The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1866-10-21
the bad character, moral and political, OF i'll
Chief Magistrate.
ARGUMENTS roR THE REBELS,

written in defense OF the rejection by the
South of the proposed Constitutional Amend
ments, says:
1.-THE conviction is carried home to the
people of the South with force which they
cannot resist, that even after having accepted
the degrading terms imposed by the amend
meut, their condition - political commnna-
ties will still be the same as IT is now, while
az individuals it viii be infinitely worse.
They will not have advanced a single step to.
wards repaining their normal position i the
Union, while very large proportion Of them,
constituting in fact nearly the entire body OF
their representative men. viii have been Tor.
ever prescribed from holding any Office. civil
or military, under the Government Of the
| United States or of their own States
There are two very patent points in these
two sentences first, talsehood; secondly, 9
defense of rebels.
The falsehood is apparent not only in the
graramen Of the charge of ill-faith on the
part of the Republicans, but in the positive
assumption that the amendments impose
degrading terms upon the South.
Those amendments are to become national
law and apply to the whole country. Often
as we have quoted them, let US again see
what they are, that in the Constitutions es-
timatlon they are so degrading to the South.
"SEcrIos l. All persons born or natural
lied in the United States, and subject to the
jurisdiction thereof, are citizens OF the
limited States and Of the State wherein they
reside. No State shall make or enforce anv
law which shall abridge the privileges or I'M
munities Of citizens of the United States
nor shall any State deprive any person OF HE,
liberty, or property. without due process OF
law, nor deny to any person within It's Juns-
diction the equal protection OF the laws.
This is the first section of the degrading
terms that SO excite the indignation OF the
Constitution No man but rebel who wants
to see Southern traitors free to wreak their
vengeance with lawless violence upon freed
men and loyal whits men, will object TO II.
"SEc. 2. Representatives shall be appor>
toned among the several States according 70
their respective numbers counting the whoie
number of persons in each State, excluding
Indians not taxed. But when the right to
vote at any election for the choice OF electors q
for President and Vice President OF the
United States, Representatives IN Congress,
THE executive and judicial officers OF State,
or the members OF the legislature thereof, IS
denied to any of the male inhabitants oil such
State, being twenty-one years OF age, ana
citizens of the United States, or IN any way
abridged, excep, for participation IN rebel
lion or other crime, the basis OF representa-
ton therein shall be reduced IN the proper
ton which the number Of such male citizens
shall bear to the whole number OF male citi-
zens tweniy-one years of age IN such state.
This is the second section Of the ''degrad>
ing terms II proposes to reduce the South
ern traitor to the political level of the North
srn loyal man. No man but rebel who
would put lowa's seven hundred thousand
loyal people in abject subsection to South
Carolina's two hundred and fifty thousand
disloyal people, will object to it.
"SEc. 8. No person shall lie a Senator or
| Representative in Congress, or eiettor of
| President or Vice President. or hold any Of
| fee, civil or military, under the United
States, or under any State, who, having pre-
viously taken all OATH as member OF Con-
gress. or as an officer of the United States,
| or as member of any State Legislature, or
| as an executive or judicial officer OF any
State, TO support the Constitution of the
United States, shall have engaged in insur-
rection or rebellion against the same, or Civ
But Congress may. by vote Of two-thlrds OF
each House remove such disability"
That is the third section Of the '-degrad-
ing terms" No man bu, rebel in sympa-
thy with rebels, who wants to pay premium
to treason and reward perured traitors for
their disloyalty and attempted overthrow of
the Government, will object to It.
'SEc. 4. The validity Of the public debt Of
the United States, authorized by law, in
Guiding debts incurred for payment Of pen>
sions aud tounties for services in suppressing
insurrection or rebellion, shall not be guess
toned. But neither the United States nor
any State shall assume or pay any debt or
obligation incurred in aid Of instruction or
rebellion against the United States, or any
claim for the loss or emancipation Of any
slave: but all such debts, obligations and
Claims shall be held illegal and void. :"
That is the fourth and last Of '.the de-
grading terms that the Constitution is con-
ident the South will not accept. No man
but rebel in sympathy with rebels, who
wishes to paw rebel soldiers for their services
against the Union or to refuse payment Of
| oounties and pensions to our own brave SOL
| Hers, VIII objtct 10 II.
Never in history was so grea. guilt Of
treason 50 lightly punished. Rather tits not
punishment II Is merely safety to the Repub
lie. The people have passed upon the Amend
nents: they have demanded their adoption.
When the enormi;y Of the guilt Of the South
ern people. the great peril the Republic has
thereby been in, aud the jnstness of those
terms are considered, the assertion that those
terms are degrading is utterly false.
That the Constitution makes herein de-
Tense of rebels, is pateu, upon the face Of its
argument, and from consideration of the
provisions of the Constitutional Amend,
ments.
The rebel organs defense will be that
these men at the South have been pardoued
and are not hence further punishable. That
clap trap scrhistry is easily disposed Of The
rebel organ N its sympathy with It's Southern
raitor Democratic brethren misapprehends
the nature and extent of pardons. Because
the sentence of the law is not executed upon
criminals, because the traitor doesn't suffer
death or coniiscation Of property doen es.
tablsh his right to be United States SeDa,
tor or a President if the people will Others
wise. He should be satisfied with escaping
50 easily; not be camorous to have his
treason rewarded with high office. And they
must be more thoroughly his friends than
the friends of the Government who claim
such office for him. In this list the Consti.
tutiou places itself