Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1866-09-05

In Andrew Johneons political nafangue 20
the multitude in New York, he introduced the
following variation Of his argument again st
Congress
The rebellion has been suppressed, and in
Its suppression the Government has declared
and announced end established the great fact
that these States have not the power either by
force or by peaceable means to separate them
selves from the Union. That right has been
denied, aud has been settled and determined
by the Government in the field and in one of
Its departments-the executive department /;
but there is another department Of Jour gov
eminent which has declared, by its official acts
and by the position il has taken, that-notwIth-
standing the rebellion was suppressed for the
purpose of preserving the Union of the States,
and establishing the doctrine that the States
could not secede--this department of the Gov
eminent, say, has practically assumed and
declared up to the present time that the Gov
eminent was dissolved and the States were
out of the Union, and has acted upon that as
sumption. We who contend for the opposite
doctrine, years ago contended that the
States had not even the right to peaceably &C.
oede, and one of the means or modes of peace
able secession that the States of the Union
could withdraw their representation from the
Congress of the United States. and that would
he practical dissolution. We denied that they
had the right to withdraw their represents
tives. They did attempt to Withdraw them,
and We have proved that they he'd no such pow
er. And now, when the doctrine is established
that they have no right to withdraw, and the
rebellion is at an end aud the States are again
resumins their position and renewing their re-
lations far as in them lies with the Federal
Government, would give them representation
in Congress of the United States in conformity
IL Il - e IL
clares that you cannot even by amendment to
the Constitution, deprive any one Of them of
the right Of representation. We find that in
violation of the Constitution, in ex press terms
as we'll as in spirit, that the States of this Union
have been and they continue to deny them
their representation in the Senate and in the
House of Representatives. The question in
the struggle before us is Will We submit, or
will the American people submit, to this prac-
tical dissolution? viii we submit to doc
drIue we have repudiated and doctrine We
have proved has no existence and clnnol be
sustained. 1hessue is now before you. 1t is
before you and the country. Will these States
be permitted to continue and remain as they
are in practical-so far as legislation is con-
cerned-in 8 practical condition of dissolution.
1t is giving the lie direct, 1t is answering and
snbyerting every single argument and position
we have taken and made since the Rebellion
commenced. Are we prepared now after hav-
ing passed through this rebellion-are we pre-
pared, after the immense amount of blood that
has been shed-are We prepared, after having
accumulated debt of over three thousand
millions of dollars-sre prepared after all
rhe injury that has been inflicted upon the peo-
pie North and South of this confederacy-to
continue this disruption of the Union ?
This talk of the President of course repeats
the ridiculously false statement that Congress
insists that the insurgent States are not Of the
Union Such assertions answer the purpose of
mendaci Gus newspapers, and INSCRIPTIONS and
utterly dishonest politicians, and the President
by using them is putting himself upon level
with the most reckless and unprincipled dema-
gogues. Congress has never said or intimat-
ed that any of the States we're GU; of the Un-
ion. 1t has always insisted in all its acts that
no inch of Federal territory had been, or could
be. except by force, put beyond the jurisdic-
tion of the laws of the land
The Union includes Colorado as we'll as South
Carolina and New York. Did President Ohm
son, when he vetoed the bill admitting Colo
RADIO as State. practically, or IN any wav,
declare Colorado out OF the Union Did he
dissolve the Union in any way by that act ?
The territory of Colorado, the people of Colo
RADIO, are just much in the Union, Just as
much a part of the United States, Just as right
eously amenable to the federal statutes, and
Just as little oppressed to day, as they were
six months ago and yet, if the clamor of An
drew johnson, and bis rebel allies, has any
foundation In logic, Colorado was expelled
from the Union, was driven out of it, the Union
was dissolved, ruptured, broken up and de-
stroysd, just as much by the veto of the Colo :
RADIO bill, as by the refusal o! Congress to re-
ceive senators and representatives from the
Southern States.
The Southern States are Just much In the
Union to day as they ever were, and nobody
but rebels, copperheads and Johnsonites pre-.
tend they are not. The only question is, Are
they entitled 70 immediate, unconditional repre-.
sentstion? The Johnsonites say, yes the
Republicans say, no. When A. J. argues this
question he is entitled to the courtesy of re
spectful hearing but while he uses the loves
and most disrerutable clap-trap of the dem.
agosue, he only merits contempt.
Andrew Johnson's logic, such as it is, apar,
from its Misrepresentation, contradcts ITSELF
He denies that State can 4" withdraw repre-.
sentation." If he means by this, that it cannot
rightfuliy absent itself from Congress, he i.
partially right, doubtless, as each House has
the right to send its sergeant alarms, and en-
force the attendance of members duly elected.
But what is to be done when no Representative
or senators are elected from State {? The
Constitution leaves Congress powerless in that
case; and that is a pretty efsctual way Of
Withdrawing representatives; in fact i, is Just
what the South did, during the war. And
President Lincoln, and President johnson, and
all the executive departments of the govern
ment, have so far treated the absence of South
ern representatives and senators as substantial
iy changing the number of senator's and repre-
sentatives necessary to constitute the Congress
OF the United States, as to hold that quorum
only OF the members elected and qualified,
should be necessary for the transaction of bust
ness in either House. 1t has been only by this
construction Of the constitution that any legis-
Iation has been possible during the last five
years, or that legislation can now be con-
sidered as having any validity. Yet President
johnson now advances doctrine, in the inter-
es's of his Southern allies, which they will not
be slow to use, as We show elsewhere they have
already used another of his speeches,-to prove
the whole legislation of the nation for six