New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-01-14
TILE ISSnE At WASHLNGTON

The last Congress-manly chosen when
AZ lincoln was reale cted to the Presidency
proposed conditions on when the iate heooi
States should be restored to the Union, leaving
the question of Suffrage for the Coloreu hace
practically to be decided by the "hite cltizens
of those States. Those conditions were Ill
each case rejected.
II Congress thereupon withdrew the rejected
oora;t;ons. and substituted others, which COM
mitted the reconstruction of those States 10 dH
their Male Adults, excepting those Oh 'nen'
who had, in accepting certain Offices, taheii III
oath of fidelity to the Union WHICH 'no'
afterward broke to plunge INTO the oia'o-
holders Rebellion. The persons tnuS
prescribed were less than tenth OF the Whi'e
Male Adults; and there was still decided
majority of White voters, under the Recon
struction acts, in the ten States remaining I'M
reconstructed. But there were three OF the
ten States-SOuth Carolina, mississippi, ana
Louisana-wherein the ColOred voters under
those acts outnumbered the Whites. Even in
these. nine-tenths of the property, forty-hlne-
0ftieths OF the land, and nearly all the trade,
newspapers, and social prestige, were pOssessed
by the Whites
I'LL The work Of Reconstruction under these
acts has not merely begun-it has boon more
than half completed The Alabama Conven-
t;on has been held, has framed Constitution,
and has submitted it to direct vote OF the
enfranohisod people. In Virginia, Georgia,
Mississippi, Arkansas, and Louisiana, the Con-
yentions are now in session. In North and South
Carolina and Florida, they have been called by
majority of all the voters registered, and dele
gates chosen. In Texas an election has been
ordered. but the vote for and against Con-
vention has not yet been taken. In no single
State, so far as elections have been held, has
majority failed to ratify the call for Conven-
ton. In North Carolina, where the White pre-
pOnderance is most decided, the vote for Con
vention is most overwhelming. And in no case
has the delay in calling a Convention been tile
fault OF the people. They have pushed on the
work 80 far ana 30 fast rs they have been
accorded opportunity.
". Congress and the Republicans say, Let
"this work go on. Let the People Ivov.--.-.."t
"their respective States, on basis OF Equality
and True Democracy, so fast as they Will"
Andrew Johnson and the Sham Democracy zip
which the unreconstructed Rebels are ncluded)
are doing their utmost to embarrass, obstruct,
and defeat this.
V. The States will speedily and iighteOusly
reconstruct themselves, and return to their
proper places in the Union, II they can only DC
let alone. And this is what Congress Is striv-
ing to secure. But Andrew Johnson, the Demo
Gratis aud the Rebels, are hard at work to ar
rest the good work. They are trying to defeat
all that has been DONE so as to go back and
begin over again. What they wish and mean
TO do Is to disfranchise and politically suppress
the Colored race and then the unrecOnstructed
Rebels will have the Union Whites ut their
mercy. The former will constitute de-
cided majority of the White voters, and can
handle the Unionists as they did in their cleo
tons of 1866, under Johnson's Provisional
rule.
VI. All the hulIabaloo about arbitrary pow
"er," military dcspotlsm," violates tho Con-
stitution,r SC, &C., means simply this !:
owe Rebels and our Democratic allies at the
North mean to reign and rule if we can. II
~ we can suppress the COlored vote, we can
either choose men after our own heart to the
Senate and House, and choose the like to rule
Gus ut home, or we can at least keep our
States ont while longer and prevent their
voting for a Republican President" The
milk in the cOcoa-nut lies exactly there. And
the only chance for our adversaries' success Is
afforded them by the false, misleading utter
ances Of certain quasi Republican journals.
The sentnels are betraying the host they were
set to guard. But the alarm has been given,
and is needed.
VII. The adversary is formidable, alert, un-
scrupulous. The White House is his citadel.
He has new born hopes of powerful aid from
bare majority Of the Justices composing the
Supreme Court. But the Loyal Millions North
and South, composing a decided majority of
the entire People Of the United States, are re-
solved not 70 be suppressed, nor circupvented,
nor Crushed ont, whether BY Andrew johnson,
by Ave Judges, nor by the pro-Rebel host who
stand behind them. Through the majority in
Congress, they are making gallant fight for
Liberty and Loyalty. Messrs. Bingham's and
Wilson's bills submitted yesterday to the
House, are part of their weapons. They pro-
pose to fight it out on this line. Heaven send
them q good deliverance