New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-02-16
FINISH Up THE VORRi

FINISH UP THE HORR
At an early stage Of the anti-Slavery agita-
ton, sundry of those more prominent on the
Abolition platform cOncurrcd in leaving their
hair and boards 10 grow as Nature dictated.
In due season, one of these-(Charles G. Bur
leigh, we beeve)-was waited on by COM
mittee of remonstTants against this invocation
of new prejudice and Odum upon the already
oyerladen cause. He heard the remOnstrants
patiently to the end, and then announced that
he should not abate one hair. "FOr" said he,
Il have devoted my future efforts to the
overthrow and extinction of all Slavery
land, if am to be controlled by others tastes
Gin the matter of my own hair and beard,
"there will be at least one slave left, though
call the negroes on earth should be freed and
L" cannot work for aught less than complete
"and universal Freedom"
In the spirit of that utterancc, we call on
Congress to take prompt and decisive steps to
secure Liberty to all the Southern People,
whether White or Black, regardless of person
al aspirations and local antipathies There are
still several States wherein large proper
ton of the people are kept in virtual
scrfdom because they are Black there
are other States wherein n still larger proper
ton are DISTINGUISHED and prescribed because
they bore q part in the recent resistance to tho
authority and arms of the Union. Either OF
these subiugations may have been justfable in
the past--even last year, if you chOose-and
yet be utterly mistaken now. 1t is high time
that the whole people, under proper safeguards
| and guarantees, were authontativey summoned
to assist in recOnstructug our institutions on
the enlarged and enduring basis of Impartial
| and Universal Freedom.
There are still many who suppose that Con-
gress (by the XIyth Amendment to the Federal
| Constitution, or otherwise) has denied the
Elective Franchise to those who participated
in the late Rebellion or part of them; but it
is not so. The pertinent clause of the Amend
ment aforesaid is as follows;
"sEC g. No person shall be a Senator Representative
in Congress- ElectOr OF President VcePresdent
hold any Office civil military under the Uniied States
under any State, who, having previously taken an
oath. a member OF Congress, as mn officer OF tho
United States, member OF any State Legislature
port the Constitution OF the United States shall have
engaged In insurrecon rebellion against the same
or gyon aid and comfort TO The enemies thereof But
Congress may by vote Of twothirds Of each House,
remove such disability"
Here, it will be seen, is no denial of the
Right Of Suffrage in the reconstructed States
to any one; but merely an inhibition of the
more prominent Rebels from oiiice-holding
until Congress shall sec fit TO remove the inter
dict.
Our Northern Democrats have intended kind
ness to their Southern brethren in insisting
that Congress has no rightful control over the
internal concerns of States, but must leave each
to regulate the Right of Suffrage and cligi-
bility to Office according to its own good
pleasure; but their kindness was misjudg-
ing. There are more Rebels now disfran-
clsed by the Constitutions Of Ten
nessee and Missouri, over which Congress has
had no control, than by all that Congress has
decreed or done. And now we have the
Democrats of Mississippi, through their mouth
piece, Hon. Albert G. Brown, declaring their
complete acquiescence in the Reconstruction
policy of Congress, while they protest against
the State Constitution formed by the Carpet
"baggers" among them as sweepingly and
needlessly proscriptive. They ask only that
so much of this Constitution be stricken out
as goes beyond the XIYth Amendment, say
ing:
"With all our hearts we respond TO the noble sent-
OF the President elect, Let us have peace It's
the cherished hope OF our bOsOms and the sncerest wish
Congress encourage this hope and crafty this wish and
II 80, howl answer Ia tho name OF great people who
BY simply sfauding firm on the Reconstruction acts
they were passed and sent To us by Congress We ask
you take step backward aud we beg you to take
step forward 10 has cost few OF great deal Of pa
tent and persistent toll, 10 bring our people up 10 tho
point Of meeting Congress on its own platform; but
have done IT, and with wonderful unannity they stald
there to-day am here 10 tell you so. | WAS com
mssl0ned by my cO-lab0rers TO come and tell you
that we are ready to meet your own ground aud
shake hands What answer shall carry backf III II DO
that you were rm, and refused to exact than the
bond required, there Will DO joy throughout State.
But 1t be that you have yielded 10 persuasion and adj
yanced step further there will be sadness aud sorrow
IN all our bOrders."
1t seems to us plain that Congress ought
to meet this overture in the spirit in which it
is made, and complete the reconstruction of
Mississippi on the basis of Universal Amnesty
with Impartial Suffrage. If nobody imagnes
that the prescription of part of the late
Rebels is or ought to be permanent-(and Con-
gross manifestly anticipates general restora-
ton to all the rights of citizenship, and there
fore provided for it in the XIVth Amendment
as above quoted)--then it is the dictate of
craftsmanship as well as patriotism that the
chasm be closed entirely and at once. There |
is an implacable faction at the South which |
still hopes for "Whte Mans Government"
and practical ascendency of the ideas which |