Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1866-09-05

1
non sequitltr. No man has the right to
commit murder; but is it Logical, therefore,
to say that murders are not committed2
No man has, by law, the privilege of
breaking into my house to steal; but is it
true, therefore, that that there are no
burglaries2 No State has the constitu-
tional right to tear itself away from its
proper practical relations with the rest of
the States; but yet, in fact, they did it,
to this extent, that the States as States,
in their organized capacity, went into the
rebellion, and individually their men en-
listed as officers and otherwise, and took
part in the so-called Confederate Govern
ment, and thus as States, communities
and individuals, they were all involved in
! this crime.
Mr.. Lincoln held that, instead of 60
ing out of the Union, they destroyed
their proper practical relations to the rest
Of the Union, and that perhaps is as good
and clear a description of these States as
anybody could make, and is only anoth-
er instance of the shrewd, keen-sighted-
ness of that great, good and clear headed
man. (Cheers.) By destroying these
proper relations TO the Union and the
rest of the States, they ceased to have, as
we claim, the same rights that the rest
of the States have. They had no right,
until they cleared themselves from the
condition in which they had placed them
selves, toexpect the same privileges which
the loyal States enjoyed. deny, therefore,
that during this war, or at any time since
the war closed, until regularly restored to
that right relation, South Carolina stands
as well towards the Union as Ohio. de-
ny that citizen of South Carolina or
Georgia has the same privilege that you
or / have in his relation to this govern
ment, which he has attempted to throw
| off, until he is, with proper security, re-
ceiVed back again. (Cheers.)
is THERE NOTHING IN WARP
What do these people make of the war
who say that the moment the war ceased
every State, and the people of all the
States that had been in insurrection,
were restored to all their former privile-
ges and rights, and that it is wrongful in
US to exclude them from Congress until
we are satisfied that they may be safely
admitted? A mere struggle between reb-
els and lawful Government in order to
see which is strongest? As have said be-
fore, the man who takes this view of the
late costly war, reduces it to a mere fight
between brute beasts. When two dogs
engage in fight with each other, and
one gets the other down, rolls him in the
dust, and with biting and other offensive
means gets the better of his adversary,
and they separate, they are only two dogs
as before, and have nothing to settle be-
tween them. Laughter and applause. |
1t has been a mere trial of brute and
strength, to see which was strongest or
sharpest in the fight, and when the fight
was over, there ended the whole thing
Now, is it so with rational men? Are we
reduced to that condition of mere bru-
| tishness, that we can see nothing else in
this great struggle which has conVulsed
the nation and amazed the world, than
| trial of strength? Not so. When two men,
having failed to settle questions of differ
ence between them, come together in
physical contest, and one oVercomes his
adversary, he does not permit him to rise
and Immediately take him unto his en-
brace, and ask him to take drink with
him, and consider the whole matter as
settled. Laughter and cheers. He re-
QuIres that he make some concessions, or
give some security that will obViate a re-
newal of the fight. Having crushed out
the rebellion, we say as rational men,
give US some security that you have aban-
doned your intentions let US SO change
the organic law, or the relations between
us, that this thing cannot occur again;
until you do this, we shall not consider
this contest as fully and rightfully ended.
Great applause.
SECESSION AND RESTORATION.
No Government, in its organic law, pro-
vides for its own dissolution. Govern
ments are intended to be perpetual /; but
the doctrine of secession teaches US that
when our fathers made the form of gov
ernment, they intended to be understood
as putting into it provision for breaking
it up, and that minority might accom- |
plish this thing by Withdrawing from it. |
If people, when they talk in this way,
would speak of revolution, we might un- |
derstand them; but the right of reVolu- |
ton is never incorporated into Consti- |
tuition as one of its articles. No, my |
hearers, there is no form given for break
ing up Government. And because there |
is no constitution or legal form provided,
or even intended to be made by those
who established the framework of our
Government, for breaking that Govern |
ment up, so there neither is nor can be |
any formula for restoring that Govern
ment. The one is a work of violence; |
the other becomes work of necessity
There is no provision in the Constitution
as to how you may destroy the Govern
ment; nor is there any provision in the |
Constitution as to how you shall restore /
those States that have destroyed their 1
form of government. You must judge Of |
the case when it arises. When reVolu-
tionists have resorted to force, or traitors
raised their hands against rightful gov
ernment, they are to be dealt with ac-
cording to expediency and necessity.
In regard to the States, say that they
are in the Union, having forfeited certain
rights, but not having released them
selves from their obligations, because
they had no power thus to release them
selves. We find them still with terrific
ry, and with organized communities,
to be States. We are willing to
accept these preliminaries, with such new
conditions as will make US safe in the
future
The President and his supporters say
that this is all wrong. Mr.. Ewing and
others claim that these States were un-
able to alter relations, and as a conse-
quence, that they were complete govern
ments during the war, and after the war,
as they were before. They claim that
they are to be permitted, therefore, to
send Senators and Representatives to
Congress without any conditions what
ever This l know is the doctrine that
was taught last year by the Copperheads
Of Ohio, but it was not the doctrine, until
very recently, held by any man claiming
to be Union man. Let me refer to the
record.
rHE PRESIDENTS PROVISIONAL GOVERN
MENTS.
The Presidentundertook in his isscheme
for the restoration of the States, to organ
re, or have organized, a State Govern
ment for North Carolina first, and after
ward by precisely the same proceeding,
six other States, making seven out of the
whole eleven that had reVolted. He did
not do so in the cases of Alabama, Ten.
...zoo o,d U;r0inia hIlk he Iaff than