The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1863-12-10

the Union.
LAYING aside, then, as practically meaningless,
the theories and arguments of those who would
restore the States of the South TO their social and
noIiticaI condition as ante beLlnl. and also OF
those who expect the existing State authorities OF
the South to set about the work Of reunion
the question Is at once reached, what are the
modes and conditions of National Restoration?
Fortunately, IN this case we have an example be-
fore US, 90 complete and perfect in itself, so
admirable in its workings, so satisfactory In It's
results. that nothing better could be desired an
example of a State, presided over by a rebel Gov
ernor, represented by a rebel Legislature, which
seeded from the Union raised an army of rebel
soldiers and fought the National Government,
and vet which is now back in the Union, with
all the machinery of its State Government in
order, with Il loyal Governor and Legislature.
with its citizens in possession of all their rights
and franchises, and with u population as I'M
hinching in their loyalty as the people Of any
State in the Union. | refer, of course, TO Mis-
souri,, a State which. when the rebellion broke
out, had Claib jackson for Governor, Reynolds
for eutehant-G Governor, had q secession Legis-
lature, which voted her out Of the Union and
annexed her 10 the Southern Confederacy. which
sent Gen. Price as her military leader into the
field, which contributed to the rebel cause 80, 900
men, who fought three great battles and a hun
dred minor ones on her soil, and the territory Of
which was all either held or disputed by the
rebels which for a year and Il half was the
scence of conflict, the field on which battles were
waged for the Southern COnfederacy. Now al
this day, all Missouri is indisputably in our pos
session, and not a rebel dare show his uniform
within her borders. Not only so. but she has a
Governor as true and loyal as yours. a Legisla-
ture rs staunchly Union rs any that assemblies
under the shadow of our flag, and which has just
made provision for the emancipation of all the
slaves i'll the State. More than this, she has
%, 900 volunteers in our service, and 60 600
enrolled militia, who have all :. taken and sub
scribed' the vital oath. She manages her own
internal affairs she has representatives in both
branches Of Congress and she stands proudly
and Loyalty as one of the main pillars OF the great
American Union.
How was this marvellous transition effected?
How was this &" change of base" military and
political, accomplished? You know. 1t has
been written in all the journals of the last two
years. The loyal element of the State. acting in
its primary capacity, and through Convention,
celebrating even while rebel troops were close
by, deposed formally the rebellious Governor, and
Professionally appointed Il loyal one-dissolved
and abolished the rebel Legislature, and ordered
the election of 4 fresh one-annulled the ordin-
ance of Secession, and registered statutes Of fealty.
All this and more was done. The whole State,
in all its departments, in all its Offices, and in all
its officers, was reorganized, the work going
slowly but steadily ON, month alter month, until
Missouri was regenerated into the new life. This
is the general outline, and after this fashion were
the detailed operations Of Reconstruction in the
erstwhile Iebellious and defiant State of Missouri.
By foul and adverse winds was she drlited out to
Il stormy sea, and almost broken to pieces amid
the rocks and quicksands of secession but she
has again swung round majcstically into the
haven of Union, where it is to be hoped she will
find security and peace forever.
Essentially the same plan of reconstruction and
reunion, but with some notifications, was adopt
ed by the loyal people of est Virginia, which is
now u State in the Union. The secession of that
portion of Old Virginia was of course effected
when tire Convention at Klchmon voted the
entire State out of the Union. In Western Vir-
giniI Us in Eastern Virginia, rebel functiOnaries
were appointed, rebel soldiers were raised, the
rebel flag was planted. and battles were fought
for the rebellion. Gen. Robert h.. Lee, now
commanding the main army OF the Coniederacy,
heshed his maiden sword there and Gen. Rose
Grams, there first displayed his skill
in defeating Lee. Gen. Mcclellan, Gen. Reynolds,
CHILLED ut Gettysburg,) and other Of our Union
officers, as well as Gen. Wise, Gen. Floyd and
other rebel officers, fought long and hard in
Western Virginia. But in course of time the
rebel army was driven back there, and its mill
tary power broken. And the loyal people of that
section gathered together, held a Convention,
chose n Governor, elected Il Legislature, and
founded Il Government for Il new loyal State.
That Government has been in operation, regular
~ and legitimately. for a year and a half, and Is
to-day paramount from verge TO verge of the new
State. The citizens, like those of Missouri, have
all their ancient franchises, local and National,
social and political and like those of Missouri,
they too have voluntarily taken means to rid
their State of the rebellIOus institution of slavery.
Thus these two great States, which wandered
from their orbits, and for a time drifted wildly
among the spheres, are now again loyalty per-
forming their revolutions around the central
power.
No process of this kind was gone through with
in Kentucky nor in Maryland, though in both of
these States the rebel element was for IL time all
but dominant. Maryland, you will remember
was saved from revolution by the frmness and
sagacity of Gov. Hicks and Kentucky was saved
from it by the forced resignation of the semi
secession Gov. Magofin, and by the defiant
Unionism of Il majority of the members of the
State Legislature.
But 4 movement for reconstruction almost pre-
cisely analogous to that which has been consuuI-
mated in Missouri, has now commenced and gone
through its primary stages in Tennessee. Ten
nessee was engineered and forced out of the Union
by its Secession Legislature very much Is Mis-
souri, was. Shortly before the ordinance of Seces-
sion was passed, the citizens of the State, by Il
vote distinctly upon the issue, declared for the
Union by a majority Of | remember aright) of
something like 10 900. Notwithstanding this,
and in the face of it, the conspirators proclaimed
neutrality-suspicious. the union of Tennessee with
the Southern Cunfederacy. Then began the reign
of terror then commenced the systematic at
tempt, by fraud, by ialsehood and by force, to
compel the inhabitants of the State TO accept the
new condition of things; to vindicate " State
Sovereignty and Southern Rights - TO take
active part in the rebellion to " take Il hand in
the fight" to repel invasion. etc, etc. The
scheme was all too successful. The swift, power
full and positive current of opinion swept into its
volume the great and stagnant masses ; and at
last by its rush and sweep forced even antagonis-
tic elements to join it. Thus, at last, by a COM
mon course and common struggles. the State