Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Iowa) 1861-1864, 1863-05-28
Communications.
of the Charles City Intelligencer
Status of The Rebel States.

Correspondence of the Charles City Inteligencer.
Status of The Rebel States.
EDITOR INrELuGENcER Did not the
President indorse my doctrine touch
ing the true legal relations of the Reb-
ell territory? He most surely did in
his proclamation Of September last.
But did Congress indorse it, is per-
haps the more pertinent question.
The premise established by a series
of deductions was, that the territory
of the seeded States no longer con-
stituted States of this Government,
but unorganized territory. And this
the President asserted in his procla-
nation. But, if this be so, how is it
that in portions of those once States,
where loyalty to the Union prevails,
the people are said to be holding
elections to choose members of Con-
gress ? Are Congressman thus chosen
eligible to all the powers of members
from the loyal States, or, are they on
ly delegates on par with the delegates
from other territories, as Utah, Wash
ington, Dakota, etc. :?
If it is assumed that they are peers
with the other members Of Congress
and those from the loyal States, then l
would ask, how did they become so !?
1t is certain that the relation of those
States to the General Government
was annulled by forfeiture-it was
demolished by their violently repell-
ing in toto the authority and jurisdic-
ton Of the General Government and
since that was done, how, in the name
of civil order, have those loyal Sec
tions of those once States become eli
gible to representation in the legisla-
ture Of the Union ? Congress has
passed no act that l am aware of re-
admitting them, or, any portion of
them.
1t is true that military Govern
ments have been established in sever
al Of those States as Louisiana. Ten
nessee, ETC., but these are for military
purposes only. These have no civil
authority, il l understand the matter
rightly. Is there any such thing
known as military Government
being established in an organized 10y
al State, although an extensive insur-
rection prevail? Is not the civil Govern
or invested with all power, even to con-
troll the military Of his State, and to
quell such insurrection Hence, if
there be no civil organization, no
civil Governor, and an insurrection
RACES, and the authorities Of the Gen.
eral Government set military Cover.
nor over the territory, for what purpose
is it? For no other than to sns-
tain and enforce military rule. Such
military functionary has no power
whatever to institute or call into ac-
ton civil legislatures, or to establish
courts Of civil justice and If there
be no civil institutions established by
the civil power, then such territory
can have no representation in the civ
il institutions of the General Govern
ment. The question then. here recurs,
how can such territory, holding its ex'
istence only under military rule be ell
igible for legal representation in the
Legislature of the General Govern,
ment 2
1t is the province, truly of a militia
ry Government to defend the civil pow
er in all its forms and is indeed ev.
er subject to that power, except when
the exigencies Of the times require
for general safety, that the military
power for the time being predominate
, this too is wise provision of the civ
lii power itself. But mark, this is moi