Year: 1866

from the New York Times


As plan OF pacifcatl0n and reconstruction, the
Whole thing is worse than hurlesque. 1t might
lie styled farce, were the country not in the
midst of a very serious drama. Its proper desig-
nation would be IA plan to prolong indefinitely
the exclusion of the South from Congress, by inn
posing conditions to which the Southern people
will never submit This being the obvious scope
and tendency of the proposition, we are bound to
assume that it clearly reflects the settled purpose
of the committee, So that the joint committee ap.
pointed nearly five months ago to take exclusive
charge OF the question of reconstruction now of
fer as the result Of all their labors what would in
fact render reconstruction forever impossible.


There is an anomalous feature in the affair as it
stands, which OF itself reveals the mOnstrous ma
ture OF the pretenlions set up by the committee.
All the provisions of the proposed amendment
imply the adoption of the extreme view in regard
TO the relation of the South to the Union. We
must begin by assuming that what were States be-
fore the war are mere Territories now, on this at
tempt 10 dictate terms as the condition of recOg~
milton becomes undSguised usurpation. We must
assume, In fact, that the South is at this moment
neither more nor less than an aggregate of Terri
tories, waiting for admission as States, and from
whose people Congress may therefore require com.
pliance with certain proposals. And yet on It's
face the amendment declares the existence, as
States. of all the States recently ia rebellion and
presupDoses the exercise by their several Legsla-
tures of the highest constitutional attribute of
State sovereignty. They have no right to repre-
sentatl0n IN Congress, forsOoth They may not
say yea or nay On the most trivial questions that
come before Congress. They are not permitted
TO enjoy particle of influence in matters affect
Ing the finance, the trade, the industry the for
ejgn relations of the country, or any of its con.
Germs, great or small. These privileges they are
denied on the pretence that they are not within
the Union, and therefore have no right to reeog-
milton as parts of the Union. Nevertheless, under
the contemplated amendment. they are treated as
eoVereig ign States whose ratification of the amend
ment IS essential to its constitutional validity
They are to vote for or against a change in tile
Constitution OF the UIion, OF which, ou the Rad
ica hypothesis, they are not at present members
Could absurdlty 60 further Could the folly of
this fanaticsm be made more manifest?


From the dilemma into which the committee
have just plunged there is no logical escape. II
the Southern States are in condition by their
Legislatures to ratify or reject constitutional
amendment, they must of necessity be qualified to
eeDd Senators and Representatives to Congress
subject only to the Judgment of either House as to
the eligibility OF the persons sent. State which
= may assist in the sovereign task of moulding the
constitution under which Congress acts may surely
demand voice in what the Constitution creates
The greater right covers the lesser right, in this
as in other cases. On the other hand if the South
ern States are not entitled to admission to Con
gress-n the point be established, as the Radical
doctors say it is that these are ctates no longer
but Territories only, subject to the will OF the
conqueror- then it follows that they are not en-
titled to any lot or part in the business of amend
ing the Constitution Upon which horn shall the
Central Directory" be impaled? Shall we take
it that this prodigious amendment-this mighty
mouse brought forth by a mountain after five
months parturition-does not mean what it say:
when it speaks Of the States lately in rebellion az
States still, with their sovereign functions unm.
paired though for the time interrupted? Or shall
We conclude that the doctrine OF State suicide is
abandoned, the doctrine of subjugation given up
and the criminal blunder of which the Radical.
have been guilty in excluding the South from
Congress at langth confessed? Let there be ex
plict answers upon these heads of the subject
As it at present appears, the position of the com
mttee is utterly untenabe.


Aside from these points, the worthlessness o
the committees proposition is obvious. 1t cannot
by any possibility affect anything We may conf
IDENTITY take it for granted that the people of the
South will never, under any circumstances, acqui-
esce in their own disranchsement for four years
in reference to all that relates to the Federal gov
ernment. There is room for difference OF opinion
on the general merits of the reconstruction prob
lem On this point there can be none. The South
has taken its stand on the ground of common
citizenship, and il will never accept as the price
OF Congressional representation that which would
be equivalent to an acknowledgment of four years