American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1865-11-15
The Duty Of Congress.

Never did Congress meet under gravcr
responsibilities than will the present Con-
gress meet ON the fourth of next month
Some were of opinion that Congress, rep
resenting as it does, the whole people
should have been convened immediately
upon the Inauguration of PresidentJ John.
son. We were not Of that number. We
thought it lest that the country, being
still under martial law, the Executive
should be allowed to try the temper Of
the late rebels in as liberal policy as he
found safe to pursue. In this way the
country, aud Congress, arc enabled to
see exactly how much loyalty stillremains;
and can therefore act the more wisely
when they come to act upon the subject. In
our judgement our late State convention
was justified in resolving that the South
ern people had not manifested disposi-
ton to accept in apropcrspirit the liberal
terms of reconstruction offered them by
the government All right minded men
appear to agree that the reconstruction of
the Southern States should be Of such
character as to secsre peace and unity to
the country at large. and justice to all its
citizens. The Democratic principle was
Intended to be the corner stone of our
political edfcc. Webster defines a De-
mocrat to be zone who adhcres to Gov
ernment 10y the people or favors the extern
sion of the right of suffrage 10 all classes Of
men. Now many ofour wisest statesmen be-
lievethat :his principle should be liberal
" applied in the Southern country They
believe that the elective franchise should
be extended to all tQyal citizens of that
section, without reference to birthplace or
color, who are of sufficient intelligence
to vote. Some, however, object. to this,
alleging that this is a" whiteman's coun-
try" although President johnson says it
is a country belonging to all. One of
two things ,oc are in favor f. either the
elective franchise should be extended to
all loyal citizens of sufficient intelligence,
or else we should have the constitution SO
amended as to fix the ratio of represen-
tation on the popular vote and not on th'
number of inhabitants. As the matter |
now stands the late Slave States have |
about 1S votes in Congress on their slave |
population. Those slaves are now free.
And, unless change is made in the mean
time, they would have that representation
increased 16, being total representation
of "a members on the late slaves. Now
if this representation is to be sent into
Congress to kill the votes of 81 represen-
tatives of Northern freemen, the people |
thus represented, should have the choos-
ing of their own representatives. At any |
rate those persons lately in rebellion
should not have the electing of these
members who are admitted to represent |
the laboring classes Of the South. In |
our opinion Congress should in no way |
recognize the reconstructed states until
this question is finally settled. Should it
be settled in favor eff universal suffrage, |
there need beno danger apprehepded in
reference to that section of its return to
barbarism or secession. But should this
question be determined in the negative
then, we take it to be the duty of Con-
gress to hold these States as they are,
until it has passed a constitutional amend
ment providing that in the future
the actual vote OF q State shall be