Year: 1866

Will ths South Accept the Beet AttainabIe


Terms.


Very naturally the radical copperhead
organs and the radical niggerhead organs are
acting together in opposition 10 the conserve
tive constitutional amendment, just a. they
aided and abetted each other before the war
and during the war. We expected no less than
this when we rescued the amendment from the
oblivion 10 which II had been doomed by the
radicals Of both parties snd placed it clearly
before the country as . vital, positive ISSUE
It is because these radicals so bitterly oppose
II that the masses Of the people are becoming
every day more enthusiastic in it's favor.
They remember that II was passed through
Congress by conservative republican votes and
in spite OF the open hostility Of the ultra radi-
Gals, like Mr.. Thad Stevens, and they know
that its adoption by the South now would be
another great triumph over those extremists
who desire to keep the Union divided in order
to further their partisan plans at the next
Presidential election. For this reason the
more the radicals on both sides say against
the amendment the more the people find in il
10 endorse.


The radical copperbead papers denounce
the constitutional amendment as "a sham, .
swindle and lie." The radical niggerhead
papers treat it in the same temper and declare
that mo leading republican in Congress means
10 admit the ten waiting States simply on the
adoption OF that amendment" This is the
opinion Of the extremists, and everybody
knows that il is worth practically nothing.
We ask the Southern States whether the oppo-
sition of the radicals is not ono Of the strong
est arguments to induce them to ratiiy the
amendment at once? They have been
shown that the constitutional amendment
was adopted in Congress against the wishes Of
the radicals !; they have seen that General
Grant approves II they have been informed
that the delegation from the Cleveland
Convention Of soldiers and sailors endorsed il
in their address to the President, and they
have noticed that the Pittsburg Convention
OF soldiers and sailors embodied IL in their
platform and forced Major General Butler to
report IL, in spite OF his recent ill-disguiscd
hostility TO so pacific q measure The prompt
admission Of Tennessee has proved TO them
that - State has only to ratify the amendment
TO be at once received into the Union. Here,
then, 10 plan Of immediate restoration which
Is sanctioned by all the true friends OF the
South and opposed by all her enemies. Why
should II not be accepted Why do the
Southern States hesitate and delay! il IL
harder TO DO deprived Of few representatives
in Congress by denying the negroes the fran-
chise than 10 be deprived Of representation
altogether Is II more grievous 10 give
votes TO the negroes, II that alternative be
chosen, than 10 keep oil the white men from
the ballot box, Will the South accept the
best attainable terms as condensed in this
amendment, or will tho blood aud burning
policy Of Parson Brownlow be preferred by
Southern statesmen


We tell the South that the conservative
people of the North are a unit upon this
amendment. II has been ratified by the Legis-
nturc Of New Jersey, which Is the only State
about whose ratification there had been any
doubt. In excluding leading rebels from Office
and forever repudiating the rebel debt, II gives
Just those guarantees for ouF future peace and
security tha! the North inexorably demands
rs provision In regard to the apportionment
81 representation affects the Northern States as
we'll ~ the Southern. If we accept IT, why
cannot the south, The time has nassad when