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Show an acknowledged mistake. TiieSt. Louts h'-t!t':-t.-i s.iya that during a cunvorriutiun on tiie Southern South-ern troubles between several Republican Repub-lican leaders, anions whom nre Mes.ird. Wilson ol Indiana, 1-Wer and Sliellabargor of Ohio, Itusk of Wisconsin ami Sayler of Indiana. They all agreed .that, in the light of iti results, the reconitruction policy of the Thirty-ninth and Fortieth CongrediOd w.w a mUUko. In thtd convention Juilgo Wilson said : Tho eontiitionii uiulur which We labored" lit In (5 and LSiiT Wdrii audi m wera most likely to produce- mistakes. We were doaling with ft people whose temper we could nut ik-L'LTtnin, bcraiiao al th:it time our communication with them was limited limi-ted and our facilities for communicating with thorn abridged by a spirit of hostility hos-tility that still prevailed, while behind us were the people and press of the North, intolerant ol" the delay iicivitry to a ualm cm-iderntioa of all the points involved. Wo were forced to do something and to do it tpiiekly. The reeonstruc.iiji) policy that was adapted suggested iuelf iirst. Many of us supported it with misgiving, niy-elf ftui'Uiir the number, Imt we uli iVil that, bad as it might prove to be it was the bol we could do under the eir eiiiiK-taneoa. The mistake tulmiltoJ, what should bo the remedy? rijme suggest tho reduction of tho State governments govern-ments by CongroiS to Territorial governments, for the purpose of restoring re-storing order, but this would be a still greater mistake than was lb., original reconstruction policy, whin i ignored the resident intelligence of the South and placed negroes and carpet-baggers at the head of affairs. Order might be maintained by the army, but it would be at the expense ot frco government and constitutional l ights, and the precedent could not be established without overturning our entire Republican system, and es-tiblidhing es-tiblidhing a sort of military despotism. despot-ism. There is but one me tho J of restoring oaler to the South. Take off the meddling congressional hand, and use the military only to enforce the verdict of the people legitimately records at the polls ; then leave every State to it" own responsible government. If this will not settle the Southern troujles, when it has failed it will be time to think of trying try-ing some other method. There is reason to fear, however, that the present pres-ent Congress will attempt to strengthen strength-en the Republican party by some absurd legislation in regard to the South which cannot fail to make matters there worse than they are at present. |