, 1865-02-15

F~0kAe ~AA 6I 1@a1A ~ TAk gDl AEu-EOf
eminent whose right Of se1Egorernment ha.
always been freely enjoyed. Had our 1cvolu
tionary fathers been given representation in
proportion to their population in the British
Parliament, their right to selfgovcrnment
would not hare been infringcd by parliamen.
tary ta1atdon, and there would have been no
revolution But the Southern States were
not only as fully represented in our
government ~ the Northern, bnt
more fully, as three-afths Of the leading pro-
perty Of the former-thelr slaves-Fere re-
presented and no part Of the property. Of the
latter. This gave them forty-slx represeu-
tattves more than the North in proportion
to population, and to that extent enabled
them 10 not on1y govern themselves but
govern the North. They nearly m4>upo-
ltzed the control Of the Executive, j&$E{l,
diplomatic, civil, military and nava. Offices.
thus ruling the country as if they we're .
privileged or superior class, though in sttaln.
ments they were BY no means above medioc
nty. As well might the aristoctacy Of Eng
Land havs rcbelled on the passage OF the corn
laws, and claimed to be fighting for sclf.goy.
eminent In tho country over whose people
they had reigned, since the time Of Cron.
we'll, Al for these plantation-b bred despots to
rebel on the same plea upon the election of
Abraham Lincoln. They had always en-
5oycd more than selfgoyernment-domln
II selfgove1nmcnt means or demands
anything, 1t means and demands that any
people shall have the right freely to make q
Constitution for their government, and hav.
Ing go mnde 1t, the voice Of constitutional
majority, constitutionalty expressed, shall
rule; and that the constitution 90 made NAV
be altered or destroyed only by the power that
made 1t, not by any faction or section Of that
power Our constitution was 80 made, Int
the rebel constitution WAS not. The dele
gates Of the nation met peaceab]y, deliber-
ately, calmly, and entered into the Federal
Union They we're not precIpitated !" into
into 1t against their judgments, The onno.
nents Of the Federal constitution and the
friends Of the old articles Of confederation,
were not gagged, shot, or hung, as ali
opponents Of the rebel Constitution in the
southern states were. It was not framed by
men who were instructed By their constitu-
ents to vote against it as the ordinances
OF secession were. A free election of dels.
gates and free CANVASS Of opinion preceded
It's adoption, while the rebel machine va.
Started by armed mobs who gagred free
speech md destroyed the free press, hayInga
majority in their 1aror, at the start In no |
statc, except South Caro1iua. Is It sel
government thus to oppose brute force to the
ballot box and to the law? Every Southern
State participated in the election which ele-
vated Ar- Lincoln toz4he Presidency. Had |
they elected their candidate they would not |
only have remained iu the Union hut would
nave compelled Massachusetts to remain in.
1t would have given them infinite pleasure to
do 80. Is it "'seH Eovernmeut' for us to |
submit when Hunter succeeds and for Hunter
TO rebel when. VIC succeed?
Is 1t violation Of self government to com
pei the rebels to obey the Federal Copstt
tuition, to which they have given their fair
consent, by delivering them from the sway of
the rebel armies which are compelling their
obedience to q constitution TO which their
consent WINS obtained at best BY violence and
fraud, and in some States not at ALL? Is 1t
! violation Of self government to offer re-.
D:llious district the highest privileges of self.
government known to civilized man-to send
heir Representatives and Senators into the
council halls Of the nation and there vote
Ftth our own Representatives for the laws
shich are to govern themselves and US:
We're the rebel armies and districts to
ny down their atms they could I'm
send representatives into our
legislative halls to aid In govern
pg net only themselves, but NJ. True,
hey must obey the laws which hare been /
made in their absence, but that is no more
han any Northern citizen must do, If he
hooses to absent himself from the country
or geographically. AZ Mr. Sew
I'd announced In the Senate, before the
outhe1n Senators Withdrew, their seats will |
cmain vacant until they choose to return to
Il them. The vacancy Is their fault, not
ure, and if they have suffered somewhat by
he legislation which has occurred, then they
ave suffered far less than our decImated
sorthern people, far less than their own ru-
ned and betrayed constituents, far less than
hey deserve. Can the rebels, By any
conceive themselves 10 be
Ghtng Tor the right Of selfgoyc1nment,
'hcn We inns tender them their vacant seats |
q our own legislative halls, and say to
he Southern people Lay down your arms,
ease to mnke war on the only lag that ever '
rotcctcd Jou, send your representatives into
ur halls, and we will welcome them?'' O
But MIR. Hunter aud the Northern Cor- T
erheads claim that our emancipation policy
violation Of their right of se1{:poyern. | 81
lcnt. But had they remained In Congress- It
ever could or would have been adopted. Il e
but the consequence Of their own acts
lorcovcr their own Congress is but little be-
ind ours In the work. To remain ont Of the r,
'nion involves emancipation, according To
avis, Lee, and Benjamin, as certainly and C
pccdily as to return to it. Since cmarcipa-
on 1,as become inevitable it can hardly y1o- o
tic the principle Of sclf:governmcnt more If
crforrncd BY legitimate government than i.
= fo1clbly inaugurated rebellion
In all the rhetoric Of the rebels b
icy overlook the fact that to dia-
live The Federal Government, requires on b
le principle Of the right Of selfgovernment,
much tho consent Of those who remain as | b
lose who 60 out. We are as much affected G,
? the dissolution Of this government a.
lose who propose to dissolve 1t. It closes | g,