recon
struction; and, if we cannot carry majority
of their Electors we cannot carry majority
in any other quarter of the Union. If we can
not trust the Carolinas, Georgia, and the Cotton
| States west and south Of these, voting under
| their new Free Constitutions, we might as well
concede at once that we can carry no States
but Massachusetts and Vermont.
The asserted dread of Rebel reaction at the
! South is pusillanimous. Their own loyal people
do not share it, They are knocking at the
doors of Congress for restoration and read
mission. They are perfectly will ng-more than
| willing-to assume the risks and responsible
| ties of self-government. The only restoration
they contemplate with dread is q restoration OF
Copperhead and Rebel ascendancy at the Capt.
tai. Tia. would seriously disturb their equan-
unity, giving them reason enough for anxiety
With Grant in the White House and Colfa1
presiding over Republican Senate, they will
| have nothing to fear.
| Most earnestly do we entreat Congress to
press on the work of Reconstruction, and let us
have every State under loyal self-government
at the earliest possible day. Do not prolong
the life of the Freedmen's Bureau beyond next
Christmas, and let us have an end of Military
rule so soon as may be. Let all the troops that
can be spared remain in the South to support
the State and local authorities if required but
let the country learn through an order from
Gen. Grant that in any and every State under
loyal self-government, the exceptional power
born of Military necessity have terminated. Ii
short Let us have peacep