Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1866-10-06
P @ L | T | G A L l..
THE GREAT CRISIS.
Important Address of the National
Union Committee.

l
tee to the American people.
Fellop Citizens: Very grave differences hay
ing arisen between your immediate represen-
tatives in Congress and the President, who
loves his position to your votes, we are i'm
PEELED to ask your attention thereto, and to
suggest the duties to your country which
they render imperative. We shall avoid the
use of hard words; of these there have al
ready been too many, and that the matters
in issue may be brought within the narrow
est compass, let us first eliminate from the
controversy all that has already been set
tied or has been in dispute
The republic has been desperately as
sailed from within, and its very existence
seriously imperilled. Thirteen States were
claimed rs having withdrawn from the
Union, and were represented for years in
hostile Congress meeting at Richmond. Ten
! OF these States were for time wholly in the
power of hostile Confederacy, the other
three, partially So The undoubtedly loyal
States were repeatedly and formidably in
vaded by rebel armies, which were only ex-
PEELED after obstinate and bloody battles
through four years of arduous, desperate civil
war.
The hosts of the Rebel Confederacy with
stood those of the Union. Agents of the
Confederacy traversed the civilized world,
seeking allies in their war against the Re.
public, and melting the rapacious and un-
principled to fit out armed corsairs to prev
upon her commerce by State authority, and
in the perverted name of patriotism and
loyalty hundreds of thousands of our coun-
trymen were conscr:pted into the rebel
armies, and made to fight desperately for
our national disruption and ruin and,
though by the blessing of God and the
valor and constancy of our loyal people, the
rebellion was finally and utterly crushed, it
did not succeed until it had caused the de-
struction of more than half million of pre-
cious human lives, not to speak of proper
ty to the value of at least five billions of
dollars.
At length the rebel armies surrendered,
and the rebel power utterly collapsed and
| vanished. What then2 The claim of the
insurgents that they either now reacauired
or had never forfeited their constitutional
rights in the Union, including that of repre-
sentation in Congress, stands in pointed
antogonism alike to the requirements of
Congress, and to those of the acting Presi-
dent 1t was the Executive alone, who,
after the rebellion was no more, appointed
Provisional Governors for the now submis-
sve, unarmed Southern States, on the as
sumption that the rebellion had been revo-
iution"ry, and deprived the people under
its sway OF all civil government, and who
required the assembling of q convention
composed of delegates who are to be chosen
by that portion of the people Of said State,
who are loyal to the United States, and no
Others. for the purpose of altering and
amending the Constitution of said State
1t was President johnson, who, so late as
| last October, when all shadow of overt re-
sistance to the Union had long since disap-
| peared insisted that it was not enough that
| State which had revolted, must recognize
| her ordinances of secession as null and void
| from the beginning and ratify the Constitu-
tionai Amendment prohibiting slavery ever
more, but she must also repudiate every
dollar of Indebtedness created to aid in
carrying on the rebellion. 1t was he who
| ordered the dispersion by military force, of
| any Legislature chosen under the rebellion.
which should assume the power to make
laws after that rebellion had fallen it was
he who referred to Congress all the inquiries
rs to the probability of representatives from
the States lately in revolt, being admitted
TO seats in either House, and suggested that
they should present their credentials, not at
the organization of Congress, but afterward;
and, finally, it was he, and not Congress,
who suggested to Gov. Sharkey, of Missis-
sippi, that "If you could extend the elective
! franchise to all persons of color who can read
the Constitution of the United States in
! English and write their names, and to all
persons of color who own real estate valued
at not less than :wo hundred and fifty dol
| lars, and pay taxes thereon, you would COM
pletely disarm the adversary and set an
example that other States will follow"
| IT. then, there be any controversy as to the
| right of the loyal States to exact conditions
and require guarantees of those which
plunged madly into secession and rebellion,
the supporters respectively of Andrew John
son and of Congress cannot be antagonistc
parties to that contest, since their record
places them on the same side.
1t being thus agreed that the conditions
of restoration aud guarantees against future
rebellion, may be exacted of the States lately
in revolt, the right of Congress to voice in
prescribing those conditions and in shaping
those guarantees. is plainly incontestible.-
Whether it take the shape of law or con-
stitutional amendment, the action of Con-
gress is vital, even if they were to be settled
by treaty. The ratification of the Senate by
a two.thirds vote would be indispensable.
There is nothing in the Federal Constitu-
ton, nor in the nature of the case, that
countenances the Executive monopoly of
this power.
What, then, is the ground of complaint
against Congress- 1t is charged that the
action of the two Houses was tardy and hes
itatingi Consider how momentous were
the questions involved, the issues depending.
Consider how novel and extraordinary was
the situation. Consider how utterly silent
and blank is the federal constitution touch
ing the treatment of insurgent States, wheth-
er during their fragrant hostility to the Union
or after their discontinue. Consider with
how many embarrassments and difficulties
the problem is beset, and you will not Won
der that months were required to devise,
perfect and pass, by a two-thirds vote in
either House, a just and safe plan of recon
st-uction. .
Yet that plan has been matured. 1t has
passed the Senate by 83 to II, and the House
by 1873 to 80. 1t is now fairly before the
country, having already been ratified by the
Legislatures of several States and rejected hy
none. Under it the State of Tennessee has
been formally restored to all the privileges
she forfeited by rebellion, including repre-
sentatiou in either House of Congress, and
the door thus passed through still stands
| : all ulae ett