M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1864-05-12

upon tnem SUCH conditions End laws
as it may deem best"
In answer to any objections that
may be raised to this position, he
saws:
"Bu! it is said that this mnst be-
considered contest with rebel indi-
vidnals only, as States in the Union
cannot make war; that is true so long
as they remain in the Union; but they
claim to be out Of the Union, and the
very fact that we have admitted them
to be in state Of war, 10 be 6eliiger
enls, shows that they are no longer in
the Union, and that they are waging
war in their corporate capacity, under
the corporate name Oi the Conivder-
ate States, and that such maj,r cor
poration is composed OF minor cor
porations called States, acting in their
associated character
"When ali insurreCtion becomes
sufficiently formidable to cntitIe the
party to belligerents rights, it places
the contending Powers on precisely
the same footing as foreign nations at
war with each other "
"No one acquainted with tine mag
nitude Of this contest can deny to it
the character OF civil war. For
nearly three years the Confederate
States have maintained their ,ieclara.
tion of independence BY force Of
arms"
."What, then, is tho effect of The
public war, between these belliger-
ents, these foreign nations! Before
this war the parties were bound to.
gether by a compact, BY a treaty cal
led Constitution They acknowl.
edged the validity of Municipal laws
mutually binding on each. THIS war
has cut asunder all these ligaments,
abrogated all the obligations
Now, Sir, Tor once at least, | agree
with the distinguished gentleman
from Pennsylvania, that the Confeder.
ate States are ont OF the Union, oc-
cupying the position Of an inlepen-
dent Power lie fucLO; have been ac-
knowlodged as belligerent, buth by
ioroign nations and your own Govern
ment; maintained their declaration OF
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. years, by force
u! arms +; and HAT the war has cut
asuuder all the ligamenls and abro
gated all the obligations that bound
them under tho Constitution. So tar
l.agree with him and however un-
willing we may be to acctpt such po
Sition as the actual condition OF the
Confederate States, the history Of the
past three years, the law Of nations,
the genius of our Government and
regard FOR truth compel me at least to
accept it, and my judgment to ap
prove it, and if the charge Of disioyal
ty is brought against me for this
opinion, have only to yield myself
under tie broad mantle OF the d:stin
saishcd leader Of the Republican
party.
AT the commencement Of tho war.
England and Franco both declared
the Confederate States to be beIliger |
en's ; the United States has treated
with them as such in the exchange OF !
prisoners, and the Administration ls
to day without the honesty or indc-
pendence of the gentleman from
Pennsylvania to ayow it, doing pre- |
cisely what he proposes to do under
his war otconquest, wa ged against the
Confederate States as foreign nation.
1t is not now even pretended, that the
war is carried on having for it's oh.
iect tho restoyaC;on of the L zion.
= Reconstruction" !" fc5nsoIidation,"-,
"contralization," with an entire
change in the Constitution" are the
terms employed in speaking Of the
Government that is to exist hereafter. !
10 speak OF the Constitution rs it is, !
ard sle Union as it was, is an off1nse,
an officer in the army to
punishment by dismissal from the
serv ice, aud conclusive evidence of
disloyalty in the citizen. Il the time
ever was, when the Union could have
been restored by war, which I do not
believe, it has long siuco beon dis
PEELED by emancipation, confiScation,
amnesty and like proclamatious; mill
tary orders annulling State conStitu-
tions, setting aside State laws, obIiter.
atirg State lines and attempting to
organize and set up a form OF State
government in their stead, in which
one man ou: of ten who shall turn
Abolitionist, take and subcribe an
oath to execute and obey the will of
Abraham Lincoln, whatever ii may
be, shall govern ana rule over the re.
naming uine who refuse to- become
These tollies OF the
Administration and others OF like
character, have, instead OF crushing
the rebellion," crushed out whatever
Union sentiment may lave remained
among the Southern people II ia