The New York herald., 1870-03-22
Troubles in the sesth-Ths Tr"e Fohcy
Of the Administration. Es4.f

the South, are giving the administration some
uneasiness. 1t hardly knows how to act
On one hand II Is desirous OF maintaining the
supremacy OF civil law in the reconstructed
States, and on the other 1t Is urged to exer-
else military authority to Suppress disorders
and to protect the people. One faction is
working hard to pull the administration
aud Congress on its side, and another
In the opposite direction. Each .swears
like . trooper against the other. II we
would believe them there never was such
reign Of anarchy as exists in the South.
We need not be surprised, therefore, at the
quandary the administration is in. But the
President is cool and cautious under
the circumstances. He is carefully studying
the matter and taking the best advice within
his reach He will hear all that the carpet
baggers, scalawags, Hre-eaters and negropho-
bists have to say, and then will act, we have
no doubt, for the best interests Of the country
and in maintaining the proper authorities.
The chief difficulty is that there ID too much
reconstruction and too much military in the
South. Five years, or thereabouts, the agony
Of reconstruction has been kept up for politi-
cal purposes, when it might have been and
ought to have been ended in one year, or
two years at farthest. In the effort OF the
dominant radical party to secure the negro
vote, and by that the balance of political
power, military authority was maintained
much longer than was necessary. The
ruling faction has looked to that, conse-
fou Nha ND N
influence of ambitious and evil-minded car
pet-baggers, have been led to believe
that the political power of the South
belonged to them and was in their
hands. This naturally placed many of them
in antagonism to the conservative white
population. As the States have become restored
to the Union, and the white native population
have shown their power, the negroes and their
carpet-bag leaders feel disappointed. They
forget that the white population was much the
largest, and that throughout the greater part
of the South this population had a majority of
votes. As long as the States were unrecon-
structed and under military authority the
radicals and their negro allies had their own
way, to great extent but as soon as civil
authority was restored the white Southerners
began to take the control This Is the secret
of the disturbances in Richmond of the clamor
for reconstruction over again in Georgia, and
for the demand Of the radicals for military
government over Tennessee.
The prolonged military rule over the South
has had the effect Of making General Candy
and other commanders mistake their duty.
Though these gentlemen may be governed by
the best motives, they are Influenced by their
military training and IDEAS They cannot
understand that when State has been re-
stored the civil law should be supreme. In
the trouble at Richmond, for example, General
Candy should have taken no action or have as
sumed no authority but to suppress insurrec
ton when called upon by the civil power. In
any dispute about the formality Of an election
or the right Of parties to hold Office he should
not have interfered, but have left that to the
courts. An election to Office is to be taken as
a bona fde fact, though carried by fraud, till
examined and acted upon by the proper civil
authority This is the way such things are
managed In the Northern States, aud there is
no other safe way compatible with the laws and
civil liberty.
The same principle applies to Georgia and
Tennessee, though Georgia, not being yet fully
reconstructed, is in rather an exceptional po-
siton. With regard to Tennessee, State in
as perfect relations with the Union as New
York or Pennsylvania, it is preposterons and
dangerous to talk Of reconstruoting that State
oc ~ oip p1nr outh rif p1o
in the case Of positive insurrection. If Tennes-
see can be reconstructed or placed under mill
tary rule, why not New York, Massachusetts,
or any other Northern State? All the States
are on the same footing If this infamous
practice were to be admitted no State would
be safe. Any political party in power could
destroy its political equality and rights, and
there would be an end to civil liberty. This
government would be the most perfect GEN.
tralized despotism. No, better let the factions
in the South fight it out among themselves;
better let the two races try their strength,
even by some bloodshed, than establish
despotism either under the military or
political oligarchy. The negroes Of the South
have acquired all the political rights and
privileges Of the whites. They ought to be
contented. 1t is absurd to suppose that eight
or ten millions OF the superior white race are
to be the political slaves Of or to be controlled
by three or four millions of semi barbarians,
who hardly know their right hands from their
left. In any contest the negroes must 60 to
the wall. This is seen in the troubles at
Richmond and elsewhere. 1t is positively
cruel in the heartless carpet-bag politicians TO
lead these poor people to destruction. We
hope General Grant win exercise his good
common sense in these Southern troubles, and
above ALL will maintain the supremacy Of the
civil laws.