Smyrna times., 1866-09-26
NJ Il S ELLANE ECU S.
ADDRESS
OF the National Union Committee,

~ lliE AMEhlCAN PEOPLE.
FELLOW CITIZENS: Very grave differences
having arisen between your imm ediate Repre-
sentatives in Congress and the President who
owes his position to your votes, we are impell-
ed to ask your attention thereto, and to sug-
gest the duties to your country which they
render imperative.
We shall avoid the use of hard words. OF
these, there have already been too many
And that the matters in issue may be brought
within the narrowest compass, let us first elimi-
nate from the controversy all that has already
been settled or has never been in dispute.
The Republic has been desperately assailed
from within, and its very existence seriously
imperlled. Thirteen States were claimed as
having withdrawn from the Union, and were
represented for years in a hostile Congress
meeting at Richmond. Ten of these States
were, for time, wholly in the power of hos
tile cOntederacy; the other three partially SO.
The undoubtedly loyal States were repeatedly
and tormidably invaded by Rebel armies, which
were only expelled after obstinate and bloody
battles. Through four years of arduOus, des-
perate civil strife, the hosts of the Rebel Con-
federacy withstood those of the Union. Agents
of that COnfederacy traversed the civilized
world, seeking allies in their war against the
Republic, and melting the rapacous and un-
prlncipled to fit out armed cOrsalrs to prey upon
her commerce. By State authority, and in
the perverted names of patriotism and loyalty,
hundreds of thousands of our countrymen were
conscripted into Rebel armies and made to fight
desperately for our national disruption and
ruin. And though, by the blessing Of God and
the valor and constancy of our loyal people, the
Rebellion was finally and utterly crushed,
it did not succumb until it had caused the de-
structiOn of more than Half Million Of pre-
ciOus human lives, not to speak of property to
/ the value Of at least Five Billions of Dollars.
! At length, the Rebel armies surrendered and
the Rebel power utterly collapsed and vanish
ed. What then?
The claim of the insurgents that they either
now reacquired OF had never forfeited their
constitutional rights in the Union, including
that OF representation in Congress, stands in
pointed antagonlsm alike to the requirements
OF congress and to those of the acting Presi
dent 1t was the Executive alone who. afte,
the Rebellion was no more appointed PrOyis
ional Governors for the now submissive, nn
armed Southern States, on the assumption
that the Rebellion had been g revolutionary,
and had deprived the people under its sway O
oil civil government, and who required the as
sembling of " a Convention, composed of dele
gates to be chosen by that portion of the pee
pie of said State who are loyal to the Unite
States, and no others, for the purpose of alter
70 ing and amending the Constitution of sal
1t State. 1t was President johnson who,
late as October last-when all shadow OF owe
resistance to the Union had long since disal
peared-insisted that it was not enough that
u State should have revolted must recognize h,
~ Ordinance of Secession as null and void fro
:, the beginning, and ratify the Constitution
~ Amendment prohibiting Slavery evermore, b.
,e she must also repudiate every dollar of i
1 / II
o Rebellion" 1t was he who ordered the di
il persion by military force of any legislature ch
nd sen under the Rebellion which should assun
Ii. mower to make laws after that Rebellion h;
Id fallen. 1t was he who referred to Congress
ey inouirers as to the probability of Represent
in tives from the States lately in revolt being a
is mitted to seats in either House, and suggest
that they should present their credentials, n
le- st the organization of Congress, but afterwal
ng And finally, it was he, and not Congress, W
n SUGGESTED to his Gov. Sharkey OF Mississip
G that
80 "If YOU could extend the elective franchise to
! persons of color who can read the COhsltuIoh OF
" limited States in English and write II cir names
N oil nersons of color who own real estate valued
not less than $3.50 and pay taxes thereon, you ,wO
compIetelv dIsarm the adversary, and set an exam
that other States will follow;
If, then, there be any controversy, as 10
right of the loyal State to enact conulCloIs
require guarantees of those which plunged m
ly into Secession and Rebellion, the support r
respectively Of Andrew johnson and OF Y
a., gress cannot be antagonist parties to tnat
mo test since their record places them on the 50
uu- side.
1t being thus agreed that conditions or
ration and guarantees against future rebel
may be exacted of the States lately in rev
the right Of Congress to a voice in prescrit
e! those conditions and in shaping those guar
LM the shape of law or of constitutional anne
YH ment, the action of Congress is vital. Eve
they were to be settled by treaty, the ratii
ton of the Senate, by two-third vote, VIZ
be indispensable. There is nothing in
Federal Constitution, nor in the nature of
=, case, that coantenances an Executive mont
-. ~ ly Of this power.
40 se What, then, is the ground Of compl