The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1866-03-01
he faaicals Backing Down on the
state Suicide Doctrine.


WAsHISGroN, Wednesday, Feb 7, 1866.
The developments in the debate yesterday
on the bill giving consent Of Congress 10
the cession of the Counties of Jefferson
and Berkely By Virginia TO West Virginia
which involved the recognition of the old
State Of Virginia and its loyal government
were exceedingly significant. Mr.. STEVENS
was drawn out 80 far as 20 deny that be
had ever held that the States were dead:
they had always been States, but States oil
the COutederaey, not OF the Union. This
declaration surprised many who thought
they possessed sufficient iutelligenc to uu-
derstaud what Air. STEVENS has so often as
serted in the plaInest language, viz: that the
States lost their character as States by the act
of rebellion, an1 that they were now moth
ing but "dead States" or CONQUERED ter
ritury. 'Bdtthis admission from Mr.. STEVENS
is indicative Of an abandonment Of the
ground which he and few others ehave so
strenuOusly ady0cated since the opening Of
the session.
Mr.. BINGHAM, Of Ohio, who is certainly a
wag went still further and denied that we
had conquered the States; we had conquered
the rebellion, and the States were Ieft as
before the war; he voted for this bill be-
csuse he recognized the loyal government
of the State Of Virginia, and the right OF
that government to give the necessary con
sent TO the cession Of these counties TO the
State of Wess Virginia. Thus it seems
that the moment that the test Of absolute
fact is applied to this theory Of'St6te sui
eide, - it vanishes into thin air, and its most
strenuous advocates are obliged 10 resort
90 subterfuges. or to acknowledge frankly
t0at the war was waged only tor the resto-
ration of the Union, and that the rebellion
having been crushed the suspended rela-
tIOns Of the States are again resumed, sub
Ject only to sucn legislation as the changed
and dIsordered condition Of society and
the future security Of the Republic may de-
maud.
Aud if any one doubts that the necessary
legislation to meet these requirements can
not be secured without making the COBsti-
tuition anew or pstehIng It all over with
amendments, let b m read the provisions
of the Freedmen's Bureau Bill, which has
passed both Houses, and the Civil Rights
Bill, which has passed the Senate and IS
now pending in the House. lspeak OF these
simply as samples Of the stringent character
of the laws which Congress Is now engaged
in considering and passing. No class Of
persons in this country were ever protected
in their rights more etfectualy than are
the Freedmen by these two bills. By these
provisions they are accorded anu projected
IN every right but that Of the ballot; and
by the new bureau bill the Government
vlrtua y becomes the guardian Of the black
race, and says to the Soutern States aud
their cOurts-YOu must give the freedman
his rights and protect HIM in their enjoy
ment; Il you don't,we VIII, and we viii pun
ish you for not doing il. Mr. SUMNER and
some others think that if the mere ballot
be at once accorded the freedman, he will
be furnished with "victuals and drink and
pretty good Clothes" without any further
effort tuat, being given the ballot, al else
is given hnm-as Mr.. SUMNER said yesterday.
Bu. from the nature Of these bills, it Will
be seen that the freedman is 6rsg TO be
guaranteed his civil rights, and, then
taught how to use them 50 as 20 speedily
secure his poll rights.
N. !. Times.