The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1864-09-02

other words, before Convention
could bo lcritirnately constituted, the
rebels must put themselves in a pos
ition which would vacate entirely the
II ed of any such body.
Let us explain our meaning more
fully. BY article " OF the Constitu-
tion ofthe United States iii provided
that: "Thc Congress "on ap.
lpication of the legislatures OF two
thirds of the several States, shall call
n convention for proposing amend
ments which" "shall hc valid TO
all inteuts and purposes rs part of
this Constitution, when ratified by
the legislatures of three fourth OF the
several States. or 10y convention, in
three fourths thereof, "a the one or
the other mode Of ratification may he
proposed by the Congress. Congress
cannot. It will he seen, of its own mo
tion call convention. which it can do
lonlv when moved thereto bv two
thirds of all the State Legislatures,
that is of all the States, rebel rs well
rs loyal. For of course the action of
National Convention composed Of
representative of the loyal States,
would bc rejected by the others The
friends Of peace particularly will de-
mand that the application to Congress
/ should be united in Ivy the Lcgisla-
lures ot all the rebel States. Now,
such an application. would it not he
an acknowledgment by the rebels
that they were part of our Consti-
tuition? Is it to he believed that the
rebel States are willing to do this :?
And if so what need of a Convcn-
ton They are already in the Union
bv their own consent, which is al that
we require.
But the case is still more difficult.
The second clause of article VI. of
the constitution declares that the
"memhrrs Of the several State Legis
latures shall he bound by oath or
affirmation to support this constitu-
ton, /. e., of the United States. A
body Of men pretending to he State
Legislature. whose members were not
bound hv this oaah, could not ba re
copniZed bv Congress rs State Leg
islature, and would not he such in the
meaning Of the constitution. rom a
body not bound by such an oath. no
application conld he received by Con
press in reference to the call Of Il con.
vcntion. 1t would be mn unconstitu.
tional movement, and mere nulitv.
1t follows that before the Legislature
of any rebel State con!d make valid
application to Congress for the call
ofa convention. each member OF such
Legislature must be bound by oath
or affirmation to support the Con 3titu
, tion orthe United States. The Legis.
laturcs of the rebel States have takeI
no osth TO support our constitution
= therefore no such application can he
r made by any Of them. Moreovc", the
rebel States. as they now exist, can.
not acccde to n demand for an armis
ticc with the view of calling 4 conven
= ton. To this may he added the fol
,, lowing from the Richmond Examiner
Of the lIth, Oh the same subject:
Whether Lincoln is TO make such /;
proposal now, or whether the Dem
, ocra"y are to carry their candidate
: expressly that he may mHke-from
, whomsocycr it may come, it is wholly
inadmissiblc If the North desires tC
have negotiations for reunion entered
2 upon at all, let oil troops and block
, aiding fleets he withdrawn and tn,
right of secession formal acknowl
, edged, ana then negotiations woul,
be at lclst hossiblc. II they invite IL
/ toncgotiate on any other footing, on
:, only rational answer would be anothe
blow ut the haart Of Pennsylvania
We are not likely TO consider tht
= question of reunion with swor'
a hanging by hair over our heads; ant
! if such proposal he made, we shal
- only conclude that it means war, an
endless war, until one nation or th
. other shall be subjugated or eAtir
:, pated.