The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1863-08-27
Upon what Terms can the
Rebel States come Back.

It is now quite certain. that some of the
rebel States are nearly ready to give up
their rebellion and come back into the uu-
ion As the rebellion is nearly played
out, others will soon follow as matter of
course. It becomes very important
question, upon what terms can they be
received back? 1t is matter of grave
controversy, among statesmen and pollti-
clans, as to what is their real status now,
are they States or are they not are they
in the union or out Of it? Without
undertaking 10 give an opinion upon
either of these questions, definitely, we
will venture few suggestions. 1t
will BE remembered tha. South Carolina,
and the other States which followed her,
undertook by .Stote action to vote them
selves out of the union; in other words
they passed ordinances, declaring the
connection between themselves and the
general government forever served. Did
this action on the part of these States re-
lease them from their corporate obligations
to the general government We say no.
To admit it would be to admit the legality
Of the alleged doctrine of secession. We
hold this government is not league or
compact between States, to be continued
or not, just according to the pleasure of
the States, but it is a government Of the
people, which can only be changed by
revolution. The Rebel States, whsle they
have for the time being destroyed their
state governments, have not by any action
of theirs voted the people Of the States
out of the union. They owe allegiance to
the federal government just as much as
they did before the ordinances ofseccssion
were passed 1t is upon this ground that
the general government is prosecuting
this war to compel them to submit to its
constitutional authority IF this theory
is correct, then it follows that the people
Of the rebel States are still inside Of the
federal union. 1t is sound law, that tr0i-
to7,s an arms hare no rights, orcrpt the
ri;hs to Je hung for their treason. They
have no right to claim more. Applying
this principle to the rebels, where are
they? II they desire to come back into
the union, have they any right to demand
that slavery shall still be recognized as a
State Institution by the federal govern
ment? The only persons to be consulted
in the case Of North Carolina, or any other
State which desires to come back into the
union, are u.e loyal men and aoonen Of s'ch
State. They have right to be heard
The old State governments, in the rebeI
States, have been destroyed so far as they
have any relations TO the federal govern
meut, for every one OF them profess
allegiance to the coniedcracy, and rcpudl
ate the old government, the old union
and the old flag. The only state govern
ments now recognized in rebeldom by the
federal government are the provisional
military governments established by fed
eral authority, such as that IN Tennessee
under ANDREW JOHNSON and that il
Louisiana under Gen. SHEPLEY. These
are established as matters OF military
necessity to give protection to the loya
people living in the rebel States. These
provisional governments directly recognize
the fact that the public domain OF the
rebel States belongs to the. federal union
so far as relates to the question ofsovereign
authority. Following out these premises
tho rebel States can only come back into
the federal union through the agency oi
the loyal people Of these States. And in
connection with this it should be OBJ
served that the rebellion has of itself
created certain restrictions upon the rights
of the rebel states, as formerly recognized
40 that it is utterly impossible for the sun
ION as il was" to be restored. The eman
cipstion proclamation of the Presiden
abolished slavery in all the rebel States
The relation Of n.s.te- aud slave no longer