Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1862-02-25

oee ~ the echemes before Congress, moat
vl,ai 40 the interests and integrity Of the Union,
h tha, Of establishing terrItorial governments
n lhe southern slaiss Il is urged that this
s,ep Il necessary for the preservAtiop Of law
and order, and for the protection Of the people.
The plan Il to supe,sede the present State Or
atoms By territories established under act
Of Con zsess Tho States TO be re-admt.ed BY
Congress into the Union whenever the people
shall chow themselves capable Of self-govern-
ment, and shall have adopted Constitution
securing a republican form Of government
Il is conceded that none but the seceded
States need be brought under thls arrangement
Recently, however, Il ls admitted BY some VINO
favor the plan, that ii need not be applied 70
Tennessee. The loyal people Of that State VIII
be able. 1. Is said, as soon as the armed rebels
are mi. down or driven from their borders, to
place their State on lie former footing in the
IJoion. with the Federal lAws executed as they
we're before the State was brought under Sc
cession rule.
The same thing may, as the triumph oil the
Union arms progresses, be said OF the other Sc
ceded States. II our troops were to penetrate
into Alabama, Mississippi and other eali
states. the same represssd Union feeling may
break forth as Il has done already In Tennes-
ace. Northern Alabama and Northern Missis-
sippi
There does not yet seem to be any necessity
for entertaining the territorial scheme Let US
see what effect will result from putting down
the rebel armies and dispensing their organized
copspiracies Let us know whether in tho most
rabid accession State, sufficient number Of the
people will not second the efforts Of the Federal
Goverumen. to re establish its authority, TO en-
able their State to resume its accustomed place
in the Union, before we talk OF converting
States into terri ories.
Numerous bills have been laid before Con-
gress with this territorial project 10 view, ana
the House committee on Territories, 't is said'
will soon report q thoroughly matured scheme
Of the kind. Itis doubtless the design OF prom
i6ent leaders of the majority In Congress to
hurry the project to cOusummation at the ear
lies. possible moment, before events shall have
demonstrated that Il is not necessary Tor the
vindIca,ion Of the Federal authority.
It lie part and parcel of the general ensn
ciuatiou scheme, to which it Is determined on
..sns-part-of powerful faction TO make the war
subservient. Once make the Southern States
serritories, and the right will be claimed 'or
CONGRESS to regulate their internal atfais' to
smancipa,e their slaves, to declare their LANDS
forfeited to the United States, and TO dispose OF
them as Government property Then twill be
claimed that they shall not be re-admitted INTO
the Union except they come 10 as free ssstes.
II vill In eject be a complete annihilation oil
the States over which the territorial jurisdie-
tion shall be extended.
This ia a matter that should awaken discus
siou and alarm We see that it is receiving
favor Ia such quarters as leads US to lear that
the scheme may be pressed through Congress
and reeeive the sanction of the President, be
fore the people are aware that the measure is
seriously sRitated. If it should be perfected,
u will be q death blow to theOld Union. What
may be called reconstruction may take place.
but it will not be a reconstruction OF the Union
as it existed before the rebellion broke out IL
was for reconstruction of this latter kind and
not for new Union, and new Government
that the people engaged to put down the rebell-
Ion.
The territorial scheme ia but the entering
wedge. or rather the frat in order of series OF
measures which are to ultimate in an entire
change or subversoD Of the old American Re-
public. We think the people are not yet quite
nrepared for this.