The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1866-08-07
NATIONAL UNION CONVENTION.
PIrTsF1ELD, Mass July rs, 1866.

DEAR SIR: thank you tor sending me
COPY of the call for the National Convention, to
be held in Philadel phia or the l4th day of Au-
gust next
In the present unhappy condition Of our ma
tional affairs, it seems to me fit and important
that delegates of the people should come to-
ge,her from al parts of our country, to manifest,
in an authentic and convincing way, the adhe-
sion of their constituents to the fundamental
principles Of our Government, and to that policy
and course Of action which necessarily result
from them. In my Judgment, the propositions
contained in the call of the Convention are con-
sistent with those priuci plies and that policy.
The nature of our Government does not per-
NIT the United States to destroy State, &C.
quire its territory by conquest Neither does it
permit the people of State to destroy the State
unlawfully to affect, in any way, any one of
it's relations to the United States One is as
consistent with our Constitution as the other ;
while that Constitution remains operative, each
is impossible.
But the Government of the United States
may and must, in the discharge of constitutional
duty, subdue by arms, any number Of its rebel
liOus citizens into quiet submission to its lawful
authority And If the officers of State, having
the actual control Of its govern nent, have dis
obeyed the requirements to swear to support the
Constitution, aud have abused the powers OF the
| State 10y making the United States, this
presents the case of an usurping and unlawful
government Of State, which the United States
may rightfally destroy by force !; for uhdoubted-
~, the provision of the Constitution that "the
United States shall guarantee to every State IN
this Union republican form of government,
must mean a republican form of government in
harmony with the Constitution, and which is SO
organized as to be IN this Union.
ISutp hor no and nfV n Gov
eminent Of the United States to subdue by arms
rebellious people in the territorial limits of one
or more States, nor its power and duty to des-
| troy Usurping government de fdc'o, can pos
sbly authorize the United States to destroy one
OF these States of the Union, or what must
amount to- the thing, to acquire that alb
solute right over its people and its territory
which results from conquest in foreign war -
There only alternatives: One is, that
in subduing rebellion the United States act
rightfully within the limits Of powers conferred
by the Constitution the other is, that they
make war on the part Of their Own people be-
cause it is the will of those who control the Gov
eminent for the time being to do So and for
such objects they may choose to attain. The
last Of these alternatives has not been asserted
by either department of the Government OF the
United States at any time, and doubt if any
considerable number Of persons can be found to
sanction it.
But If the first alternative be adopted, it fol-
lows that the Constitution which authorized the
wal prescribed the objects which alone can
righttully Se accomplished by it !; and those OBJ
jects are, not the destruction of one more
States, but their preservation not the destruc
ton of government in a State, but the restora-
ton 81 its government to a republican form in
harmony with the Constitution not the &C
QUESTION of the territory of State, and Of that
absolute control the persons and property
of its people which foreign conqueror would
possess, but their Submission to the Constitution
and laws of the United States. But it seems to
me great and fundamental to contound
the of the conquest of foreign territory
and people with the case of submission to law
tul and established constitutional Government,
enforced through the pow ers conferred on that
Government for that specific purpose.
1t Is quite true that such civil contest may
have, and in our country has had, the proper
tlons Of an actual war {; and that humanity and
PUBLIC law unite in debating the application of
rules designed to mitigate its-evils aud regulate
the conditions upon which it should be carried
on.
But these rules Of public law which concern
'the rights and power of a coRqueror of foreign
territory, reduced by conquest to entire submis-
of war. Their operations begin when war has
ended in submission they the laws Of a
state OF peace, and not state Of war.
10 suppose that the Government Of the United
States can, ina state of peace, rightfully hold
and exercise absolute and Unlimited power over
part of its territory and people just long,as
1t may choose to do so, appears to me to be un
warranted by any rules Of public law, abhorrent
to right reason, and Inconsistent with the nature
Of our Government
When war has ceased, when the authority Of
the Constitution and laws of the United States |
has been restored and established, the United |
States are In possession, not under new title,
as conquerors, but under their old title, as the |
lawful Government of the country; and that |
title has been vindicated not by the destruction
OF one or more States, but by their preservation
and this preservation can be worked out prac-
tcally only by the restoration of republican
governments organized in harmony with the |
Constitution.
The title of a conqueror is necessarily incon
s'stent with republican government, which
can be formed only by the people themselves, to
express aud execute their will
And If the preserv alton Of the States within |
the Union was one of the objects of the war;
and they can be preserved only by having repub.
lican governments organized in harmony with
the Constitution, and such governments can be !
organized only by the people of those States,
then manifestly it isnot only the right, but the
constitutional duty Of the people of those States
to organize such governments and the Govern.
ment of the United States can have no riehtful
authority to- prohibit their organization But
this right and dnty of the people of the several
States only begin when war has ceased, and