Year: 1867

While we are waiting for the curtain to rise
on the Presidents version of the French dra-
ma entitled the Coup dEtat. the work OF re-
construction goes bravely on. 1t is not alto
gether improbable that before the amateur
dramatic artists of the White House get
through with all their rehearsals and procure
all the sceneryand costumes necessary to bring
out their piece in proper manner, events
may have occurred that will render any per-
formance of the play untimely, if not impos-
sible.


How much remains to be done in the ten
States that are under military control, and
how much time it will take to do it, are just
now very important subjects of inquiry. The
preliminary gork ofregistration must be done
by the first day Of next month. There is no
power vested anywhere to change that, for it
is established by law. The next step is the
election in the several States, by which it is
to be determined whether constitutional con-
ventions shall be held in pursuance of the
Congressional plan OF reconstruction. AT the
same time delegates to the conventions are to
be elected, who are to assemble or not, ac-
cording to the decision arrived at on the pre-
doubt that a majority of the registered voters
will give their ballots for convention. This is
made by law condition precedent to the as
semblng ofa convention. The time when the
first elections shall take place is not fixed by
law, but is left to the discretion OF the district
commanders. But there is no disposition any,
where manifested to postpone them beyond
the first of November, and we take it for
granted that they will be held in all the
States on. OF before that date. If the result of
ventions, the district commanders are to nOti-
fly the delegates within sixty days to assemble
at such time and place as they-the COM
manders-shall deem proper. Practically, they
will delay this notification no longer than is
necessary to enable them to determine what
the result of the elections has been, and the
length OF time to intervene between the issue
of the notifications and the assembling Of
the conventions will certainly not exceed
thirty days.


The proceedings of the conventions will
constitute the crisis OF the reconstruction era
If they are wise and patriotic, recons tructiou
is an accomplished fact. After the constitn-
tions have been framed by the conventions,
those bodies are to fix the day upon which
the people shall. vote upon the question OF
their acceptance or rejection, the time not to
exceed thirty days after notice has been given.
If the constitutions contain the impartial sui-
frage clause required by the act OF Congress,
and ii they are ratified by a majority OF the
registered voters, but one thing more remains
to be done by the people of the rebel States
to complete their part of the work. Legsla-
lures. elected under the new constitutions,
must ratify the amendment TO the constitu-
tion of the United States which was submit
ted by the thirty-ninth Congress. But the in
dividual action ofa State on this amendment
will not OF itself en- title it to representation
in Congress. Three -fourths of all The States
of the Union m ust ratify the amendment be-
fore any Of the Southern States can be admit
ted. Twenty have already done so, and
eight more must concur in order to fulfill
this condition.


As soon as it is found that constitution
has been ratified by the people, the president
of the convention which framed it must for
ward it to the President of the United States,
that body finds, upon inspection of the instru-
ment that all the conditions imposed by law
have been fulfilled in good faith and that the
constitutional amendment has been ratified, il
is bound by its implied promise to admit the
State to representation.


Allthese steps may be taken without diff
Guilty, il no obstacles are interposed by the
Executive, before the first of March. In
coming to this conclusion we of course as
sumo that the action Of the Southern people
will be favorable to reconstruction at each
stage of progress-that they will vote for con-
ventions, frame proper constitutions, and rat
ily the constitutional amendment. The as
sumption is not violent one, for the result
OF the registration, which is now known, es-
tablishes the subsequent course of events so
far as the people themselves are concerned.
The loyal blacks have a majority of register
ed voters in all the States but Arkansas and
Virginia. The delegates elected by them will
represent their opinions, and when the con-
stitutions are framed they will be submitted
to the same men for ratification. The same
men, too, must elect the members of the
legislatures which are to act upon the coDsti-
tutional amendment, If in single State
q disposition to hold back is manifested, it
would be only for time. The time has
long passed when any one supposed that the
'lone STAR business would pay.