The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-04-14

We asked in our appeal on Wednesday that
the President OF the United States should
protect duly elected members OF Congress
against the violence of q lacton in the exercise
OF Their functions as representatives Of States.
and of constituencies OF American citizens. To
tins the Tribune, In its atiectation of senten-
tatiousness, answers
"lsKMARKs The Federal Constitution tart l.
zach House shall be the judge of the elections
returns, ana qualifications offs own members."
We make no objection to that. 1t is provi-
SION of the Constitution of the United States. an
instrument that We respect SO much that our
chief quarrel with tbe radicals Is. that they ig-
more it, each House shall be the Judge of the
elections, returns, and qualifications OF its own
members" Now, let us examine the Consttu-
ton fnrthtr to asC, ,rtain what constitutes a
'House" of the Fe6eia Congress having the
powers above mentioned. The Constitution saws,
art Gle 2, section 1.-The House ol Representa-
lives shall be composed OF members chosen
every second year by the people II the seoerdt
States; ard the electors in each Ntute shall have
the qualifications requisite tor electors of the
most numerous branch OF the State Legsla-
ture." Is the present House OF Representatives.
composed OF members chosen by the people OF
the seee0t SdteSr No, distinctly, emphatcally
not.
''The Senate of the United States shall be COM
posed OF tICO Senator'S from each State, chosen by
the Legislature thereof, and each Senator shall
have one vOtp.n Is the present Senate of the
United States composed oi too Senator's from
each State 3? No-dstinctly aud emphatiaaly
not When comes to reasoning directly from
the Constitution, we will either accept challenge
from the Tribune or give 1t, and we are content
to argue paragraph by paragraph. We have
proved, 10y the Constitution, that there is no
Federal CONGRESS, Senate or House OF Repre-
sentatives-that is according to the require
ments OF the Constitution, qualified TO exercise
the functions o. u Federal Congress-eXCept
upon the suppostlon thar eleven States have been
withdrawn or elected from the Federal Union.
IL the radicals formed their theory upon the
supposi,iOn that those eleven States are out
OF the Union we admit that their practice is In
conformity with their theory. But IN vindlca-
ton OF the theory thPt we advance, that the in
tegrity oil the Union has not been destroyed,
that the component parts OF the republic are
To-Day in Their political essence by right and in
fact what they were previously o the outbreak
OF hostlhtes, we assert that the present Con
gress is deficient IN certain essential attributes
required by the Constitution, and is Constltu-
tionalIy. not a Congress. Ana ii anything tuT
ther we're requisite 10 make good our position,
It is furnished in Article V OF the Constitution,
that says:-"No state without Its consent, shall
be deprived OF its equal suffrage IN the Senate"
We will Got take the trouble of combating
the sophistries OF the shifting, unprlncipled
EG0d; but since the Times has assumed the
outward show OF conservatism we will give it
an answer. The Times takes the ground that
the NeUS, in its editorial of Wednesday, pro.
tesse5 the championship OF Southern interests
We do so, Tnasmuch us the South is part OF our
common county, and the protection Of South
ern interests Is essential to the welfare OF the
republic. But, in insisting upon the admission
OF the Southern States 90 represen tation in Con-
gress, we serve no sectional interests We are in
thus the advocates of prcip es whose triumph Is
a. precious to the North as to the South. 1t
is he life OF the very essence OF republican
ISM toI winch we contend. We demand that all
the States OF the Republic shall be represented
in the National Legislature, and that every
American citizen shall have "a vCIce and vote
according TO his constitutional privilege, in in
tluenclng the machinery OF GENITAL Government
Should this be denied, the wong is no less to
the North than 70 the South, it strikes ar the
foundation OF the political fabric beneath
which shelter the millions of the common
country. We say those that assemble in the
Ca, itol at Washington, and go through the
forms OF central legislation, do net constitete a
Congress in accordance with the provisions OF
the Constitution. That Congress lacks the
element OF representation iIom eleven States
OF the Union The deficiency is owing to
the usurpation of the radical faction. 1t Is the
Presidents dutv to oppose that usurpation, and
to exercise his authority, even though il involve
the iulflment of his functions as Commander
in-Chiet of the armies of the republic in securing
to his country complete and constitutional
National Legislature. II he can do il by moral
influence SO much the better. II he cannot do
IL without calling upon the bayonets at his com.
mand, let him do it, nevertheless. He has force
enough to insure the victory of republicanism
over faction. Whatever weapons he uses let
him rescue our form OF government from the in.
trigues of revOlutionists. We appeal to him, not
| in behalf OF the South or OF the North, but in
| the name OF the Uniled States OF America