The Ebensburg Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1865-1871, 1866-09-27
The Issue.

questions more capable of being under
stood by the III asses, than those that today
distinguish the Presidential policy of
reconstruction from that proposed by
Congress. That the issues now undergo
ing discussion do thus admit Of compre-
hension by the people, is most fortunate
indeed, for it does not often happen that
questions so important in their consequent
ces are submitted to them for irreyersible
decision.
Although intimations to the contrary
have sometimes been made, yet it IS a
happy fact that no party, nor any faction
of party, contemplates the permanent
or even long continued exclusion of the
lately reoeliious States from full partici-
patton in all the benefits and privileges
that belonged to them prior to secession
The whole controversy between the
President and Congress Is one of terms
Primarily, they occupy similar positions,
while some of the Democratic leaders
differ from them both in contending that
upon the suppression Of rebellion, State
is at once remitted 20 all its old relations
with the other States.
The President required of the States
thar had taken up arms no less than four
conditions. First, (previous to the adop-
ton of the constitutional amendment
abolishing slavery in the United STATES, y
that slavery be abolished by each slave
holding State.
Second, The ratification of the anti
slavery amendment until its adoption was
secured by having the approval of the
requisite number of States.
Third, The annulIing of the ordinance
OF secession.
Fourth, The reputation Of all debts
contracted to aid the rebellion
These conditions the President repeat
edly declared must be complied with by
the insurrectionary States before they
would be allowed to resume their for
mer relations in the Union.
Upon the assembling of Congress in
December last, he asked for the immediate
admission of the duly elected and loyal
representatives sent by the reconstructed
States. Congress, however, scarcely be-
gan It's debates before it became apparent
that It's course would not be in harmony
with the Presidential policy After
eight months of delbcration it matured a
plan consisting of an amendment to the
Constitution, which declared,
First, That every person born in the
United States, and subject to their juris-
diction, shall be citizen thereof, and
shall not have abridged the privileges or
immunities of a citizen.
Second, The apportionment of repre-
sentatives according to population, except
when the right to vote is denied TO any
male inha0itant twenty-one years Of age,
unless for crime, and in such case the
basis of representation to be reduced in
the proportion the number of citizens
over twenty-one years deprived of this
right bears to the whole number of citizens
in the State.
Third, That no person who was leg
islative, judicial, or military officer, took
an oath to support the Constitution OF the
United States and afterwards engaged in
rebellion, shall be eligible to any Office,
civil or military, under the United States
or any Of them.
Fourth, That the rebel debt be repudi-
ated aud the Nat tional debt be held
unquestionably valid.
Thus the President and Congress both
stand on the same ground-that it is
constitutional and wise to require guaran-
tees of good faith from the States that
attempted secession. Many Democratic
leaders, chief among whom is Reverdy
johnson, of Maryland, have declared
their conviction that State whose people
have engaged in rebellion is by the over
throw Of the rebe,s immediately restored
to its normal condition, with all the
rights aud immunities of any other State
of the Union. Did the Democratic lead
ers abide by this conviction and contend
for it as their faith, it would form an
important element in the posture of affairs
Evidently for the sake of Presidential
patronage, and the increased possibility of
their coming into power, they have fore