The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1870-12-02
RECONSTRUCTION.


lf,hc Radical party have become more re-
markabe for one particular thing than any
other, il is Ter0nsttuctt0a. Ever since the
war closed, it has been reconstruction by the
Wholesale and retail. Frecdman's bureaus
were established throughout the South, at an
enormous expense to the TAX payers Of the
country, in the interests of reconstruction
Troops were stationed in North Carolina to
interfere in the election because that State
needed reconstructing. Citizens of various
parts Of the South have been deprived of
voting, for want of being reconstructed
Particular States of the South have, at differ
cnL times, been refused admittancc into the
Union, because they were unrcconstructed /;
and some that were admitted, were thrust
ont again, until they should become little
more reconstructed. And again, General
Grant secs fit TO employ the military in
Georgia, TO contlol the approaching election,
because the people of that State are not suf-
ficicntly reconstructed 10 enjoy the liberty
of the franchise of voting.
In fine, reconstruction, in its mutiform
shapes, us understood and practiced by the
Republican party, has become werd ofnew
and terrible significance in this country
They have reconstructed and reconstructed
until the liberties off large portion of the
people have been tritlcred away; q beautiful
section of the country well nigh impoyerish-
ished, and enormous sums of the public
money squandcred, for no appreciable bene-
Ills. But at last, rs Il fitting rctribution, it
has come to pass, in the fulness of time, that
. the great Radical party itself needs recon
structing; and with all their practice in the
science which they originated, it seems ex-
tremcly doubtful if this last reconstruction
scheme can be safely accomplished.
Mr.. Benjamin f. Butler a leading con-
structionist, thinks that the Republican par.
" is II thing of the past, according to his
speech delivered at Music Hall, Boston, last
week and his ideas upon its reconstruction
are forcshadowed according to the following
brief synopsis of his address, from the Balti-
more Sun:
The Republican party, according to Mr..
Butler, having no longer domestic nilsson,
that cnterprising gentleman points out TO it a
foreign mission, in which he thinks it may
he profitaby employed, and prolong its de-
caying vitality. He considers annexation q
good thing for new party plank, beginning
with St. Domingo, which he designates as
"thc priceless jewel of the sea-" and there
fore to be Docketed as soon rs possible. The
settlement of our difficulties with England
u. al, Gel,
intercourse with the bordering colonies, and
boundary disputes are other themes of
General Buffers discourse. A mere money
compensation for the Alabama claims will
not satisfy General Butler, though it would
he very agreeable, no doubt, to those To whom
the claims are due. His method of adjust
ment is the adoption Of Il policy of non-inter-
course with Great Britain, the natural result
of which would be war; but whether war
or not, great injury to ourselves by the de-
privation which it would involve.
Now all this might suit Mr.. Buffers ideas,
but the question is, whether other and equal
ly prominent reconstructonists of the party
will agree to the programme. What might
snit Massachusetts would probably not suit
other sections; and this will be the difficulty
That will hinder the reconstruction of the
Radical party. Every prominent member
OF it will insist upon terms and planks in the
platform that will advantage himself and his
particular section, and so the elements that
were combined in harmony upon the one
idea of negro equality, now that the negro
question has been played for all il is worth
will become discordant to II degree that
they can never he reconcilcd. 1t will follow
as fit ending for the Radical party, that
they who in the name of reconstruction in.
fiic,ed 50 many injuries upon the country al
when the voice of the people severed them
into fragments nj the recent elections.