The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1865-12-14

places in the family d the Union to
give this pledge Of perpetual loyalty and
peace. Until it is done, the past, how
ever much we may desire it, will not be
forgotten. The adoption of the amend
ment reuni.es us beyond oil power ot
disruption. 1t heals the wound that is
still imperfectly closed; it removes slsv,
cry, the element which hs. so long per
picked and divided the country; it makes
of US once more united people, renewed
and strengthened, bound more than ever
to mutual affection and support.
The amendment to tho Constitution !
being adopted, it would remain for the
whose powers have been 80 long
- ~-A-7----,~- --~..",a- THAR places in tha !!
two branches of the National Legislature,
and thereby complete the work Of rcsto- {
ration Here it is for You, fellow ci'i~
zeps of the Senate, and for you, fellow .
citizens of the House Of Representatives
to Judge, each Of yon for yourselves, OF
the elections, returns and qusiiica'i"n~
Of your own members
The full asscr ION Of tn" powers of the
General Government requires the holding
of circuit courts Of the United State,
within the districts where their authority
has been interrupted In the present
posture Of our public affairs, stro"g oh-
jcctions have been urged to holding th"'e
courts in any Of the States whore the
rebellion has existed; and 1t was ascer
tanned, by inquiry, that the tlrcn''
Court of tn. United States would not b.
held within the District If Virginia tn
ring the autumn or carly winter, nor
until Congress should have San opportu
nifty to consider and act on the whole
subject" To your deliberations the
restoration Of this branch OF the civil
authority Of the United States is there,
fore necessarily referred. with tie hope
that early provision will be made for tn"
resumption of all its functions. 1t is
manifest that treason, most fsgrant in
character, has been committed Persons
who are charged with ts commission
should have fair and impartial trials IN
the highest civil tribunals Of the coun
try, in order that the Constitution and
the laws may be fully vlndcated; the
truth clearly established and affirmed
that treason is a crime, that traitors sbo
be punished and the offence made inta
nous; and, at the Same time, that the
question may be iudioiany settled, finally
and forever thst no Stste of it's own viii
has the right to renounc. its place IN the
Union.
The relations of the General Govern
ment towards the four millions of inhab
itants whom the war has called into free
dom, have engaged my most serious con-
sideraticn. On the proprlety Of attempt.
ing to make the freedmen electors by the
proclamation of the Executive, took for
my counsel the Constitution itself, the
interpretations of that instrument by its
authors and their contemporaries, and
recent legislation by Congress. When,
at tho first movement toward indcpcnd
ence, the Congress of the United States
instructed the several States to institute
Governments of their own, they left each
State TO decide for itself the conditions
for the enjoyment of the elective fran
chisc. During the period OF the Conted
eracy, there continued to exist a very
great diversity in the qualifications OF
electors in the several States; aud even
within State a distinction Of qualifca-
tions prevailed with regard to the officers
who we're TO bo chosen. The Cons''tu-
tion of the United States recognizes these
diyerstes when it enjons that, ~ the
choice of members of the House Of Rep
rcsentatives of the United States, 9Th"
electors in each State shall have the Dual.
ifcations requisite for electors OF the
most numerous branch of the State Leg
islature." After the formation OF the
Constitution, it remained, as before, the
uniform usage for each State to enlarge
the body of its electors, according to its
own judgment and, under this system,
one State after another has proceeded to
increase the number Of its electors, unt'l
now universal suffrage, or something very
near it, is the general rule So fixed
was this reservation Of power in the
habits of the people, and so uoquest'on-
| ed has been the Interpretation OF the
Constitution, that during the civil war
the late Presid ut never harborcd tn"
purpose-cer,ainy y never avoved the pnr
pose-of disregardino it; and III the acts
of Congress, during that period nothing
can be found which, during the con''n
nance of hostilitics, much les, after their
close, would have sanctioned any depart
ure by the Executive from policy winch
has so uniformly obtained, Moreover, a
concession of the elective franchise TO
freedmen, by act of the President OF the
United States, must have been extended
to all colored men, wherever found, aud
so must have established change Of
suffrage in the Northern, Middle, and
Western States, not less than IN the
Southern and Southwestern, Such a"
act would have created new cis-s OF
voters. and would have been an assump-
ton of power by the President which
nothing in the Constitution or laws OF
the United States would have warranted
On the other hand, every danger OF
nvo,I al W hon tho Spftlpmpnt