The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1865-09-19

| HPalu Wudtli dhy CIV c'Aoi cS ~
en- to nearly one-half of the citizens OF
the United States, in these States, who
have never swerved from their allie.
glance, fought for the flag and upheld
our Government? Or shall these loya
men be simply counted as so many
Uother persons,r to swell the political
power of those so lately disloyal, rebel
iious and %pugnacious, now subdued, bu,
arrogant; r~epentant, but glorying III
! their sin; uncOnverted, but claiming
the right hand, not of fellowship, but o
power? One theory Isl. that tn
States, by armed rebellion of the
great majority of their citizens, los'
none of their political rights under the
| Constitution of the United States that
| all their powers were in allegiance or al
| worst resided in the small minority OF
| the loyal citizens therein, while the
| United States authority was abrOgated
| or driven out, and that upon the over
| throw of the armed rebellion, although
| a rebellion of substantially all the citi-
| zens thereof, the rebellious States sprang
| at once into all their relations, civil and
| political, with the other loyal States
| equal in 'right-equal in power as a part
of the governing partnership, precisely
as they stood before the war, with full
| power to determine for themselves the
| validity of the acts of Congress of the
loyal States, passed during the war as,
for example, to pass upon the constitu-
tional amendment, obliterating slavery,
which these theorists hold cannot be
ratified without the consent of a portion
of the rebellious States. The other and
opposing theory is that after the rebel
lious States, by formal acts of abjura-
ton by their entire communities, had
severed their allegiance to the United
States by and under forms of law, sworn
fealty to q new and distinct government,
although of their W creation, and then
by force of arms seized upon the proper
ty and territory of the United States
within their limits, and expelled there
from every vestige of the authority and
deied the powers of the United States
for more than four years, treating US al
r | enemies in public war, burning GU
: ships on the ocean, starving our soldiers
| their prisoners, on the land, and mui
. dering our President in the Capital, the
+ lost, at least by capture, their rights an
!, powers under our Constitution n law
y although they could not by their ow
illegal acts rid themselves of theirduti'
and obligations as citizens and subjec
! of the Government. [Applause.J The
q were not less subjects, because they wei
rebels they were less citizens in the
: rights, because they were traitors. AS
familiar example of such forfeiture
: criminal may lose all his rights as a citi
: zen by a conviction and sentence to til
, penitentiary for his crimes, but he there
r by escapes none of his duties or obliea
Q tions to the Government whose laws h
It has broken. Applause and cries .
v good" So the rebel could not hSl
Il againstthe Constitution for its overtime
with II hand, and raise tl,e other
is innovation for its protection O he poli'
= cal rights. This doctrine is recognize
q. oy President johnson. when II. ps
Claims that in reconstruction no lnf
40 though a legal voter by the Constitute
10 Of his State. Applause.
1t follows, of course, as a part OF tn
theory, that the States, as polite
re organizations, and their citizens ha
lost their rights under the Constitution
70 which they have repudiated, and are
longer entitled, as of right, to be repr
W. sented in Congress, to take part in mai
y ing the laws for the government of Il
~ loyal States that they ought to an
s must remain in the condition and cha
10 acter in which they have VOLUNTARY
I'd placed themselves and have bee
III brought by the heroic valor Of u sc
-. diers, "subdued rebels" until
or /" works meet for repentance" by az
cd of loyalty and fealty to the governmei
~ love of the flag and justice to the negl
nt as unequivocal, determinate and form
,ss as their acts of secession n rebeiil
by which they withdrew from t
u Union, they show themselves mt Z
nv members of a government when ne
,ir after is to be conducted on the Ut
or principles of republican democracy
90 Equality of right and Justice to ALT
nv glorious stars ofour bannerforourfrlent
its avenging stripes for our enemies
d. foreign and domestic. loud applaus
he In my Judgment, the differences az
w ing from these opposite OF u
w result of the rebellion will form the
yidine lines between political parties
~ the future. All other issues are of t
"o dead past and have glided away. Up
&c the principals and political action flo
inc out of the last mentioned OF the
,or theories, all true loyal and progressi
men will unite together to carry on u
mt government. 1 have said "progressl
ON men, for this is an age OF progres
If The world moves. Gen: He1ly Z
Id Wise. the executioner OF John brow,
in whose mansion mouse, near -
,at I q q negro Scliooi, 49,;
,mo nlause.1 in his recent letter, clainliI
a are That same house, declares himself
Inc have been an original abolitlonlst' IN
nd newed merriment.l .
mu Tpon the other theory, that rebels
tis to;n "U their riqhts, will come togetf
l lId all rebels, all sympathizers with reb
.annIf lion. all doubtful of the strength or
Vi Institutions, all lukewarm friends Of
.ountry, and all those whose pride
n l.. ~ leach them to fear that the ne!
10 rae. ,utstrip them in the race OF lif
&c will . fair field and no favor. f
I'd he has a his may be seen all aror
n- dences Of ; democracy of New Y
,g ms. The late convention, given
3e have just met In back seat; TO!
re ratio Seymour . dleton ignored
l. Mcclellan and Pen. her of Cincin
q. former platforms, whe... I'D u sold
70 or Chicago; family prais> q-holder,
re nominated Republican offic. 'econst
reelection, and Endorsed the ~ 'esid
,e ton policy of a Republican Pl b
lie so far only as it recognizes the rig.
ID power and property in the rebels.
bit The Democracy of Maine, VINO ',
ed so calamity beaten the other day, u
of wise resolved in convention to sus.al
hit Republican President in his ptiieo.
re reconstruction, so far ash was in a.
,c- dance with the Constitution; and, co
IN planning ofthe burden of public de
n declared in favor of equality OF Ia