Year: 1867

lips, the great apostle and pioneer Of radical
ism, has proclaimed his political gospel, and,
doubtless, the lesser lights and less advanced
Of his party will follow him as they have fol-
lowed heretofore. Revolutions, it is said, never


60 backwards; certainly they rarely stop until
they culminate in the most extreme measures.
The military bill Of Congress for the recon-


struction Of the South Is declared by Wendell


Phillips as "one step only" and that "the ele-
ment that was coming n ,xt (that Is In the pro-
gress of radical measures), would say to the
South that the negro should not only have the
ballot, but forty acres Of land under his feet"
He holds. too, that the South is not in condi-
ton to be reconstructed yet-that 1t should be
held "by the police power Of the nation (the


military for ive or seven years, until the seeds
ofrepublicanism are planted beyond the pos
sibility Of harm" To this, he says, the spirit


ofthe people is already compelling Congress"
to come.


Here we see, then, the programme Of this
bold leader Of republican rsdicalism:-the
South to be kept out until the radicals secure


long lease Of power, and . large portion Of the


lands Of that section to be given to the negroes.
he does not urge confscation in direct terms;


but he must mean that How coald forty acres
of Land be given to each negro withouts win
the republican party or the majority of that
party in Congress follow the lead of Wendell
Phillips? That is the important question.


Heretofore they have followed him, though


more or less tardily, and though he has been
little in advance of them. Will Phillips radi-
calism make such progress by the tme-say
next winter-.he Southern States shall be
ready under the military reconstruction acts of
Congress to be restored, to shut the door
against them for five or seven yearss Will
''the spirit Of the people" under radical instruc-


tion and influence, compel Congress to this
course? Mr.. Phillips believes so. We shall
see. Next winter we shall know whether the
radicals can triumph on the Phillips platform,
or the conservative republicans have the cour-
age and power to defeat them.


Such are the issues looming up prominently
just now, to change, modify or consolidate
parties. Reconstruction is the great question
of the day, and on that the fight will be made.


But there are other great questions that will



Whether this one Of reconstruction be disposed
of or not by the restoration or prolonged exclu-


sion of the South, the new issues cannot be
kept long in the background.


First viii come questions relating to our
national finances, the currency, banks, the
publ ic debt and how to pay it, and sound,
equal and economical system Of taxation.


A ~ ~
control of the whole Of the North American
continent. The negro will soon have fulfilled
his mission as the all-absorbing element in po-
litical warfare. Parties will be formed upon
the new issues named. There will be q de-
mand from the people for o reduction of the
burden of taxation and of the expenditures of
The government They have borne heavy bur-
dens during the war, and under that transition
state of circumstances resulting from the
war which we are passing through; but they


will not consent to bear these in times of
peace. Any party that may attempt to keep
us in that condition will be ignored Any
party that takes for its platform . reduction


of taxation and an economical administration
Of the government will secure the favor of
the people. The New England policy Of a high
tariff for the benefit of capital and few manu-
facturers, which has governed the country for
some time, will certainly be repudiated. The
great and growing agricultural States Of the
West and South will never consent to be the
hewers of wood and drawers OF water for
these local and selfish interests, and they
will be powerful enough to dictate . broader
and more liberal policy OF their own. The in
famous system of national banks, which takes
from the producing classes the profits Of their
industry, and twenty millions year from the
Treasury, cannot be tolerated long. 1t is clear
from the proceedings in Congress during last
winter and this spring, and from the tone of
the press, that public opinion against this sys-
tenn is growing nightly. Nor will the capi-


talists of the Eastern and Atlantic States be able


to resist the views of the West and the people


generally with regard TO the currency. The
clamor for forcing specie payments, whereby
the bondholders and the few rich may increase
their wealth, and all the rest OF the commu-
nifty be plunged into bankruptcy and ruin,
will certainly be resisted. Such are the
issues which will divide and reorganixs po-
litical parties in the future. Sectional and
local interests must yield to those OF the peo-
pie generally; and upon this question the
popular voice will be irresistible. We agree
with Wendell Phillips that "the millions Of
voters and tho great journals are more the
government than the machine at Washington"
and, we will add, than any party Of sec
tional or mere political character. The highly
interesting problem is, then, what party here
after will gain and hold the popular vote on
the great and new issues that are looming
up. Will 1t be the republican party, reor-
ganized and purged Of its New England Sec
There is lease Of city years power for any