The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1866-05-05
The Reconstruction Report.

The event Of he week IN Congress has
been the report Of the famous " Central Di-
rvctory.r as President Johnson aptly called
it, CT the committee OF fifteen, on Reconstruc-
ton. We give the substance Of the report
III another Column.
TIE FIRST thought that will strike the inteli-
gent reader on its perusal mGst be that OF
wonder, that after such severe and prolonged
labor. tie mountain has brcugh forth so small
a ulo9ze. The FIRST section is palpably but a
re>al.ir.n@nce OF what is already in the con>
stitutlcu. 30 state has, nor ever had, under
the constitution, the right to abridge the
privileges OF i.nmuniiiss Of citizen of the
United States or to deprive any person OF
life, iSc., &c, without due process OF law.
Tie second section IS an exact reproduce
ton OF the Representative amendment which
his same committee reported in January,
I'D which the senate killed.
The third section attempts to make par:
tie constitution the bill of pains ard pen>
les which congress passed year or two
., and which also was supposed no. to be
eonsisten. with the present constitution
The nab Of the whole thing is in the 9Th
lion, giving congress the power to pass
able laws to carry into effect the !orego>
provisions. This clause would also De
aningless, for congress has always hereto
been held TO have the rover to pass a..
suitable laws to give eject TO the provisions
G tie constitution; but under The new inter
p-elat:on 81 en- to this same clause attached
to tie emancipation amendment, i is held 10
include powers never dreamed Of before by
congress. The main point the radicals ez>
pect to gain then, by the adoption of this re-
port is, the extended powers of congress sup
posed to be embraced in the 9Th section.
There is, however, another point very dear
to the radicals, embraced in the propositions
and this Is accomplished whether i: passes
congress and is ratified b. the states or not
II i passes, it virtually DISTINGUISHES nine>
tenths Of the people of the south until 1870
-gtisI' the next presidential election and II
it fills to pass congress and obtain the ratiii
cation Of thrce-fourths of the states, (andno
one even imagines it ever will De thus ratified
in any EVENT. its mere tendency in congress,
IS the ultiratum of the radical majority in
congress on the subject of reconstruction,
viii have the same desired eGect-to disirar-'
chise the south uu,il after the next Presiden
tiaI election And this Is the whole Obiec!
of the movement. This Postponement OF
the recons.ruction-not the amendment Of
the coastitution-nor the devIsing Of any
means to restore the Union, was tie sole CD
ject of appointing the :. Central Directory OF
Fifeen-this its report accomplishments is
the ED of their work There is. then. 10 be
no restored Union until after the next Presi-
dental election.
Ln'ess-yes, happily. unless, III the means
time: the election fox congvess next fall
the conservative dem cracy should again &c;
the control Of congress. And this IS the only
hope the friends Of the Union have. KeeF
this Union discovered until 1870, and the
Bitterness between the sections constantly In
creas;ng and intensjfyiug-aud this Union j
gone forever. The last hope for = restore
tioI. o. the Union Is i. the downfall Of IL
radicals.