Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1866-08-02

through her legislature adopted the
Constitutional Amendment lately
passed by Congress, and having in
other ways manifested spirit of re-
turning loyalty to The Government
and OF devotion and obedience to
the laws and constitution of the land,
Congress has at once and almost
unanimously by joint resolution
declared her to be restored to all her
practical relations in the Union, and
have admitted her representatives to
their seats in the House and Senate
This action on the part Of Congress
settles several important questions,
and gives the lie to a thousand and
one false charges which the Demo
cratic papers have been constantly
reitersting from the very commence
ment of the session. By the admis-
sion of Tennessee, the Union major
ity in Congress haYe plainly declared
that they are not in favor of forcing
negro suffrage upon the Southern
States, nor of making that condi-
ton precedent to their restoration to
their former positions in the Union.
And yet there is not a Democratic
paper or politician in the North, that
has not every where and at all times
declared negro equality and negro
suffrage to be the avowed policy of
the Union party. In justice there
fore they should now retract that
charge. But we anticipate no such
honorable proceeding on their part,
for they well know the potency of
such an argument over the ignorant
masses of community, and they will
continue to use it for political effect,
although themselves fully conscious
of its falseness. They know full
well, that the Union party, tried by
the principles upon which it really
stands, is invincible; hence this cry
Of ''negre equality in order to di-
vert the public mind from the true
issues of the day. 1t is true, that
there are few extreme men, who
act with the Union party, who are
honestly in favor Of universal sur-
frage, including therein negro snf-
frage. But these men are not the
true exponents of the principles of
that party. They represent only
their own individual opinions upon
that subject, and neither the Union
party itself nor its representatives in
Congress have ever declared them
selves in favor of any such policy.
And the readiness with which the
Union members of Congress have
now admitted Tennessee to repre-.
sentation in that body, demonstra-
tes clearly, that they are not and
have never been in favor of making
negro suffrage acondition precedent
to the restoration of the Southern
States to their former position in the
Union. This lie and false charge
made by the copperhead party is
therefore fully refuted.
The admission of Tennessee also
demonstrates another fact. It is
this-thst the only condition which
the Union party and Congress are
disposed 70 insist upon as precedent
to the admission Of the late rebel
States, is this, that they give evi-
dence of the existence of spirit OF
loyalty among their people. Con
gressi admitted Tennessee, not so
much because she adopted the Con-
stitutional Amendment, as because
by this and other acts she has de-
monstrated that her. people are legal,
and are ready in the future to obey
the constitution and laws of the land.
And just SO soon as any or all OF the
Southern States give evidence of a
spirit of true loyalty and devotion to
the constitution and the Union, that
moment they will be restored to full
fellowship in the Union. We have a
right to demand some proof of 10y
atty from States solstely arraYed in
open arms against the Government