The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1866-08-30
SOLDIERS CONSERVATIVE CONVENTION.


&. The Soldiers and Sailors approving the Presi-
dents restoration policy, and endorsing the prnci-
plies announced by the National Union Convention
at Philadelphia, have decided to hold their conven-
tion at Cleveland, Ohio, September 18th, instead
of Chicago Us heretofore announced The follow
ing is the call just issued at Washington for the
convention:
To the Solder, and Sailor, acho scrred in the Aruy
and Nary Of the United States during the late
=, Rebellion:
In pursuance of resolution of o meeting Of SOL
diers now or lately in the Union army, held in this
city last evening, wo invite those of you who ap-
prove the restoration policy of the President and
the principles announced by the National Union
Convention at Philadelphia, to assemble at Ceave-
land on the 18th day of September next, for con-
.sultation on the momentous issues now convulsing
our country. We need not argue to you at length
the Importance of these issues, nor your duty to
take part in their settlement. After FIVE years of
fierce and bloody war, in which our arms were
gloriously triumphant, the Union for which we
fought is still practically unrestored Why isthis? !?
We struggled to maintain the rightful supremacy
Of the general government, to conquer oil who in
arms disputed it's authority, to mako every rebel
lious citizen yield to its laws.
We held throughout the war that the Union is
indissoluble, and its powers, as expounded by its
courts, supreme. That no State can of its own
motion withdraw, or at the will of its sister States
be excluded and that the duty of each State to re-
main in the Union and its right to take part in the
government are alike absolute.
Every object of the war ever recognized by or
known to the army and navy has been thoroughly
achieved. The Southern people, decimated, i'm
spoverished and subdued have, for moro than
year past, abandoned the rebellion, and now only
ask that the Union for which we fought may be
recognized as existing and that they may be dealt
With as the constitution and laws prescribe.
5 In their anxiety to restore the Union and bring
harmony to its councils they have gone beyond
mere silent submission to the laws Through
their delegates at the National Union Convention
they solemnly rcnounced the doctrines of nullifca
ton and secession, from which the war arose, re-
pudiated the rebel debt and declared of sacred OBJ
legation the national debt proclaimed the faith of
the nation pledged to the continuance of bountics
and pensions to loyal soldiers and sailors and their
S families ;decared slavery forever abolished and
the freedmen entitled to equal protection of law in
person and property with their former masters.
Their platform is not only one of emphatic loyalty,
but it is, moreover most liberal in spirit on all the
: great issues growing out of the war.
~ The character Of the men who represented the
Southern States in that Convention precludes us
from believing this cnunciation of principles to be
insincere. They sent to it their foremost states
men, men who like Riyes, Graham, Orr, Parsons,
Sharkey, Houston, Brockenbrough, Hunt, Man.
ming and Stephens, were known throughout the
sand before the war, men of the highest charac-
ter and influence. Amongth five hundred dele
gates from the South, there was not o voice or
vote dissenting from the resolutions adopted by
3he Convention.
If the best of the Southern people are ever 10 be
believed, We must accept these solemn declarations
as sincere. We do accept them as conclusive evil
dence that great majority of the Southern people,
sick of war and anarchy, and longing for restora-
tion of free government ready to bear true al
legiance to the Constitution and the laws of the
Union.
We are therefore unwilling to see the Southern
people held longer in vassaagc. They arc our
oountrymen, citizens of the United States, who
have incurred penalties, but who have rights
Those who wifully participated in the rebellion,
and are unpardoned are subject to the penalties
prescribed for treason. But, though individuals
may be tried, convicted and punished communities
cannot nor can the States and their people, with
out plain violation of the Constitution, be denied
the right of representation, through men personally
qualified, in the councils of the nation.
The intention of Congress seems to be to deprive
them of representation just so long as it suits the
purpose of the Radical party. Many assert that
it will concede the right whenever the constitu-
tional amendment shall have been adopted, and
1t is quite certain that the amendment will not be
ratified by three-fourths of the States and there
fore that it will not be adopted. Some perhaps
many of the Northern States will reject it, and we
cannot expect its legal ratification by any of the
lately insurrectionary States. If there wero no
other reason Why the Southern States will reject
1t, it is enough that it proposes to disfranchse
nearly oil the men of the South who have influence
orcr the masses of the people.
II none were to be disfranchised except officers
Of the Rebel army, wc still could not expect the
South to adopt it, for large majority of men in
the lately insurrectionary States through compul-
sion or choice served in the Rebel armies, and
their vote alone would overwhelmingly defeat it.
Would Union soldiers, to recover political priyi-
rsges, disfranchisc their leaders whom they love
and revere for their heroic virtues? How, then,
can we expect Southern soldiers to disfranchise
and degrade their old commanders? {? As there is
M nrnhabilitY that the amendment will be ratified