Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1865-11-23

may do this, when the change is fully con-
summated, they may with equal propriety,
claim to Interfere when any such change is
attempted or begun, PrltlcipiiS obSta Is
maxim which must be conceded 10 all pow
ers, made responsible 10 remedy abuses.
The nation may then insist that all the
states shall have and maintain, inviolate
and unimpalred, u republican form of gov
eminent. This they may do, as well for the
security OF their own free form of govern
ment, as that Of the states. The one is de-
pendent upon the other, and impossible TO
be maintained without il, That is, unques-
tionably, the reason of conceding this inn
portant function 10 the national govern
ment, And as II is one of great delicacy
and extremely liable to abuse, il should not
be recklessly invoked, in order 10 effect even
the most desirable ends, unless coming fair
ly within its scope, This we feel in its full
force. H
But still it has seemed to us that this is
precisely the point, and the only point,
where the national authority could be in
voked, in favor Of the large masses of color
ed population at the south, The war has al
ready settled the point of the status of these
people, as that of freedom, as indispensable TO
the just operation of our system of free gov
eminent. The nation may therefore not
only properly insist that slavery shall be
abolished by the states, brt that they shall
give reasonable assurance and guaranty
against its establishment. The least
which this implies is that this large Access
sion offree and native population which had
in It's former dependent state been repre-
scented through their superiors, the masters,
buHwhich, in its present new state, is not rep
resented in any form or mode, in the organ
ic law Of the several states, should, in some
way have a fair and free opportunity of be-
! ing heard, in person or by their representa-
| tives, in the creation of a new organic law,
| which may DO said, fairly and truly, to rep
/ resent the whole native and naturalized pop
! ulation of the state. This accession of free
native population is not by the ordinary
! process of growth or aecretion but may be
! properly said to have been brought about
! by ayulsion or sudden accession. And as it
| is clearly entitled to be represented in some
form in the creation of the organic law of
the state, and as II clearly is not so repre-
sented, in its newly acquired status, it seems
! not improper for the national executive and
legislative authority, to require of the sew
eral states where the rebellion prevailed and
where slavery has been abolished in conse-
quence, that the states shall form new con-
situations, giving all the native and natural
| lied inhabitants voice therein. This could
only be done by having the convention
forming the constitution composed of dele
gates chosen by the vote of the whole peo-
pie, and then submitted for its adoption to
the vote of the whole people, This the ma
tional authority may clearly demand, as the
very least which will produce a republican
form of government, one which they will
feel justified in regarding as fully coming
within the view of the requirements of the
national constitution.
How far it might be just and proper for
the national authority to insist upon further
guarantees upon this point, it is perhaps not
| essential here TO inquire. Ii is certain that
one great danger to the integrity and free
dom of our present form of government lies
in the direction of too great extension of the
national authority.
The progressive tendency always has been
and always will be in this direction, as be-
fore intimated There may be an opposite
peril, that Of disintegration, quite as immi-
nent. But that is revolution, and revolution
is generally provoked by too great extern
sion of legitimate authority But while the
| government continues entire the progress
| i've tendency must of necessity be towards
Capitalization. That is the testimony of all
history in regard to confederated states. The
confederate authority, if self sustaining, so
long as it continues TO maintain itself, upon
its inherent powers, must OF course san
constant sccessious, until it finally breaks
Inv over extension. 70 avoid such ca
tastrophe should be the study Oh All ou
! $3.50 - ~ ruIUugu the absorption of al
state functions in the central authority
must annihilate freedom. The nation mus
therefore chastise itself, since it has no su
perior to infiict punishment for any breach
of the compact with the states, into the
spirit of making none but the most clearly
reasonable demands of the states. AnC
while all sober men feel, at this trying cri
sis in.public affairs, that it is of the last i'm
portance to secure all possible guarantees
against the infiction of abuses upon thu
inexperienced and lately dependent race OF
blacks, who exist in great numbers in some
of the states, it is especially certain tina
this cannot be done by the virtual disregard
of the national compact, without destroying
| all confidence and respect between the stat
and national authority. We should rattle
advise reducing our demands below the jus
limit than to incur the hazard of extending
them beyond it.
What we have before stated seems mos
unquestiOnable. 1t is nothing more thai
has been plactsed in the European states
where they attempt to maintain any shOy
Of laying their organic law in the consen
of the people. They submit all such pro
posed changes to the universal suffrage o
the people. That was done by the Empe
rOr of France, at the time, he assumed hi
present position in the government ofF"ance
1t is done in all the Italian states and so ia
as we know, in the German and Swis
states upon every proposed alteration G
their organic law. And this is done with
out regard to the limited nature of the ger
eral elective franchise IN those countries. HOY
far it may be proper for the nation to dt
| mana OF tine Stut0s tnaV dise~i,aainatio
| among their inhabitants based upon On,
tinction of races shall exist in the organi
law of those states we have not time now t
consider. This, if fairly allowable, is eel
tainly most desirable. And it would seer
after such an experience as we have alread
, had upon this question, that the natio
| might, in those states where the number
of the two races are nearly equal, inSis
that no such feature of discriminate
| should exist in the organic law of thos
states. But this, we feel, is more question
able ground, and may perhaps, with proI
riety, be deferred to some future period
? Very truly yours,
ISAAC 4. REDFIELD.