Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-12-22
pendence as q nation be acknowledged b

points. After such clear and repeated de-
oisions, he said, it is something worse than
ridiculous to hear men of respectable stand
ing attempting to nullify the law of ma
tions, and declare the Supreme Court of the
United States In error, because, as the Con-
stltutiOn forbids it, the States could not 20
| out of the Union de tdcto. After proceed
ing further in his argument, he remarked,
it is obvious that the first duty of Congress
is to pass a law declaring the condition of
these outside or defunct States, and provid-
ing proper civil government for them.
Since the conquest they have been govern
ed by martial law. Military rule is Iieces-
sarily despotic, aud ought not to exist longer
than is absolutely necessary, As there are
no symptoms that the people of these PROV
inces will be prepared to participate In a.
| Constitutional Government for some years,
| know OF no arrangement so proper for
| them as Territorial Governments. There
| they can, learn the principles Of freedom,
aud eat tie fruit Of foul rebellion tinder
such Government. While sele6tlng MEM
lbers to the Territorial Legislatures they.
| will necessarily mingle with those to whom
Congress shall extend the right of suffrage.
In the Territories, Congress fixes the quail
1lcations of electors, and I know Of no bet
| ter place or better occasion for the conquer
| ed rebels and the conquer0r to practice JUS
tice to all men, and accustom themselves to
make and to obey all laws. AS to these
famed rebels, they cannot at their option
re-enter the heaven which they have dis
turbed, nor the Garden of Eden which they
have deserted, as flaming swords are set at
| the gates to secure their exclusion. 1t be-
comes important to the nation to inquire
when the doors shall be re-opened for their
admission. according TO Day judgment they
ought never TO be recognized as capable Of act
| tnq IN the Union or being counted as valid
States. until the Constitution shall have
been so amended as to make it what its
| trainers intended, so as 10 secure perpetual
dScendency TO the party Of the Union, and so as
to render Republican Government firm and
stable forever. The first of these amend
ments is to change the basis Of membership
to actual voters. Now all the colored free
men in the slave States and three-tifths of
the slaves are represented, though none of
| them have votes. The rebel States have 10
representatives of colored slaves. If the
slaves are now free, then they can add for
the other two-tfths, 13 more, making the
slave representation 80. suppose the free
blacks in those States will give at least five
more, making the representation of nom
voting people of color about 81. The whole
number of representatives now from the
|
and it will be SO. .. Hl i1l.
| II the amendment preUdilS, and those States
toithhOLd the right Of suffrage from persons Of
color, 10 IoiH deduct about 81, ledUiRg them bat
| 45. With the dpp0rti0nnleh unchanged, the SO
Southern members, 10Th the Democrats that tcilL
in the best times be elected from the North, oUig
altodvs giUe them a majority IN Congress and in
the Electoral College. They ,osU at the Uery
first election take possession Of the White
House and the Halls Of Congress. 1 need not
depict the ruin that I1Ould tolL0,o. The as
sumption of the Rebel debt or reputation
of the Federal debt would be sure to fol-
low. The oppression of the freedmen, the
reamendment of the State Constitutions,
and reestablshment of slavery would be
the inevitable result. That they would
scorn and disregard their present Consti-
tutions, forced upon them IN the midst of
martial law, would be both natural and just.
| No one that has any regard tor the freedom
of elections can look upon these govern
ments, forced upon them in duress, with
any favor. II they should grant the right Of
suffrage to persons Of color, think there aoONld
dl,odys be Union oohite men enough in the South,
aided By the blacks, to Idiuide Me representation
and thus continue the Republican dScen-
ddncy If they should refuse thus to alter
their election laws it would reduce the rep
resentatives of the late slave States TO about
40, and render them pOwerless for evil. 1t
is plain that the amendment must be con-
summated before the deiunct States are adj
mitted to be capable of State action, or it
never can be. The proposed amendment to
allow Congress to lay duty on exports is
precisely in the same situation. Its import
ance cannot well be overstated. 1t is very
obvious that for many yearsthe South will
int
laws. The only article on which we can
raise any considerable amount Is cotton
1t will be grown largely at once. With ten
cents per pound export duty it would be
furnished cheaper to foreign markets than
they could obtain 1t from any other part of
the world. The late war has shown that.
Two millions of bales exported, at 800
pounds to the bale, would yield $780, 100000.
This seems to be the chief revenue we shall
ever derive from the South. Besides it
would be a protection to that amount
to our domestic manufactures. 9th
er proposed amendments, to make all
laws uniform, to prohibit the assumption
of the rebel debt, are of vital Importance;
the only thing that can prevent the COM
bined forces of copperheads and SECESSION
lists from legislating against the interests of
the Union whenever they may obtain an
accidental majority. But this Is not all we
ought to do before these inveterate rebels
are invited to participate incur legislation.
We have or are about to turn loose 100000
of slaves without n hut to shelter them
ora cent in their pockets. The Internal
laws of slavery have prevented them from
acquiring an education or from understand
ing the cOmmonest laws of contract or from
managing the ordinary business of life.
This Congress is bound to provide for them
until they can provide for themselves. If
we do not furnish them with homesteads
and hedge them around with protective
laws, if we leave them to the legislation of
their late masters, we had better have LETT
them In bondage. Their condition would
be worse than our prisoners at Anderson
willie. If we fail in this great duty now,
and when we have the power, we shah de-
serve and receive the execrations of history
and all future ages. Two things areof vital
importance. So to establish a principle that
none of the rebel States shall be counted In
ahyof the amendments Of the Constitution
until they are duly admitted into the family
yOf States bythe law-making power of their
conuuerors. For more than six months the
amendment of the Constitution abolishing
slavery has been ratified by the Legislatures
of three -foufths of the States thatiactedou
its passage by Congress, which had Legisla-
lures, or which were States capable of act-
ing or required to act on that question. j
take no account OF nthe laggfegati0ns of
whItewashed rebels, who, without any legal
authority, have assembled in, the capitals of
the, late rebel States and simulated legisla-
tive bodies. Nor -d04 regard with any