Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1865-08-25

gress has at any time the right to interfere,
either to supply defects or to annul wrong acts
Of local Legislation. II the rights or interests
Of any classes are disregarded, Congress has
the right and is bound to come forward with
its sovereign prerogative over territories, and
make provision for them. In like manner,
the provisional governors Of these States are
agents of the President. and, as such, are
subject to his direction and control. And,
however he may spare the application Of the
term, our President is manifestly treating the
returning States as virtually territories and
under the national authority as such. What
ever may be the theory in words, such is
plainly the practice. If now the President
and Congress will faithfully exercise these
rights and perform these duties of guardian
ship and control, there is little danger Of SER
ious evil or great wrong in the reorganization
Of these now disorganized and chaotic com
munilies but, otherwise, there is the most
serious peril that almost everything will go
wrong. Every daily paper brings evidence
that the dominant Southerners are coming
back to us as theBourbons returned toFrance,
having learned nothing, and having forgot
| ten nothing" intending and hoping, however
names may differ, to have substantially, and
to do substantially, just what they had and
did before the rebellion. God save the poor
| freedmen, Chat is the name, what is the re-
ality y from their new expressions.
A third duty OF theeeneral government is
| TO admit the seeded States into the Union,
as governing partnership, when they give
proof that they will become good members Of
such partnership. Why do mention this
as a duty of the government Because the
] 81 ~ % ka H.
ted to this partnerships Not in the least
| They have no more claim to such readmis-
sion than members of commercial partner
ship who had violently broken away from ii
and endeavored to ruin it, maligning its cred
it, destroying its goods, burning it's warehous-
es and ships, and even seeking the lives Of
the remaining partners, would have, when de-
feated in their plans, to come back into the
partnership and enjoy again their former share
of its property and profits. They have, as
a matter Of right, the same claim which MIL
tons fallen angels would have had after their
desperate battles and entire overthrow, when
'Headlong themselves they threw
Down from the verge Of he ven.--eternal wrath
Burn'd after them to the bottomless pitt"
TO rise, as soon as they we're rested, to form
themselves into a procession, with Satan at
their head and Moloch, Belial, Msmmon and
Bcelzebub leading divisions, to march up the
hight from which they had fallen, and knock
ing vehemently at Heavens gate, to demand
readmission and restoration to their former
seats Of dignity and power. No, the obliga.
ton rests on no right Of rebels not to suffer
the natural consequences Of rebellion, but on
the implied principles of our government,
one OF which seems to be this, that there is
to be no permanent inequality among the as
ISOLATED communities which constitute our
nation just as it is an avowed principle in
that immortal document which lies at the
foundation of our national existence, that all
men are created equal The genius and form
Of our government are adapted to an associa-
tion OF equal States not to an aggregate
of dominant and subject States. The obser-
vance of this principle aud Of national usage
will lead to the readmission of the rebel
States as soon as they are prepared for this
boon. II is to them simply unmerited
boon. The Constitution says, "New States
may be admitted by the Congress into the
Union;' it does not say "shalI be admitted"
but ''may be admitted" and it leaves to Con-
gress the absolute determination of the con-
diton Of admission.
How soon, then will it be proper to re-
ceive into the Union as a governing partner
ship the seeded States As soon as they
are prepared to become friendly and good
members of this partnership to cooperate
faithfully and fraternally in promoting the
objects for which it was formed. In matter
of sucn immense consequence, it is the mani
fest right and duty of Congress to keep all
candidates for admission on probation, as
long as there is good reason fOs aPPPrehend-
ing evil from their admission. What, then,
is necessary for removing such an apprehen-
sion
First, the full remuneration, on the part Of
the seeded States, of the institution and
spirit Of slavery. Slavery, whatever DISCUSSES
it may have worn of State rights aristocratic
honor and Southern independence. has been
our real foe through this war of wars. S!av-
cry instigated the war, carried it on, prompt
ed its enormities, and, il spared, will renew
i. as soon as it can. It is as natural an anita
gonist OF freedom and free institutions as
darkness ia of light, cold of heat, falls eh God
of truth, death of life. From the necessity
Of their being, the struggle between the two
combatauts must continue till one Of them
pershes. Are we ireemen, and have we any
question which Of the two must perish, which
shall perish
1t ia not enough that there is a passive ac-
quiescence, while the lovers Of slavery can
not help themselves, in the proclamation Of
January /. 1868. This will not prevent the
seeded States, when re-admitted to the
Union, from passing acts for re-establishment
by degrees, of slavery. The general govern
ment will then have no power to interfere
with the institutions of these States, except
in points expressly specified by the Constitu-
ton. They will then be fully in the Union,
and, with these express exceptions, will have
absolute control OF their own internal affairs.
Let no one say that this is mere idle alarm.
The proofs are abundant that it is not SO.
Nor is it enough that the amendment tn
the Constitution now before the people should
receive that ratification of nineteen loyal
States, which. cannot doubt, would right
fully establish its validity. This would pre-
vent the renewal of slavery pro-forma, but
not IN re- | need not repeat the proofs of
this, which we must thank the slayocrats for
having given us in time,-before it should be
forever too late. No; there must be a change
in the States themselves, which will prevent
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