Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-07-12

Provtssoual Goverumenss--Rfgh of
the states Under the Constitution
and their Relation to the General
Gsserwmenf.
In the Senate on Monday last there was a very
interesting debate upon the bill providing pro.
visional Governments for the States in rebellion
against the Governmsnt ws<have only room
Tor part Of the DISCUSSION. and call attention
specially TO the remarks OF Mr.. CowAS the Re |
publican Senator from Pennsylvania, who ex-
presses similar sentiments to those advocated by
the Indianapolis Journal. the New York Tri-
bane, GaIrison's Libcrator and that school of
politicians generally:
Mr.. Cowan-I have sometimes been of opin- |
that there danger that would depart, |
very materially depirt. not only from the great
principles which were established by the revolu-
ton. but from the principles which were declared
by ourselves at the time undertook this war To
suppress she rebellion. Sir. what is a republican
form of government Il it not a government
formed by the people by their own free consentl
The Government OF North Carolina, before the
rebellion, was Government formed by her peo- |
pie. and II was recognized by this Government;
and as said by the honorable Senator from |
New York. the Government bound by its /
guarantee TO sustain and support that Govern
ment; and il IL was overturned by any accident |
the guarantee extended TO its restoration. Now, |
sir. rebellion takes place. Ii that rebellion in
wolves the w..ole people in it. chat people. by a
Fundamental principle of our Government and our
policy, have right to establish such form of gov
eminent they choose; aud if it had been es- |
tablIshed to the satisfaction of this Congress and
OF this Government. that the whole people of the
States in which the rebellion prevailed had been
ia al in hat nj
sever their connection with this General Govern
ment and establish form of government Such as
they desired. | suppose nobody would have un
dertaken To put down the rebellion. / suppose
no Democrat would have undertaken it, | sup
pose Republican would have undertaken il; |
suppose no man who understood the theory which
underlies our Government and our institutions
would have undertaken it..
What then was the theory upon which we in
augurated this war, and upon which we have ex
pended some seven or eight hundred million dol
lars and poured out the blood of perhaps one
hundred thousand brave menl Ii was because
we decided all the people OF the rebelous States
were not in favor of this rebellion. Ii was be
cause We believed il was confined to a few. had
no doubt of it. have no doubt oft now il the
truth could be known. In the discharge of our
guarantee. and in the performance OF our solemn
pledges i'm the Constitution, went To war TO
the many as against the few-to rescue
the loyal against the disloyal. That was the
theory and upon no other theory can this war
be justified or the Government be sustained
because no one then suggested conquest. aud
all denied il.
In pursuance of our design not to make a
quest, net To sublugate, but to rescue and restore
invade particular State, and We put down
the rebellion. What is next To be donef Guar
antee 10 them a republican form OF government
What republican form OF government | ask
Ia fsarr, of nnaQf vnic hoy
made for themselves The republican form of
government which had been recognized by this
Government Unquestionably. What other oneI
Who dare propose another oner And vet the
Senator from Massachusetts, would discharge that
guarantee To support and maintain that republican
form OF government by taking Il away and sub
stituting of his own IN its stead. That is most
extraordinary Democracy, and most extraorii
nary Republicanism. But he says some of these
laws are atrocious, and are abhorrent To the civil
lied world. Very we'll: whose business is that.
according to our theory The business OF the
Senator from Massachusetts,. of the people of
Massachusetts. or of the people of North Caro-
lima, who had the right 20 make them! | suppose
| am as much IN favor OF teaching little children
read the honorable Senator, and suppose
have taught great many more to read than he
ha-: bat that is not the question. The question
ia Nhe;her will stand upon great truth tau. he
Us IN the revolution, whether We will give 10 the
people-not the rebellious people. but the loyal
people-af North Carolina, il there such there.
the government which they established and il is
not province here to say whether its laws
atrocioas or whether they abhoTent to the
civilized world or tot. The question is, are they
the laws OF North Carolinay Perhaps If Penn
sylvania we're 10 erticise the laws of Massachu-
sets, she might, torsooth, hnd some of them ab
horrent TO civilization. She might find some of
them which, TO her nicer and more delicate sense
-. -. 4 Sta..
thing might be; but. ask, would that give Penn
s,lvana the right To interfere and to change
them, because she 50 decldedr Surely not. Ii
this j. a republican form OF government. II it IS
Democratic at lis base. then the people who are
to be governed by the laws are % form them, and
not other people | thought that right was the
very thing which was achieved by the revolution.
Before that revolution. gentlemen OF large
qurements OF fine tastes. and of large political
skill fabricated governments for the people: but
in this country IL decided that the people
should fabricale them for themselves. especially
as they were Ia be affected by them, and nobody
else.
Well. sir. We have taken possession of State.
III you please have put down the rebellion:
what is next To be donel Establish Govern
ment What Government \ Provisional Gov
ernment Establish a ,sovernment different from
that which the people had established, or which
thew could establish Mr. President. say, and
think nobody gainsay IL. that the only Gov
eminent winch can be established there Is the
Government which that loyal people will set up
again. having been temporarily thrown down by
the accident of the rebellion. And when they
set il up again upon it, original basis and carry it
on upon it, first footing, we are done. That is
all We can DO. il We pretend at all to carry out
the doctrines upon which We entered upon the
war; namely. that State could not 90 out of the
Uuion and that, therefore, We could not make a
conquest OF her a ii she we're out.
But it Is said there will be al lnterregpum, and
the people must have little time to reinstate the
old order of things That is all true. but Who i
clothed with the power To maintain that condition
Of things which will enable the people TO set up
that fallen Government Isitthis Congressl Our
Government Is one of delegated powers, and the
man who asserts power IN il must put has finger
upon the place where II Is delegated. IL will not