M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1865-09-14
NO g.,

repeal5 that act Of ratification, and
thereby endeavors to secede from
| the Uuion, and to release herself
from Federal Obligations, and her
citizens from obedience to Federal
law.
These gentlemen aver that the act
OF repeal does not dissolve the tie
which binds the territory TO the
Union, but does destroy its State
Government; does dissolve it as
political community; does absolye
the Federal Government from all
duties, and does confer upon it all
po7er5 of management and control.
l will not say that the gentlemen do
not themselves believe this doctrine,
but l will say that if they can main
,aIn 1t, the war waa not for the Un.
ION, but for conquest; and the result
ia that the South is snbjugated, not
to the Constitution, but to the will
| Of the North. And then it follows
that the imposition Of Negro Suffrage,
Of new Constitutions, of amendments
to the Federal Constitution, the res.
toration Of civil law, or the continu-
anco Of military rule, ale questions
oi policy, not power: and to this
poation do these gentlemen, most of
oil things desire to reduce them. e
Midway between these positions
IS tho theory adopted by the Admin
iatra,iou, Or, perhaps, | ought to say,
by President johnson, He believes
that the question of suffrage belongs
to tue States. lie believes that the
ordinances OF secession we're invalid
Tor every purpoae-utterly void
TINT thoy do not affect either the
territory or the people, or the State
Government, but that the officers of
the State Governments, in resortine
to war, became usurpors, and by
force, and in fraud, perverted the
powers OF the State to illegal ends:-
that their acts, so far as executed,
were without authority, and there.
fore wTongiul-so far as not yet exc
cutsd are utterly void. This usurp>
alton supplanted the legitimate Gov
ernments, which lie dormrnt, inoper.
ative now, but entitled to all the
powers and rights of tho States,
when tho uaurpation displaced them.
Ienco he appoints Provisional Gov
ernors to set the old machinery in
motion, and seeks a pivotal point on
which its revolutions shall COM
uence.
wish tho President had gono
further. lie would have donc bet
ter, if he had accepted Sherman'-
truce. lie would have done better
if, whea he received the submission
OF armed forces, he had recoguiz,a
the Legitimate powers Of organized
State Governments. But be has
done well in this, that ho recognizes
the powers Of the States over the
question of suffrage: that no appoints
a3 Provisional Governors, the citizens
OF the States, and not supersetvicea-
bic patriots from Ohio and Massach.
usetts--tbat he desiles the States to
resume their relations 10 the Federal
Government as soon as possible, and
to be represented in both Houses of
Congressional on those points ! de-
sire to Give him O cordial and hearty
approval.
Tho first desire of every patriot
now is the paciication ofthe country,
the return to the ways and duties and
prospcrties Of peace: and this can
most speedily and only be aCcomp-
liehei by securing to the people of
the South soIfgovern ment in their
S.otos, and their appropriate inau-
arce in tue Government of the Un-
ion. The Constitution will do this.
1t nlod only be observed. Its pro-
visions are all-sufhcient. 1t needs
no amendment. Wise men made it,
good men administered it for seventy
years, peace aud prosperity attended
it. 1t will bring again union and
freedom and prosperity. 1t secures
tue rights OF the States at home. II
secures the just rights ofthe Federal
Government. 1t secures the liberty
of the citizen. II the President will
fairly administer it: ifhe will mako
an honest effort to apply its proVis-
ions: if he will remember that the
powers Of the Federal Government
aro all delegated, and that the rest
are sll reserved, that trial by jury,
free speech, free press, are to be held
inviolate, that military commissions,
for tho trial of civilians, are abso
Iutely prohibited, ], for one, believe
it to be my highest duty to give him
a warm support. II he will not 60 -
: far, ! will support him where he is
right, and as earnestly condemn Aim