The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1866-10-11
- . .
REPLY.
Mr.. EDITOR.

1 @NN'
in throwing his patient into fits, for want
he hell on fits" This point gained it is
wonderful now with what nonchalance he
| disposas of propositions vital to the issue be-
tween us. When assert that in overthrow
ing the rebellion the confederacy and all the
State governments under it were destroyed
he cooIly replies what of it p Did that
destroy the State constitutions or the right
Of the people of the rebellious states to rep
resentation ?" | rather think it did and
prevents representation till other state gov
erDments are formed and approved by Con-
gress. The President evidently thought so,
said so, and ordered new state governments
to be formed and told the insurgents that
they would be subject to the approval of
Congress And they did form new State
governments and it is under these they are
seeking admission into Congress.
These states beyond all controversy, as
matter of fact, did destroy their old State
governments, 50 that they were no longer a
part of the machinery OF the general gov
eminent remodded them and attached
them to another dc facto government. A
State undoubtedly, can lawfully destroy its
constitution and make a new one, but to
hitch it on to another government is trea-
son or rebellion, and by so doing does &p8o
Jacto, lose its right of representation with
the first. 1t can't we'll serve two masters
Of course the union was made to be perpet
ual like the marriage relation, not designed
to be broken, except for good reason-but |
if broken either legally or illegally it re-
quires the assent of both parties to establish
union. If there be a re- union it must
be the result of contract or compact to
that effect between the two contracting
powers, or if one party is conquered party
as in this case, terms must be offered and
accepted before the rights of the conquered
party are restored, and until this is done
not only the dignity and equality but the
rights of the insurgent states are IMPAIRED"
|
Congress and not the President was the
high contracting power on our part; that 1t
alone had sole jurisdiction over the matter,
and it was to show this poqSer and jUriSdjc-
ton that | quoted the case of Luther VS.
Borden growing out of the Dorr revolution
in Rhode Island. What | left out was not
material to this point, nor was there any
| ''djSbOneSty'' in leaving it out | had made
no assertion in regard to the old state con
stiitution of the insurgent states whether
they were republican in form or not; was
talking of the new constitutions made I'M
der the Presidents manipulation and stated
that as the United States is bound to guar
! antee to every State in the Union republi-
can form of government, that question must
be first passed upon by Congress before they
can be recognized as States in practical re
lation with the government.
Whether the Union believes it or not,
the, was Southern Confederacy composed
of the insurgent states, united similarly to
our own, true our government did not rec
ognize it, except in common with other ma
tions. to treat It as a belligerant power, new
ertheless, it was a de factO government and
welded power only second to our own, 1t
certainly was no myth, ghost, or apparition,
but a stubborn fact that required the gigan-
tic effort of the nation to overthrow 1t, but
when overthrown, there WIS no state gov
ernments left in it, either Confederate or
! Union
The johnson theory of old State govern
ments in allegiance or what is wtTse con
tinuing States" with rights unimE pared
is an absurdity, an assumption; lega NC
ton got up to serve a purpose; misera ne
subterfuge, yet it constitutes the entire stock
in trade of the johnson party, and thus by
assuming these states to be upon the same
status of the other States that have conquer
ed them, by assuming rebel to be entitled
to equal rights with the patriot, by treating
the war as grand tournament only for
Enthusiastically, luSbSdu VI d lCllIOlO ASebiibEs "
making it prize fight in which the COM
batants go into the ring shake hands, pitch
in with forty rounds or more to see which
can stand the most bruising and when dis
: covered, shake hands and retire with al
their rights unimpaired, making it in short
the old game of tag repeated, when the boy
; is chased down, and the last puff of breath
gone, he suddenly prostrates himself upor
the ground-shows the white feather
winds up his tag and bawls out Can
: touch me now tags wound up, don't yo'
see I've laid down my arms I'm all right u
: the Union now, with all my rights unim
: paired, till get breath, then I'll unwin'
u and at it again By such sophistry doe
;. the johnson party seek to cover up Ii
d nakedness-by such tricks of logic to SNUG
! gle back the insurgent States into the I'm
y ior with all their rights, to fog the negr
ID unmpaired But the north are not dom
that kind of business as much as they were