Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1866-09-19
THAD. sTRVENS ON THE STUMP,
The Constitution Abolished.

Thad. Stevens has ascended thu
stump. In recent speech at Bedford
he announced doctrines more revolution
airy than those generally attributed t.
him. We quote from the New Yorl
Times the following and ask the South
ern render to ponder upon it:
Mr.. Stevens says he intends to pro
pose again at the next session certain
measures that Congress failed to sdop
last winter, andsh he tells us what these
measures are.
|. He intends that Congress shall
pass laws overthrowing and discardine
the present State governments in the
Southern States as utterly illegal-and
providing governments for them as con,
quered provinces = fixing the quahh'
cations of voters and requiring
universal negro suffrage, Mr.
Stevens leaves no doubt upon this point
He reproaches Congress with cowardice
for not having done this at the last SEES
sion, and says it failed because the Re
publican party had not been sufficiently
Informed on the subject But now he
thinks the party is prepared to adopt it,
and he looks to the coming elections for
an Endorsement of his views.
2. He intends that Congress shall pass
laws by which "a sufficient fund shall be
levied out of the property Of the South.
ern people to pay the expenses of the
war; This cannot be less than four or
five thousand millions Of dollars, and
Southern property to this extent is to
be confscated Congress would have
done this, too, at its last session, but for
its cowardiee. trust now" says Mr..
Stevens, THAT our constituents will give
us more courage.
3. The third measure Mr.. Stevens in.
tends to force upon Congress is to give
homesteads and the right to vote TO all
the colored men who fought in the Union
armies, This is also to come out of the
Southern people, aud is simply so much
additional con6scation.
4. The great fundamental question to
be met at this election, MIR. Stevens
holds, is the question of negro rights; and
that he means to force upon the action
of Congress. He asserts in the broadesi
terms his theory that the Southern peo-
pie have no rights whatever; that they
can claim nothing under the Constitu.
ton, and that the national Government
is not restrained in the slightest degree,
in its dealings with the Southern States
and people, by any OF the provisions OF
that fundamental law. 1t need not look
to see what powers..are conferred upon il
by the Constitution, nor need it regard
its limitations and restrictions as of the
slightest consequence in its dealings with
the South. Its own will is its only law.
Mr.. Stevens maintains that it has all
the rights of conqueror; that the lives,
fortunes, property, rights, immunities-
everything belonging to the rebellious
section-are at its absolute disposal. He
holds that the Constitution has not only
been changed, but abolished by the war
for, says he, no principle is clearer than
that in war "all the former obligations,
treaties and compacts between the par
ties become null and void, and after the
war are to be renewed or repudated as
the parties agree, or as the conqueror
DEGREES. The Constitution, therefore,
being compact between the par
ties. may be renewed or re-
pndiated as the conqueror may decree.
Was there ever anything in secession
half so monstrous as this doctrine 1t
it is true, then success in war to put
down rebellion utterly destroys the gov
eminent rebelled against and overthrows
the Constitution under which alone we
have any right to wage the war az all