The Vinton record. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1866-1891, 1866-08-02

the most important right. Ohl(
enjoys it, why not Virginia? The
Southern States are in the Unior
or they are out of it. If they are
in the Union, they are equal tC
Ohio, and entitled to representa-
ton. If they are out of the Union
the claim to govern them at al
is a fraud and a usurpation.-
[Cheers. They entered the Union
by passing an ordinance adopting
and ratifying the Federal Consti
tuition. They tried to dissolve thai
connection by abrogating that rat
ification. The abrogating ordin
ance was the act of secession. Eli
ther it was valid or it was invalid
If invalid, it was null, it had nc
effect; it did not effect the State;
it did not effect the tie which
bound it to the Union. 1t left the
State in the same position in which
it had been for month, for a year
before the act of secession. If it
was valid, it destroyed the Union
and removed the State beyond the
Constitution, beyond your power.
reject the claim that these or
dinances are valid for one purpose,
invalid for another-valid to de-
stroy the State, invalid to dissever
the Federal tie. 1t is the fanciful
creation of a disordered brain, or
the arbitrary diction of a man who
will have things as he wishes
them. ...
l understand the position of Mr..
Stevens and those who follow him.
He believes that either the ordin.
ance ofsecession or the attempt to
enforce it by arms, constituted the
South in effect a foreign power =
alien enemies; that we had good
cause Of war against them, and did
in fact wage the war fors subjuga-
ton and conquest; that having
subjugatedi and conquered them,
we hold them subject to our will;
that so far as they are concerned
their rights and our powers are
determined by the laws of nations
alone, and no question of the Con-
stitution can be raised except by
the adhering States. understand
the position of Mr.. johnson and
the war Democrats. They hold
that the ordinances Of secession
were invalid; that whoever at
tempted by force of arms to make
them available were traitors; that
their unlawful acts do not effect
the statutes of State, or OF its law
abiding people; that they may be
punished, but that the State re-
mains the same. (Cheers.) But l
cannot understand the thimble-ring
logic Of these halfway gentlemen,
that the ordinances of secession
are half valid, half invalid; that the
States are in the Union to be gov!
erned, out of it to be protected; in
the Union when duties are requir-
ed, out of it when rights are to be
accorded; in the Union when taxes
are to be exacted, out of it when
representation is demanded
Why should they not be represented?
This representation is essential to
the restoration of the Union. Why
was the war prosecuted For the
maintenance of the Union. Love
of the Union was the. sentiment
which lay at the very heart of our
people. 1t had grown and
strengthened, and become fixed by
the attempts at disunion of the
Hartford Convention and the nulli-
fication ofSouth Carolina. 1t was
this that made strong men volun-
teer, and matrons and maidens and
wives to consent that son and hus-
band and lover should volunteer.
1t was this that made the North
yield armed men as if from her
soil. Mr. Lincoln, in his inaugural
and messages, told us the war was
for the Union; Congress, in the
most solemn form, reiterated it,
Mr.. Seward, after two years of the
war, told us that the seats of Sena-
tors and members were vacant, and
their open arms, with silent elo-
quence, inviting the States and the
people to return to the blessings
and duties of the Constitution
Your arms have been successful;
not an armed enemy withstands
you; they ask admittance to take
their seats. Why is not the Union
restored? Why do those who have
clamored for the Union refuse it,
Why do those who have urged
others to fight for Union prevent