The West Virginia journal. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1864-1877, 1865-11-01

'4QAEANlI3 - NS~
bG:s.7o scoiia9i. 70 7vi>yI2a! 70 ""u .
corrupted byh!tho vicious installations
will lie 'noutraliied'by blacraoitftehs ;ind
white emigfants from: Tho North p 1;u'
bland whatis the 'hindraucssto this 10
! the ,miuds of.he; President and!the Cab.
i1et3 N itIscrdpEjs about;legality ?
To be scrupUlous ;about exceeding bis
lawful"powers, wellicbeeomes . tho first
| magistrate :of q. ee'pcopie:: But In
this case the scruples' sesms wbolly'out
! Of place. i.Wc ere stold that the rebel
Statestimustr be- assumed never to have
been out of the Union, and therefore TO
t be- uucunditionahy entitled to: ilf their
t original liberties and powers the momsnt
they coudesccnd to: accept them: . Rea.
son would, say, ION the 90 ntrary? that,Gby
declaring themselves Independent of the
Upion, they could not indaed, diVest
themselves 'of"its obligations, but Ger,
taiuly forfeited its privileges. A state
of civil war suspcnds alllegal rights and
all social COMP pacis between the combat
ants. Except under the terms Of CO.
pi.ulatiou, defeated rebels have no rights
but the universal ones of humanity.
The Southern people. their lives, bodies,
and estates, were, by the. issue Of the
war, placed at the discretion Of their
conauerors but of conqucrors whom
both the general laws Of right nnd'thc
special principles Of their own social and
political institutions forbid ito exercise
permanent dominion over any human
beings as subjects, or on any footing
than that of equal citizenship; Il would,
howevcr, be, on tho part Of the free Statcs
q generosity partaking of Stiffness, were
+tIoy to give back;to their bitter enemies
uot only power to govern themselves
and the negroes within thoir limits, but
Through Representatives. Consress) to
govern the free States. too, without first
exactiug such changes in the structure
of Southern society as will rouder such
relation between them and the free
States rational and safe. IF you have
not q right to do this, you had not q
right to impose. the abolition vi slavery
Consider what an element you arc going
J once more to admit into the supreme
Government of tho Union. Think oI
this one thing-it is but one Of many
Every Southern member. Of Congress
elected without negro suffrage il sure
vote for that blackest und most disSra, e.
full breach Of faith, which would brand
American democracy and popular gov
ernment itself with mark, that would
endure for gencrations-the reputation
of the war debt. The Southern repre-
.entatives, in fact, would bo the onl,
mem bers of Congress who could honestly
vote for this; since, to their minds
unless the Confederate debt is recognized
too, it would seem only equal justice.
This is of iisclfa sufficient reason why
no community, composed exclusively OF
principally of those who have been en-
gagged in the rebellion, is fit to have q
voice in Congress. OF course tho Stntet
have. to BE- rcadmitted : to keep them
out and govern them as subjects would
be in contradiction to all the principles
Of the American or any other frcc cousti'
tuition. But tho future history efAmer'
lea, perhaps for ages to como, depends
O can but Think upon you requiriug
them, before admission, to give guaran'
tees to freedom, BY adnizturo with fel.
,,ow citizens whose Interests and feelings
are in uuisoa with justice, and with the
principles Of the free States. Migration
from the North will do this in time and
ia part, but only negro suffrage can dc
it sufficiently. - -. a. 70
I'hsve no objection to requiring a, a
condition Of suffrage, education up to
the point Of reading and writing but
upon condition that this shall be requir-
cd equally from the whites. The poor
whites Of the South are understood to
need education quite as much as the ne.
groes, and are certainly quite as unfit
for the exercise Of the suffrage without
it.
Lam, dear sir, yours, sincerely,
-. .','.' .' ".'.' j. s. MILL. T.
Hon. Judge Dickson, etc.