Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-01-27
The administrator Plan for the
Destruction Of Republican Gov
ernment.

We print In full in this paper the recent
proclamation of General BANKS for the re-
construction of Louisiana on President
L1LcoLN's plan. Gen. BANKS processes to
act under specific directions from the Pres
ident. Mr.. LINCOLN, as our readers are
aware, has issued similar instructions to
General STEELE In Arkansas. This process
will doubtless be continued and made to
apply to all the States regarded as in rebel
lion. 1t is the Administration, or to be
more specific, it is Mr.. LINcoLN's plan for
restoration of the Union. AS such resto-
ration was the sole and avowed end and OBJ
ject of the war on the part of the Admins
tration at its commencement the question
of reconstruction or restoration Is the most
important that can engage the attention OF
the people-more important than the war
itself. without regard to this question. For
If the war is not to end or culminate in
restored Union, it is wild, aimless, and in
the highest degree, fanatical, not to say,
criminal.
The great and fatal objection to Mr.. LIN
coins plan of reconstruction, as develop
cd in the proclamation of General BANKS
and in the instructions to General STEELE,
Is that it is not plan for the reconstruc-
ton of States at all, but for their destruc-
tion. States that are in peril of losing their
integral existence as members of the Union,
can only be saved from that peril by the
National Government coming forward to
t'leir aid and carrying out in letter and spir-
1t the fourth section of the fourth article OF
the Constitution, which declares that ''the
United States shall guaranty to every
State in this Union a republican form OF
Government"
What is the republican form ofgovern-
ment'' here meant? The answer is simple
1t is such a government as the people OF
State have adopted. In State deemed in
rebellion, it Is the government under thu
State Constitution the people had at thu
time the rebellion broke out or the act o
secession took place. The State Constitu'
tion, as it then stood, was their Fundamental
law. 1t is so still, and must remain so, fol
to force upon the people without their con-
sent new or altered Constitution or Gov
ernment, which is the same thing, would
not be to guaranty to them republican
form of government" but the opposite. II
would be usurpation and tyranny-no mat.
ter under what plea orpretense it was done
1t is essential to republican form of gov
ernment" that it emanate from the free, un-
biased choice of the people,
1t is also essential to such govern
ment that the people of the State
fix and determine the qualifications Of
voters. This the people of Louisiana, Ar
kansas and other seeded States did, when
there was no question as to their loyalte.-
The President has no more right to inter-
fere with the elective franchise so regulated
by the people of those States when they
were loyal, than he has to interfere with i
in any of the other States. His prescrib'
ing test oath as n qualification for tht
right to vote is, therefore, deadly blow
struck at republican government in every
CCdUc Ill WHICH nc scohs w Apply ie' 81
business is to protect, not to destroy, i'm
pair or change, in the slightest degree, tn
Constitution or Government of n State
as it existed before the rebellion
Attempting the latter, he violates the con
stitutional guarantee he has sworn to main
tain, and establishes in the place ofrepubli
can governments in the States, militar.
deanotism .a