The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-04-10
SPIRIT or THE PRESS.
EDITORIAL OPINIONS OF THE LEADING JOURNALS
UPON CURRENT TOPICs-COMPmED RvERY
DAY FOR The EvEEIEG TELEGRAPH.
The ..NHnn ON nuorseback." /"


Fo,n the NJ Y. Tribune.
IL any one has labored under the delusion that
,eneral Grant intends TO bc a dummy President
"a mere call-boy of Congress, or of any other
ower-he must have been undeceived by his
ief frank, soldierlike and statesmanlikc mes
are of Wednesday, wherein he tells Congress
7&PinIy that it ought not to adjourn without
Hsjng decisive action on the status OF virginia
kith view to her early restoration to her proper
yyace in the Union. If she chooses to vote to
ftay out that is her business; but if she is ready
io come i'm under Constitution which
Guarantees "the absolute protection of all
Citizens" of the United States ''in the full
enjoyment of freedom and security, then she
should be allowed to do so forthwith. Tho
same is true likewise of Mississippi; though
the fact that her people have once voted down
the pending Constitution here somewhat com
plicates the problem, and might justify the
call of q new Convention. In the Virginia case,
however, all is plain sailing. a Convention has
been held; Constitution was framed by it; but,
though ready for submission long ago, il has not
been submitted General Grant thinks that sub
mission should no longer be delayed; and
therein he is in full accord with public opinion
He suggests that it should be ordered that
those who want to vote the State into self-gOv
ernment under the Union may do so without
voting their own or their neighbors permanent
prescriptions; and herein he talks sense, as
usual In short, message so wise, so just, so
timely, so pertinent, had not cmanatcd from the
White House for years prior to the appearance
OF this one.
yet SO courteously uttered by the President?
We write before learning what action was taken;
yet we trust that the majority will
prefer to keep abreast OF public sentiment
rather than be driven by 1t. Ii the only question
is one of time the more important is it not to
lag behind the march OF events. virginia Is
certain to be reconstructed; she is to he restored
to self-gOvernment and to representation in Con-
gress; she is ultimately to be relieved OF all pro-
Scriptions and acknowledgements then why not
push on the good work to its inevitable con-
animation? Our oldest living poet eXhorts
Is in view of death, to ''go not like the galley
lave at night, scourged to his dungeons" and we
bntreat the Republicans in Congress not to imi-
late, with regard to the late Rebels, their own
stupid blunder in resisting the enfranchisement
of the blacks until they have very nearly thrown
away their chance of influencing and guiding
their political course One such gigantic folly
should suffice for generation.
The country is emphaticall with the President.
1t longs for peace and restoration and harmony.
1t demands proper guarantees Tor the security
and equal rights of all law-abiding citizens; but
1t prefers to find them in constitutions and laws
rather than in Presidential edicts and military
orders. 1t believes that the present is a favor
able conjuncture for completing reconstruction
on the basis of universal amnesty and impartial
suffrage; and it prefers to take the risks OF an
unknown, impenetrable future. 1t is quite aware
that there are still mpacabe rebels and invete-
rate wrOngdoers at the South; but 1t feels that
they can now be remitted to the discipline of a
certainly a less turbulent, more law-abiding COM
munity than Arkansas, where Governor Clayton
has conquered peace with no other force than
his volunteer militia first organized for this pur-
pose, and where life, liberty, and property are
now safer than before-which is not saying a
great deal. We defy any one to give reason for
denying self-government to Virginia which
would not be stronger if applied to Arkansas.
Let us have peace Military rule is mt best
but an armed truce. 1t costs money, and does
not educate its subjects to respect Justice more
than force. Four years have now passed since
the surrender of AppOmattOX, and he who die
tated the terms of Lees capituation declares
that the time has fully come for restoring Vir-
ginia to sef-government and all its natural Incl
dents The country, cordially joyfully responds
to the President; will Congress demur? To do
so will be to abdicate the proud position it has
hitherto maintained-to fall to the rear of the
grand movement for universal liberty and ma
tional integrity. We pray that no adjournment
may be had until Virginia, Mississippi and even
Texas shall have been enabled and invited
to resume, under fit conditions and with needful
guarantees, the proud position they so madly
abjured, of States, and the peers of all Other
States in the American Union.