Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1865-09-29
Pa. .SFTorE

In contrast with this remarkable platform
OF our political opponents, we have that OF
our own representatives., which, among 9TH
er things contains the following -
'The Union Party of Pennsylvania, in
State Convention assembled, declare
Il, That as representatives of the loyal
people OF the Commonwealth, we reverently
Il desire to offer our gratitude to Almighty
God whose favor has vouchsafed victory to
the national arms, enabled us to eradicate
the crime of slavery from our land, and to
render treason against the Republic impOs-
sible foreYermore: next to Him. our thanks
are due, and are hereby rendered, to our
| brave soldiers and sailors who, by their en-
durance, sacrifices and illlistrious heToism
have secured to their country, peace, and to
| the down trodden everywhere an asylum of
| liberty; who have shown that the war for
the restoration of the Union is not failure,
and whose valor has proven for all time the
fact that the government of the people, by
the people, and for the people, is as invinci-
Ele in its strength as it is benefcent in It's op-
| erations "
The doctrines and principles of the party
In 1864 have been rec ssserted BY the Con-
vention of 1865. 1t is confidently believed
that they will not be deserted nor abandoned
by the people at the polls in October next.
Condition Ofthe States lately in Rebellion
There exists between the two parties, and
| indeed among persons of the same political
faith, some difference of opinion in regard
| to the true condition and standing of the
States lately in Rebellion against the Gov
ernment. 1t is not proposed to discuss the
| point of difference, which mostly involves
an answer to the question, 'Are the States
now, and have they been during the war,
| within the Union or not? IF by ''the
| State" is meant the soil or territory embra-
ced within their boundaries, or the space
occupied by them upon the map then we
rejoice to believe thatone inch has ever yet
been or ever can be taken out of the Union.
But it would seem equally clear that the
Government of those States have been
wholly and utterly subverted and for four
years and more have been violently hostile
and antagonistic to the Union.
We find that on the Goth day of Novem-
Der, 1860, the Attorney General of the Uni
ted States Judge Black, in an official opin-
ion used the following language: it be
true that war cannot be declared, nor sys-
tenn Of general hostility carried on by the
Central Government against a State, then ii
seems to follow, that an attempt to do so
would be ipsO facto an expulsion Of such
State from the Union; being treated as an
alien and an enemy, she would be compelled
to act accordingly. A,sd If Congress shall
breakup the present Union by unconstitution-
ally putting strife and emnity and armed
hostility between different sections of the
country, instead of the domestic tranquility
which the Constitution was meant to insure,
will not all the States be eabsoived from their
Federal obligations? Is any portion of the
people bound to contribute their money or
their blood to carry on a contest ike that ~
If in accordance with this view those
States acere expelled from the Union" and
if "they Ioere 0bsoIred from their Federal OBJ
legations, it would seem to be pretty clear
that they were out of the Union.
On the other side Of the same question
we have the same authority. At the Con-
vention of August oath, 1865, Judge Black,
Chairman of the Committee on resolutions,
reported among other things, the following
THAT the States could not dbSOlrc the peo-
pie from their Federal obligations that the
State ordinances Of Secession aoere nullit,es,
and therefore, when attempted revolution
came to an end by the submission of the in
surgents, the States were as much part of
the Union as they had been before 1t
would seem from these views that when it
suited the convenience, the fancy or perhaps
the wishes OF some persons to have the in
surrectionary States out Of the Union, then
they were out; and when Il was desirable to
have them back again, then they were in
and had never been out
We are sometimes told lhat the ordinan-
ces of Secession were null and void 1t is
conceded that they were Illegal and uncon-
stitutional. So it is to commit murder.
But you cannot restore the life of the victim
by declaring the illegal act null and void 1t
is unlawful to steal, yet if your horse be sto-
len you cannot bring him back by declaring
ever soearnestly that the act is null and
void.
Concede that the act of Secession was not
only illegal and unconstitutional, but also,
null and void then of course, all that fol-
lows in pursuance thereof must be null and
void. If the foundation is removed the su-
perstructure must fall. tits matter of his
tory, however, to every one that in those
States all the judges, Legislatures and Off
GERS chosen, and all the laws passed since the
commencement of the Rebellion were cho-
sen and passed in pursuance of the ordinan-
ces of Secession. Of course these actions
are all null and void. Hence we find these
States without Governors, without Judges,
without Legislatures, and with their entire
Government subyerted and overthrown.
Being, however, part of the soil and ter
Injury VI liG uhblun, III Is lUT Tie udllOu bO
provide government for them until their
people, freed from the odium of treason, and
taught to submit in good faith to the issue
Of the contest through which they have just
passed, shall prepare and adopt for them
selves truly republican form of government
recognizing all the great truths vindicated
and established by the blood and treasure of
the nation.
But it matters but little as to the opin-
ions we may entertain in regard to the alb
stract question, whether these Safes are in
or out of the Union, because it must be con-
ceded on all hands, that they have been rec
ognized as belligerents. Our political ad-
versaries were the first to insist that these
rights should be conceded to them. Foreign
nations seconded the demand, and our Gov
ernment yielded to it and treathd them as
such. Lest some one, now that the war is
over, should insist that they were not in the
position of belligerents, let us examine what
the highest legal tribunal of the country has
declared upon the subject.
The Supreme Court of the United States,
in the prize cases recently decided, says -
Hence In organizing this rebellion, they
have acted as ,Stdtes claiming to be sovereign
over all persons and properly within their
respective limits and asserting a right to abb
solve their citizens from their allegiance to
the Federal Government.
1t is no loose, unorganiZed insurrection,
having no defined boundary or possession.
1t has boundary marked by lines of bayo
nets and which can be crossed only by force.
II L