New-York tribune., 1877-06-02


TO the cx-slaves would have been SIM
pier and vastly more direct and GER
tain than the one adopted. 1t would have
avoided all the expense and annoyance ana
yexa.ion and care which have been required to
carry ont the present amendments ana Wo''iu
have placed beyond doubt the accomplishment
of what we now learn WAS their main OBJECT
and real purpose, to wit, the ascendency ol
the Republican party. The wonder Is that 1t
was not done. For if it be true that these
measures must he accounted failure unless
they secure the permanent ascenuehcy
of the Republican party In the South
which is the inevitable logic OF Mr.. Bout
wells postion-then it would have been III
every respect better, more honest, more prac-
teal. and simpler to have reached the result
desired, and TO have clinched it beyond failure,
bv the process named. No one acquainted
with the facts of history-how these black
men, notwithstanding their superiority in num-
bers. had been held in abject slavery for gem
erations by a minority of whites-could doubt
for moment that ultimately, and i'll very
near future too the ballot given IN blank
to the freedmen to be used at their DIS
cretion would be won over by some means
persuasiOn threats. bribery, force, or any o,her
of the instIumcntalties of which superior in
telligence may avail itself-tO the reinforcement
of the very men and party whose discontinue
was contemplated. SO that in the light OF Mr..
Boutwelrs exposition of the situation 1t seems
strange that the wiser and more straiShtlor-
ward couIse was not taken by the shortcut
method we have suggested, providing for
counting in the entire black vote III lump
for the Republican ticket.
Whatever might be the views of superficial
students of our form of government as to the
effect of such proceeding, Mr. Boutwell,
would have no difficulty in finding precedents
for if. In his examination of the question as
to the powers of the General Government, ne
has dsc0vcred-and in the address referred to
he dwells at some length upon it-that the Con-
stituhon guarantees republican form OF gov
ernmcnt to every State For Mr.. Boutwell,
and the gentlemen who agree with HIM,
tine phrase "repubican form OF govern
"mentn has apparently but one construc-
ton. 1t means simply government by the Re
publican party. TO secure this the Executive
is empowered to use the army and navy, and
is dereict IN duty if he neglects or refuses to
do it. 1t admits of question whether the
Fathers" did really anticipate the present
political condition, and the neces-
siiy for using the army and navy
to maintain such republican institutions
as Packard and Spencer and Patterson and
the rest of the patriots who have for the past
eight or ten years been running the Southern
States, but these gentlemen have apparently no
doubts upon the subject. And if tie COnstl-
tuition authorizes the use of the army and navy
to maintain tins kind of a republican form of
government, there would be no difficulty III
deriving authority from that instrument Tor
the adoption OF the measure we have suggested
inplace of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amend
ments. But it is too late now, we fear, to make
the change. We can only lament il as polit-
cal mistake. And yet there are no doubt
large numbers OF citizens, who do not under
stand that party success is the chief good,
who will content themselves with the thought
that the last two amendments were adopted III
a spirit of patriotism and from a sense OF JUS
tice, and that it is quite safe to trust to time
and the progress Of events to shcy their WIS
dom and benefccncc.