The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1866-08-30
ASSERTIONS OF CONGRESS.

It has been proclaimed BY Congress that
in addition to the powers conferred upon
it by the Constitution, the Federal Gov
ernment may now claim over the States.
the territory and the people involved in the
insurrecion, the rights Of war-.-the right
Of conquest and Of coniscation, the right
to abrogatc all existing governments, in
stitutions and laws, and 10 subject the
territory conquered and its Inhabitants to
such laws. regulations and dcprivations as
tic Legislative Department Of the Govern
mcnt may see fit to impose. Und,r this
broad aud sweeping claim that clause Of
Ike Constitution which provides that ono
State shall, without its consent, be deprived
Of is equal suffrage in the Senate Of the
Unted States has been annuled. and ten
States have been refused, and are still re-
fused representation altogether in both
branches Of the Federal Congress. And
the Congress in which only part Of the
States and of the people of the Union are
represented has asserted the right thus to
exclude the rest from representation, and
from all share in making their own laws
or choosing their own rulers until they
shall comply with such conditions and per>
form such acts as this Congress thus COM
posed may Itself prescribe. That ight has
not only been asserted, but it has been ex
ercised, and is practically enforced at the
present time Nor does it find any sup.
port in the theory that the States thus ex>
cluded are in rebellion against the Gov
ernment, and are therefore precluded from,
sharing it's authority. They are not thus
in rebellion. They are Que and ali in an
attitude Of loyalty toward the Government,
and of sworn allegiance 70 the Constitu-
ton Of the United States In no one O.
them is there the slightest indication of
resistance to this authority, or the slightest
protest against its just and binding oblisa-
ton. This condition of renewed loyalty
has been officially recognized by solemn
proclamation Of the Executive Department.
The laws Of he United States have been
extended by Congress over all these States
and the people thereof Federal Courts
have been reopcned, and Federal taxes
imposed and levied. And in every respect,
except that they are denied representation
in Congress and the Electoral College, the
States once n rebellion are recognized as
holding the same position, rs owing the
obligations, and subject to the same du.
! ties as the other States of our common
Union.
UNRESTRICTED EXPERIMENTATION NEcEs
AIRY.
1t seems to us, in the exercise of the
calmest and most candid judgment we can
bring TO the subject, that such claim, sc
enforced, involves as fatal an overthrow oI
the authority rf the Constitution, and n.
complete destruction OF the Government
and Union as that which was sought to be
effected by the States and people in armed
insurrecton against them both II can no
escape observation, that the power thu
asserted to exclude certain States from rep
rescntation. is made to rest wholly in lh,
will and discretion Of the Congress that as
serts it. 1t is not made to depend upon an,
specified conditions or crcumsta uces, no
to be subject to any rules or regulation
whatever The rights asserted and exer
g cised is absolute, without qualification o
r restriction, not confined to States in re
bellou, nor TO States that have rebelled
it is the right Of any Congress in forma
possession of legislative authority, to ex
e clude any State or States, and any portion
5 of the people thereof, at any time, iron
! represen tation in Congress and in the Elec
, oral College at its own discretion, and un