American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1866-04-04
The Status of the Southern States

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more important than this at thepreseuttime
and none upon which there is more con
fusion of ideas, than those which pertain
to the civic rights of the States lately in
rebellion. What is their political status
Are they States at all, or only territories
If they are not States, when did they
cease to exist as such2 Ii they are
States, what are their rights ? Are they
entitled to elect members OF Congress p
Do they stand upon an equal footing with
New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio2 II
so, why docs Congress exclude their rep.
resentatives even for day?
These are questions which are constant
ly and naturally asked. 'Governor" Per.
ry, Mr.. Vallandigham, the New York
World, and the New York Times find nc
difficulty in answering them. According
to these authorities, the answer to all
such questions depends upon the answer
to one, namely, Are these States IN or out
of the Union +? IF they are in the Union
it is confidently asserted that they must
needs be entitled to all their ancient
rights. IF they are out of the Union
then it is said the war fr the Union has
failed Of its purpose.
This fallacious reasoning, transparent
as it seems to us, misleads large portion
Of the loyal people, and confusos yei
more. Let us carry it to its full extent
and it will be easily seen through.
A large part of Louisiana is kept from
total submersion by water, only by long
line of dykes. Let us suppose that the
,ohote State was in the like condition.
Let us further suppose that, in order tC
carry out military operations, it became
necessary to break down all these dykes
and to submerge the whole State, SO that
it sheuld become permanently uninhabit
able. Would the war have been necessa
rily failure because Louisiana was des
troyed True, the war was not underta
ken for the purpose of destroying State
but neither was it undertaken for the
preservation of State. 1t was not com
meneed for the purpose of spending three
thousand millions of dollars or of saeri
6cing five hundred thousand lives. [
was waged to preserve the nation, and
thi was meant to be done whether tht
lives of individuals or of States should
perish or not So much for the argu
nent from the supposed "failuro Of the
war"
But, in truth, all that is said about
States being sin or out" of the Union i;
utterly irrelevant to the argument. The
Territory of Colorado is surely in the
Union, notwithstanding it has not beer
admitted asa State. Does am citizen ol
a territory find any difficulty in obtaining
a passport as citizen of the United
States Were not the residents of Lou
isiana admitted to all the rights of citi
zenship, by treaty, long before they or.
ganized State government These con
sidcrations dispose also of the argument
that the election of Mr.. johnson prove,
that Tennessee was State then in exist
ence. There is nothing in tho Consttu
tion which prevents the election of cit
izen of Nebraska or the District of Col
umbia to the Presidency Nor is there
anything in the fact that Mr. johnson
continued to act as Senator of the Uni
ted States, after his State had become
disorganized, which binds Congress now
to recognize the continued existence OF
that State. 1t was favorite doctrine ol
Henry Clay that every member of Cong
ress represented the whole nation, and no
merely his own particular State or dis
trict This doctrine is unquestionably
the true one, and has been gradually ac
quiesccd in by all parties, though vehem
emily denied at first. 1t follows that nc
member can be deprived of his seat (ex
cept By regular process of expulsiop)
even if the entire State or district from
which he comes should be swallowed NJ
by earthquake or iuundation. Much
more is he entitled to remain, if he choos
es, after his State has lost its corporate ex
istence.
Coming then to the conclusion that tn,
controversy is not to be disposed of b.
one or two phrases, let us consider wha
are the facts upon which it turns.
For the purpose of our present argu
ment, we lay aside all considerat ton
founded upon the belligerent attitude o.
the South, and dismiss entirely all ques
ton as to the effect Of the State rebellion
upon State rights. Waving these, tn,
following facts remain:
l. That Virginia, North and Soutl
Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mis-
/ sissippi. Louisiana. Arkansas and Teva