Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1864-09-07


That is to say, the President persists In
recognizing those shadows of eoyernmsnts
in Arkansas and Louisiana, which Con-
gress formally declared should not be
recognized-whose Representatives and
Senators were repelled by formal votes OF
both Houses of Oongress-which it was
declared formally should have no elector-
al vote for President and Vice-President.
They are the mere creatures Of his will.
They cannot live day without his sup
port. They are more oligarchies, i'm
posed on the people by military orders
under the forms OF election, at which
generals. Provost marshals, soldiers and
camp-followers were the chief actors, as
sisted by handful of resident citizens,
and urged on to premature action by pri-
vste letters from the President.
In neither Louisiana nor Arkansas, be-
fore Banks defeat, did the United States
control half the territory or half the pop
ulation. In Louisiana, Gen. Banks proc
lamstion csndidly declared: "The fun
damental law Of the State is martial Law" !"
On that foundation of freedom, he erect
ed what the President calls 1.-The free
Constitution and Government of Louisi-
ana" But Of this State, whose funda-
mental law was martial law, only sixteen
parishes out of forty-eisht parishes were
held by the United States; and in ive'
of the sixteen We held only our camps
The eleven parishes we Substantially held
had 2s3, ,l85 inhabitants; the residue OF
the State not held by US, 575,6l7. At the
farce called an election, the officers of
General Banks returned that IL ,346 hal
lots were cast but whether any or by
whom the people of the United States
have no legal assurances but it is proba-
ble that 1000 were cast by soldiers or en-
ployees of the United States military or
municipal. but none according TO any
law, State or National, and 1000 ballots
represent the State of Louisiana. Such
Is the free Constitution and Government
of Louisiana, and like it is that Of Ar
kansas. Nothing bat the failure of q
military expedition depriyedus of like
one in the swamps of Florida and before
the Presidential election, like ones may
be organized in every Rebel State where
the United States have . camp.
The President, by preventing this bill
from becoming law, hold the electoral
votes Of the rebel states at the dictation
Of his personal ambition. If those votss
turn the balance in his favor, 10 it to be
supposed that his competitor, defeated by
such MEANS will sequiesces fthe Reb-
el majority assert their supremacy in
those States, and send votes which elect
an enemy of the Government, will we
not fepel his claims And is not that
civil war for the Presidency, inaugurated
by the votes Of Rebel statesi Seriously
impressed with dangers, Congress, "the
proper constitutional authority" formal
ly declared that there are no State Gov
ernments In the Rebel States, and Provi-
ded for their erection at . proper time ;
and both the Senate and the House OF
REPRESENTATIVES rejected the Senators
and Representatives chosen under the
| authority of what the President calls the
Free Constitution and Government OF
Arkansas. The Presidents Proclamation
"holds for naught" this Judgment, and
diseards the authority of the Supreme
Court, and strides keadlong toward the
anarchy his Proclamation of the sth OF
December inaugursted. If electors for
President be allowed to be chosen in Ell
ther Of those States, Q sinister light will
be cast on the motives which induced the
President to "hold fer naught" the will
of Congress rather than his Government
In Louisiana and Arkansas.
That judgement of Congress which the
President dsfes was the exercise OF an
authority exclusively vested in Congress
by the Constitution to determine what is
the established Government in Its own
nature and by the highest judicial author
ity binding on all other departments OF
the Government The Supreme Court
has formally declared that under the 4th
section of the Ivth article Of the Con-
stitution, requiring the United States to
guarantee to every State republican
form of government. "it rests with Con
gress to decide what Government is the
established one in q State;" and "wher
Senators and Representatives Of State
are admitted into the councils OF the
Unien, the authority of the Government
under which they are appointed, as
well as its republican character, Is recog
nized by the proper constitutional author
ity, and its decision is binding oR ever,
other department. of the Government
and could not be questioned in a judi
eial tribunal. It.is true that the eontes
in this case did not last long enough t.
bring the matter to this issue; and, as nj
Senators or Representatives were elected
under the authority of the Government
of which Mr.. Dorr was the head, Congress
was not called upon to decide the con
trovsrsy. Yet the right to decide il
placed there"
Even the Presidents proclamation
the sth Of December, formally declare
that whether members sent to Congress
from any State shall be sdEitted.to seats
constitutionally rests exclusively will
the respective Houses, and not to an.
extent with the Executive" And tina
) Is not the less true because wholly incon
lsistcnt with the Presidents assumption
in that proclamation of right to insti
tute and recognize State Governments il
the Iebsl States, nor because the Presi,
dent IL unable to perceive that his receg
milton il q nullity If it be not csnelusiv
on Congress. Under the Constitution