The Portland daily press., 1865-10-19

they before had, lay completely at the mercy
of the conoueror, and the government had ev-
cry right over them which thelaws of war ey-
er gave to any people, and so far as that is
concerned could, saving the dictates of gener-
al iustice. do with them whatever it pleased
sWhatits civil duties to them under its own
Eeenstitution is, is quite another matter, of
which it is itself the sole judge.
Now one of these duties-not however, on
account Of any right Of theirs,-on which we
need not speculate is to admit them eventual
ly as States to ullequality with the other
States. But on what conditions? On such
terms as the Government shall find for the
general good in accordance with its own or
ganic law. But it is not necessary to go any
further than this, that it is the duty Of Con-
gress to guarantee to them republican form
Of Government. But what asa republican
form Of Government? The question has nev-
er yet been decided in this country. 1t must
now be done de moro. Again who is to deter
mine it? These people? What particle of
right have they now to interfere? The Gov
eminent alone must decide it. But how shall
the Government decide it? Not on the
ground OF precedents; there are none to the
purpose. Is Venice, as she was under the
Council of Ten, model, or Florence, under
her Grand Dukes, the Swiss, the Dutch, San
Marino, the Grecian or the Roman? Is any
one of the States of this Union? Which then
shall it be, Maine, or Connecticut? The
truth is, the question can not be settled at all
only by those fundamental principles on which
the Constitution itself is founded. What are
these principles? The people are the source
of all power. "To secure the rights" of men,
ito liGes liberty and pursuit of happiness"
Governments are instituted among men, de-
irving their just powers from the consent of
the governed" Now whatever practical con-
tradictions to this there may have been at any
time or anywhere in ihe life Of the nation,
they are beyond all question the principles
on which the republic is founded, and no gov
ernmentc can be considered republican which
| does not strictly conform, to them. Bnt, who
are the people and the gorerned9 This is the
turning point. Are you to have large por-
ton, of these states aristoeratic and the rest
democratic, or are they all to be democratic?-
The choice lies betwee-. Maine or So. Carolina
as she was. Now 1 never yet have seen the
man venturesome enough TO say that the prin-
ciples to which have referred, of their own
force, ever did or could countenance an aristo-
cratic rule in any manner whatever Their
whole tone and temper is against it. I do not
believe the most perverse ingenuity can extort
an aristocratic element out of them. The
very writer of the passage I have quoted was
himself great leader in democracy. Ibe-
ieye therefore, that they are to be strictly con-
strued at all times and in all places in favor of
democracy, and that Congress ought to giyet to
these terms @the people" and "the governed
the broadcast and most liberal interpretation
In short, without going deeper at present,
holdit, in this age of rapidly advancing opin-
ion, and especially in this country, nothing less
than industrious to pronounce that republi-
can form of government in which large masses
of men have no political status whatever, and
more monstrous still, in which great MAORI
ty are governed not only without their own
voice and consent but against it. Since, then,
in consequence of the destruction "of all civil
government" in the rebel states and the UNI
qualified submission of the people Of those
states to the sword. Congress has now full
power, unobstructed by any disputed theories,
to define for those people what republic is.
trust they will do il in such a manner as not
to shame the time and pour contempt on the
very principles on which the government is
founded. u 1EgEisl &lIl ONDERLoT.