Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1865-07-06
About Reconstruction.

ApVuN
We have said, in another article, that, in
respect to the Union, or to the States,
there is no reconstruction to be done.
Our Democratic cotcmporarics would do
well TO take into consideration the actual
state of things; and when they have done
so, they will, we opine, drop the word re-
construction as inapplicable. The States Of
the South arc, if they ever wcro, complete.
They are States, in every constitutional and
practical sense and if there is anything in
which they are defective, there arc none so
capable as their people to supply the de-
icicncy. Our organic principles of govern
ment do not permit outside interference in
the internal affairs of States there is no
State demand for such interference, none
from any apprtciablc number of the peo-
pie.
II the Union is to be reconstructed, there
is but one way to reconstruct the Consti..
tuition. Our central government is founded
upon an inhcxiblc written code, from which
every departure is an usurpaton. Consti-
tutiona government, and extra -constitu-
| tional power, cannot reside together. We
do not believe that there is any popular de-
mand for revision of our form of govern
ment, or for the abandonment of those
principles which have been hitherto esteem
ed fundamental in it; but, if there is such a
demand, there is but one way by which it
can be safely or properly met; and that is
by formal change according. to the. rules
which the Constitution prcscribcs. In the
present condition Of National affairs, there
! is, therefore, no reconstruction to be done.
| We advise to look at this matter careful
Ily, because the word reconstruction is used
to mislcad Not thinking very critically
upon the genesis of government, sew
eral of our Democratic cotcmporaries have
been lead virtually to admit that something
Of reconstructive character is required in
order to return to the old relations. Such
an admission Is all that the party in power
needs to set upa general title to interfere
and the more vague the terms, the broader
the claim of power to tamper, under plet
of public necessity, with popular rights anC
National and local institutions
The party IN power wagca the war upoi
the assumption that the States could no
break the Union. If they could not breal
the Union, it follows that they have no
broken it, and the party is prccluled by it
principles, from setting up II right to re
make the Union, by the fact, that in it
contemplation, the union has not been un
made. AS the States could not chang
their characters except through a scvcranc
Y from the Union it follows that, not havin
been severed they have not been changed
! therefore there is nothing to do to them
no place for interference. Reconstruction
let it mean what 1t may, cannot be carrc
. on by the party in power, except througI
, the abandonment eff the principle upo
which it prosecuted the war, and the ador
ton Of the opposite principle: that State
can scccdc and that the States Of the Sout
c have consumated acts Of secession.
T. We say these things because in our opiL
-, ion, the rights of Northern States are to b
y, defended upon Southern ground. In othc
Il words, if tanpcring with States in one SC,
ton is permitted, the practice will not b
confined to that section. Defending the il
tcgrlty OF the Southern States, we arc dc
:, tending that of Northern ones. They whc
u simply because they do not reside in them
+ tainc|y permit two iillhs of the States of th
+ Union to be dismantlcd and provncializc
- by central power, will, when their tur
comes, deserve no better treatment fo
themselves, and will receive no better Th
r States must belong to the Union under Al
o uniform rule. The South must belong T.
it upon the same terms with the North, o
the North must come to the terms that ar
fixed for the South
/ IL lS, therefore, true, as the Gd@tite re
), marks that ''thc end of the armed rcbclio
% transfers the issue that has been tried ;
arms, to the political field with essential
: the Same division of partir. Ia nth'
1t words, nothing has been accomplished b
n the armed conflict The war has not dec
+, ded the issue, nor changed it. There is II
i nc,o condition to accept no facts accom-
c plishcd to recognize. The great, sublime
4, ultimate and divinely ordained judiciary
killing by the prcrogativc of superior phys
cal strength has arrived at only proyi
ional decision to remain Just so long
y physical power is present to enforce it, an
: no longer Enquiycr.