The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1865-08-30

HRN0 INV tu0 lIkhb w
tives from seventeen, and it not from sew
~enteen, they cannot exclude the represen-
tatives Of n State. I!
The powers Of the States, as States,
being coordinate, and their rights CO.
equal, one State cannot exercise powers
or enjoy privileges to which every other
State Is not equally entitled.
Thus, every State is entitled to two
United States Senators, NJ matter what
may DO the locality, or how small the
population. And the Senators from a
majority OF the States cannot exclude
Senators from q minority Of the States,
without thereby violating their constitu'
tionsl rights.
The six New England States, with a
population a half q million less than that
of the single State of New York, have
twelve Senators, while New York has on
ly TWO. And the State Of Ohio has a
greater population that five Of the New
England States, and yet they have ten
Senators while Ohio has but two. Nor
will we complain of the fact that one cit
izen of New England exercises five times
more representative power in the Federal
Senate than does q citizen Of Ohio, unless
that great disparity of power be used to
subvert the very rights which it was cre-
ated to protect. But we are told that
the people of certain Of the Southern
States have been in open insurrection, and
that thereby the States in which the in
surgents lived have forfeited their politi-
cal existence. 1t is true that the people
of the South, at first in small numbers,
afterwards a majority, did rise in insur-
r~ectien. But have they not been terri.
bly, punished for this fault ? In their
slaves alone they have lost two thousand
million dollars. Their lands have been
ravaged; their houses have been burned,
and the region in which the war was
waged has been converted into q charred
wilderness. Can justice, nay not justice,
but can human vengeance demand more
than this ? And where, let us ask, is the
provision in the Constitution, which de-
olares that a State shall forfeit its politi-
cal existence-its right under the Con-
stitution, because q portion Of all its citi-
zens have been insurgents? No such
power exists, and it would be absurd to
suppose that the Constitution would pro.
vide for its W overthrow by authori.
zing the disintegration of the Union, but
it does provide for the suppression of in
surrection and domestic violence! Where
individual persons have done wrong they
are amenable to the civil laws, but the
acts of individuals cannot forfeit the ex-
istence of States, nor confer powers upon
the Federal Government unknown to the
Constitution.
By what process is the Union to be re-
stored? By what means are we again to
become countrymen in heart, as well as
in name? If we continue to treat the
Southern people as enemies, can we ex'
pect them to become friends ? Would it
not be well.to remember that civil wars are
like family feuds, and when, after strife
has ceased, and the cause of the Difficult
ty had been calmly considered, that both
parties, are generally found to be more
or less in fault
Unselfsh patriotism can restore thu
Union, while selfish ambition may involve
the country in new horrors, and our in
situations in total ruin. It requires nj
art, no mystery, no diplomacy to restore
the Union. We have but to ray to ou'
countrymen of the South, Come, let u
again be friends: if in aught we havt
both erred, then let us both profit by tn
terrible lesson of the past four years, ant
if only one has been wrong, then let tina
one be generously forgiven.
Had our civil,authorities been influences
by the same spirit of generosity an'
wise Cancellation which inspired our ar
mics /; or had soldiers like Sherman AM
Mcclellan been authorized to treat 70
peace, the war would have not survives
the second year, and the Union woul,
have been restored with sentiments o
cordial admiration and affection, warmin
the hearts Of our c%ountrymen North an
South for generous manhood begcts re
spect.
Our country can only be brought bac
to the happy and prosperous conditio
which existed prior to the war, by re
turning to the fundamental principle
upon which our institutions were based
and those great doclrinal truths taugf
by Jefferson and Madison, and the othe
early fathers Of the Republic.
THE NEGRO PROBLEM.
General Cox proposes to create a negr
dependency" to the United States, fror
contiguous territory Of the States Of Ala
bama, Georgia, Florida and South Care
lima, "without breaking up the State oil
CARNATIONS" l dissent from this soll
ton, because Congress has no authorit
under the Constitution, to convert one {
more States into ia negro dependency
because if such q dependency" were CIR
ated, q war Of determination between III
hostile races would be the inevitable r.
suit /; and lastly because the "dependen
cy" could only be established after ha'
ing obtained the lands Of tho white il
habitants by first exterminating them {
by the Government purchasing the land
on the condition that the white citizen
would abandon their homes that the n,
gro might possess them.
The plan of purchase is impractical
even were it Constitutional. The are
Of the proposed negro dependency
would contain nearly thirty million aCr
Of tho best land in America, which, at Q
average cost Of twenty dollars per aor
would amount to about six hundred mi
lion dollars. Six hundred million do