Year: 1867

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- .s-~ =, How 10 do ID. ~ E.


The ConStitution sprOvides that th'
President "shall, from time to time, Civ,


to the Congress Information of the STATE
Of the Union, and recommend to thei


consideration such measures as he shal
judge necessary and expedient." The


President has, accordingly recently in
FltSriDed Congress that the Union is still


disorganized, and that it Is so because
Congress does not obediently accept his
view of the policy necessary to restore it


In his Excellency's present opinion-fol


he has by no means been always of his


present lnind-the true course is to con.


slider that there has been riot in Ger.


tain States, which is now subdued. MOI


to take this view, and be satisfied with


it. is, In the Presidents judgement, to


destroy the Constitution. To invite any


body but the former voting class in


the lh6e rebel States to reorganize civil


governments in them, is to ''violate the


Constitution in the face of positive In.


terdict." That there has been a rebel.


lion, and war, and emancipation, and q


total upheaval of society, and that some.


thing more may be necessary than an


order of 'as you were ~ is view of the


situation of which in the Presidents


estimation no well-regulated mind can


be guilty.


This is, as every body sees, but the


same dreary old story. There is not q


new stroke in it. But the reasoning


which did not satisfy two years ago is
still wholly unsatisfactory, for it omits


the facts. Congress has reasoned upon


the facts. Leaving the Presidents futile
theories behind, it has adopted a plan of
reconstruction which is even now in
process Of development; and because
the late elections have gone against the
party Of Congressional majority the
President declares that the people have
decided between him and Congress, and
recommends that the work he undone.
In what manner it should be renewed
he does not directly say. But the argu-
,nent Of his Message plainly shows that,
having repealed the Reconstruction law,
the States in question should be reorgan-
lied by the late rebels exclusively, and
that the colored population should be
left entirely at their mercy.


In what melancholy circle the Pres
idential mind swings around! A year
ago last summer we had an illustration
of the results Of the policy now proposed
by him. The massacre in New Orleans
indicates exactly the peace, and prosper
ity, and serene reconstruction which
would result from the abandonment of
those States and their loyal population
to the contral of the late rebels, or what
the Democratic journals call 1.-The peo-
ple' of the South. And what does the
President, or what does any sensible
man, suppose would be the result of de-
priving the newly-enfranchised popula-
tion of political power and remanding
them into the ''tutelage" Of the whites?
There is no folly so insane as the suppo-
sition that such course is possible or
prac... cable. .##z


One of tie chief Copperhead newspa-
pers in the North. the Ne:v York World,
with all the emphasis of
italics, that the Republican policy OF
negro reconstruction will not he suhcr-
ed to stand" Now we are of opinion
that the World can prevent that :econ-
exactly as much as it prevent
ed the successful issue Of the war. and
no more. During the was the Worlds
sympathies ahd efforts were for the
rebels, and its affectation of patriotism
deceived nobody. AS it hoped for
rebel success then, 50 it hopes for rebel
success now. But it may make up its
mind that the Copperheai policy of
rebel reconstruction will not even begin.
much less stand. TO suppose that the
Of voters in the loyal States, in
recognizing civil government at the
South, will enfranchise the whole rebel
class, and disfranshise the whole loyal
class, is simply absurd. With the mass
of voters it is not aquestion of humanity
In the first place, but Of policy. They
wish peace, and reason and experience
show them that peace is not possible in
the Southern States unless the freedmen
have the protection Of the ballot. The
Democratic party has just carried the
State of New York by fifty thousand
majority. If it should tomorrow pro-
pose to the State it's policy of rebel re-
and loyal ostracism at the
South, it would be defeated.


The situation in the Southern States
is far from agreeable; but it is incom-
parably better and more promising than
any situation of those States which this
generation has seen. It is neither NOR
ally, socially, industrially, nor political
ly SO perilous as it was twenty years ago.
The apparent prosperity, the apparent
repose, the apparent occasional luxury
Of life there, We're, as the event has
proved, mere glIttering delusions. To
restore the old condition as nearly as
possible would be merely to undo, as