New-York tribune., 1869-06-22
TROUBLE IN THE SOUTH.


ing of unhealed sores, not simply transfer OF
the civil war to new fields for its prosecution
bv less destructive weapons, but genuine, per-
vading, unbroken, enduring Peace III the
United States are to be thoroughly prosperous
TO rejoice in bOunteous harvests, general plenty,
and a rapid increase of intelligence, efficiency,
and wealth. they must cease to be the arena
whereon embittered factions display their
mutual, implacable hate, and struggle Tor each
Others annibilation.
These truths are so palpable that all admit
and the great majority insist on them. Let
Gus have Peace!n said the President; and so
say one and all. But how?
There are those whose panacea Is Andy
JohnsOn's since discarded cOuntersign-" Loyal
"men, White or Black, must rule America"
Just disfranchise and prescribe every one who
rendered aid or comfort to the late Rebellion
let none of them vote or hold even the pettest
Office, and let those who were faithful through
out to the Union rule everything and haye
everything and perfect Peace, with general
Thrift. will be assured
Others would enfranchise all the Rebels and
disfranchise all the Blacks, putting the latter
completely under the heel of the former. Only
]
Forrest, Harry Hays & Co., let them carry
their several States with a rush, as they carried
Georgia and Louisiana for Seymour and Blair
let them suppress the negroes as they did the
Louisiana Convention in 49, or expel them
from all civil trusts as they did from the
Georgia Legislature in GS, and we shall have
Peace-such as we had from 1880 to 1860. To
this end it is only necessary that the Republi-
cans should allow their foremost men to be
butchered as Henderson, Dostee, &c, were in
New Orleans, or pitched out of Office, neck and
heels, as Turner and others were last year at
| Atlanta, and we may grow Cotton at the rate
of millions of tuns per annum, restore the
balance of trade, and swim in a sea of wealth
and luxury.
Our programme differs radically, rs is well
known, from either of the foregoing. Ii
is summed up in four words-USIvERsAL
AMNESTY; IMPARTIAL SUFFRAGE. We pro-
| claimed it directly after President LncOln's
assassination, when il cost us very many friends /;
we have stood by it through evil and good
report batting no jOt of heart or hope when its
! adoption seemed impossible, and never losing
! faith i'm the "sober second thought of the
| American People. And now-whcn our plat
! form has received the approval of Gov. Brown
! low on the one hand and prominent Rebels on
! the other, have we not ample reason TO thank
God and take courage
Yet there is still trouble at the South and
more in Georgia than in any other State. The
root of bitterness is the expulsion of the Colored
members from her Legislature last year-or
rather, the spirit which impelled that expulsion.
The Rebels there are quite rs willing to be
| Il al 70 nGia
we are to have them but they want the Blacks
under their feet, and repel all Peace which does
not involve that consummation. In other
words: They still cherish the fundamental idea
which made them Disunionists and Rebels in
1851 We do not mean that all who were once
Rebels do so, for many of those realize that
there was a Gettysburg in 1868, an Appomattox
in 1866, and that this is 1860; but enough remain
| untaught and unteachable by the logic of events
to keep the South in turmoil and rob the
country of the natural, legitimate results of the
Rebelions conclusive overthrow.
The last Legislature of Georgia, ut n time
when Seymour and Blair's election was con
hdently anticipated, expelled the Colored mem
bers of either House. The few Blacks who
held executive offices were thercupOn cited be-
fore the courts to show why they should not
be ousted as cOnstitutonally ineligible. The
litigation has at length been carried up to the
| highest State Court, whose Judgment upholds
the eligibility of the Blacks. Such a case is not
appealable to the Federal Courts so here is
the end of it, What noxt7
! The augusta COHstitutiOnalist says, Mover
! give up The highest court having affirmed
that the Constitution makes the Blacks citizens,
while the Code declares all citizens eligible to
Office, The COnStitufiOndliSt asks
"what is 20 prevent the Legislature from repeating
that part Of the Code" which invests all CtZens WITH
a night 10 office, aud then passing law prohibiting
! the negro from holding any State ofhcei"
| legislative body. as all know, is the final
Judge of the election and qualification of its
own members hence The ConsttutiORaliSt
makes these deductions:
so the result Of this Supreme Court decision comes TO
this: White aud the few other negroes elected to office
have temporary authority to hold their positions, The
negroes elected 20 the General Assembly cannot get
back because the Supreme Court has nothing 10 do
their cases. judgment in the matter resting solely with
the debatabe statutes OF the Code presumed have
bearing upon this matter the veXed question would DO
put beyond dispute, and Georgia still stand as State
governed by white men, Brown aud McCay TO the con
| trary Notwithstanding"
This is very childish, but it is also very
mschievous. We must hope that the Georgia
"Conservativesp have better guides than The
ConSttutiOndlist, and that their action will
prove It,