The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1866-06-18
INFIDELITy To THE AMERICAN
CHARACTER AND PEOPLE PRO!
MULGATED, IN THE RECON
sTRUCTIONs REPORT.

EDMUND BURKE, in his great Parliamentary
effort upon the injustice Of taxing Americt
without giving her representation, said Of th'
body Of which he was member, "that Par
lament is every day and everywhere losing
that reverentia affection which SO endearine
name Of authority ought ever to carry
with it saying you are obeyed solely from
respect to the bayonets;' and that this House
the ground and pillar Of freedom, is itsel
held up only by the treacherous under-pin
ming and clumsy mattresses Of arbitrary
power" In reading the party manifesto Of
the committee Of reconstruction, of which
fifty thousand copies are TO be published Of
the national expense, to propagate its pas.
sionate and prejudiced appeals and its un.
democratic and antirepublican doctrines, the
picture Of the English Parliament in liza
seems lamentably applicable to the Ameri-
Congress in 1866. By the confessions Of the
report alluded to, II is evident that the dom
inant party in Congress relies no longer upon
principle, bnt expects to hold government
only by the unnatural and unconstitutional
exercise Of power. -.a..r 'aH.r
In giving its opinion "No. g." why the
States lately disatfeeted should not be repre-.
sented, though loyal and acceptable persons
should present themselves, the report says
virtually to permit representation from the
South at this time is to put "the national
treasury, the army Of the nation, its navy, its
forts and its arsenals, its whole civil admins
tration, its credit, its pensioners, the widows
and orphans Of those who persisted in war,
the public honor, peace and safety" into "the
keeping Of our recent enemies without delay,
and without imposing such conditions as, in
the opinion Of Congress, the security of the
country and its institutions demand"
Stripped Of its verbiage and nonsense, this
means that in the opinion OF the chairman of
the reconstruction committee and his cola
borers the political party now in power is a
minority of this country; that, were all the
authorized citizens Of this Republic who obey
its laws to be allowed the freeman's privilege
Of the ballot, they would be voted down /;
that the public sentiment Of America is
against them, and their sole chance of con
tinued authority-their lease Of government
depends upon the denial to eleven States
their original and constitutional rights and
the deprivation Of suffrage from eight mil
lions Of people. We read such admissions
Of weakness on the part of the representa-
tives Of the noble Union party with mingled
feelings Of contempt and shame-contempt
that in free Republic men are willing to
hold and ask to be continued in power at the
expense of fundamental principles and the
sacrifice Of the representative rights of one
third Of the nation, and shame that an Amer
lean Congress heralds to the world the brazen
SANDER that the sympathies and the support
Of this people, are to be given to those who
fought against, instead Of those who fought
for, the honor Of our name and the unity Of
our empire. ..... .....
We repudiate the fallacy that the destiny
Of the American people is to be limited by
the fate or chances Of any party, or that any
phase Of American politics is to measure
the greatness or control for all time the
operation and true meaning of American
institutions and government. When party
'"i'' VI iA>.o ~ ''io .ouA'y We oehe'e 'ha'
some sres. purpose rs a,oo,nPilSneu 'hereoy'
Aaio .ne W.. WI =, ,ne peop'o' neir se''ieu Judg'
mem, 'ner ae,iperA.s acuoh is OF more
.is nm. a.e ahu 49, n,. '""n ,ne 'enurs OF
'enaoi'y VI amy parry me II lne party now
m power ever su.e,' ue,ea'n VIII oe because
/" useef'e' ~ anu nus ,sneu 70 govern NC
corning !" inc Popu'ar i'ea o' justice OF tne
Aaerican ideA " rishs is therefore WIN
seeming Asih 70 norror 'lA' we witness sueh
Doia scepusnn Oh tue virtues such ihndeiity
70 inc reeoie ~ our 'ehoS'counuyiheh winch
'ne tsSons'ruo'ioh report con
thneu "e uaie NY lrus' ourselves 70
sPeeS Us ws ,esi y, lnen ~ nsn stations VINO
80 Dene anu oeniue .nose VINO eiee'eu tnein
10 once, VINO AUNT Unit uhuer any circum-
stances the national treasury the army Of
me naaon' its iorts ana arsenais are 10 De
surrendered 10 our late enemies Inc mead
oil the finances OF TINS country ana tne whoie
ciVii list under MN are men OF undisputed
loyalty, VINO never had an impulse or emotion
untrlendly 10 the Government WIN the
committee on reconstruction tell us how the