Year: 1867

The Reaction.


There has been more of the severity of
justice than of the wisdom of e1pediency
in the extremely radical policy of Congress
for two years past. 1t has been constantly
assumed by the radical leaders that they
only represented an intense and inveterate
radicalism in the people. They asserted
that they were really driven before the pop
ular tempest of radicalsm. which was des-
tined to sweep round the world like the
trade winds There are now visible signs
that the country has either had too much
or too little of the radical policy As We
see it, there has been too much of the good
thing.


Several times in the course Of events
since the surrender of Lee, We have ex.
pressed misgivings as to the complete con-
summation of the radical policy. We
hoped to be able to stop at a safe place, and
consolidate the Republican victory won in
the war. We dreaded the consequences
of attempting to compress into the period
covered by a couple of Congresses, the
work of ordinary centuries. We had not
as much confidence in the age ard in mod
ern improvements, as some others.





But there is popular WEAKNESS as tO
fighting the old battles Of the war over al
the time. There are some other things tc
think about We begged Ben. Wade to
stop the torrent of personal vitupcration
aud partisan violence long enough to talk
little about some of the new issues which
were particularly important here. Moth
ing could be got out of him but the same
old ding dong. The third officer of the
Government, Mr.. Speaker Colfax, gave us
but very small amount Of instruction in
proportion to the latitude and longitude OF
his discourse, and iadulged in an unseen
ly and untimely threat of hanging the first
officer of the Government The efficacy
of such indiscreet harangues is seen in the
election returns from Ohio. Something
beside war talk will be wanted hereafter
No one need deny that there is reac-
tion against the radical policy of making
Black States in the South, coupled with
the most reprehensibe carelessness in finan-
cial legislation, save where care is taken to
favor special interests, and terribly prof
ligatc system of appropriation. Within a
few weeks Congress meets. There will be
those SO demented that they will wish to
rush forward-'jump ahead" az Ben
Wade says-take leap in the dark in fur
ther proscriptive Legislation, confscating e
southern estates, mpcaching the President
and all that sort of thing. 1t will not do.
Congress has work to do far better. Aye,
it is vital work 1t is to remodel the re-
construction of the South, so as to couple
with Impartial Suffrage, Universal Amnes-
ty. We use Greeley's words and they are
golden ones. Then Congress must address
itself with extraordinary energy to finau-
cial questions. We wrote out our policy
on this head few days ago, so satisfactor-
gnage here: "The thing to do is to make
the greenback dollar as good as gold. Let
Congress address itself to that work. The
way to accomplish it is plain. Insist upon
an economical administration of the Gov
ernmcnt Kick aside the corruptionists in
all directions cause the enforcement most
vigorously of the revenue laws. Get at
the matter of equalizing taxation and per-
severe iu it. Repeal the prohibitory and
protective legislation, and reconstruct the
tariff for revenue. Stop harbor appropri-
tions, where barbors do not exist, and CON-
mcrce is impossible. Throw away forever
the pronigste canal projects Of the extreme
North Touch lightly as possible the Pa
cifc railroad schemes TO absorb both tie