The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1866-10-20

they might organize civil governments which
he would ecognize as reinstatIng them In
the endowment of tier rights under the con-
.titution. They had accepted his terms, and
complied with all the conditions which he
had prescribed. They adopted the amends
ment to the federal constitution abOlishing
slavery, by public bodies organized accord>
ing to the modes which ne had prescribed,
the legality of which mas been recognized
by congre ) by rec ogriz,ug the validity of the
amendment thus adopted. They had amend.
ed their own state constitutions so as to
abolish slavery in their several states, and
also repudiated the confederate debts and,
in fine, complied with every prerequisite
which the president had prescribed in hi.
proclamation under which these bodies, thus
acting, were convened, and through which
their respective civil governments were es>
tabished Now, let me stop here to remark
that do not understand congress has ever
questioned the validity of these acts. If
these were valid acts. then the conventions
and legislatures which did them we're legally
convened, and the civi! governments thus
inau, urated were, and now are, the legal
and constitutional governments of those
states. If they were hot legal. but only off,
shoots of the old rebellion, sull fostering III
the south. then their acts were all void then
slavery, through their agency, is not abol>
ished, either BY the federal or their state
constitutions then the debts contracted TO
support the rebellion have never been re-
pudiated, ard then English bond holders
may well be justified III quoting the conied-
crate bonds on the London Stock exchange,
as Is daily done B.t we hear no ohe, Ia or
out Of congress, questioning the legality OF
these acts II they admit this, they must
admit that the governments which did them
were legal governments and 1t follows m
evitably that those states are IN the union
under the constitution. as perfectly and com
pletely Il. Illinois or Ohio.
but. to return: What could Mr.. Johnson
do when he found objections raised to his poll
cy by majority of congress? He had been
obliged to act by the voice CT the whole
nation and he had acted. He had pointed
out how the southern states might institute
civil governments which he would recognIze
as valid, and which congress ha- since recog
nized as valid. He prescribed conditions TO
this recognition, with all II which they had
promptly complied. He was therefore abso>
lutely committed, both as a man OF honor
and az Il public officer. to do what he had
solemn pi-dyed himselfin his proclamation
that h. would 10; that IS, to recognize the
rave done So would have been breach of
honor suIch would have expelled Elm forever
from TIM su:lrtv of gentlemen. Not TO have
done 50 would nave been breach of public
faith which would have been burning blot
through all time upon our nauonai good
name.
saw then that the president could not
recede, even If he had acted unwI,e!y IN ioi,
lowing Mr. Lincon's policy for the inauguri
ton Of civil governments IN the south. II
members of congress, or the p.o ,,le, who had
by their EXPRESSIONS or their silence approved
ut that policy. could now turn round and
oppose it. and demand more, the preside 1t
was bound br every consideration, bhth OF
pub.ic AID prIyale nature, 10 stand by his
pledges, so solelnuly and publicly made, and
ysnicI had been acted upon IN good faith.
stAi hoped that the public faith might be
preserved without a breach between the
president and a ma Iorlty of congress- all
though it was manifest that the result depend
ed entirely upon the latter. 1t the breach
came The issue was forced upon the presi
dent. lie could rot avoid or va'eit. He
must stand by the pledges which, in the
name, TO al appearances. with the SANCTION
Of the peDpl-, be had given. An appeal
must then be made to the people, who must
determine whether they would maintain the
national faith by maintaining the president
IN carving out these pledges. Congress
made the issue. that the southern states were
not entitled to representation III congress
for the reason that their civil governments
thus organized are not legitimate, and con>
gress is under no Obligation 20 recognize
them while, nj the sau iiUc, - everything
which suited their purp9s-. they did recog>
nize their acts as v.,li; rna 5indlng.
Ifthese states were nos ~ re union under
ihe corsiitu,Io.. so as % have the right TO
representation in congress, Then. OF course.
they are not il the union 20 rs to take part
in the next presidential election. The con-
gresS to be now elected is, by the cunstitu-
ton, mad, the canvassers uf the vote for the
next president; and, they ,an deny the
right of the southern states 10 representation
iu congrc'S, they may. with the same pro-
priety, reject their votes Tor president Now,
suppose, which is almost certain 10 occur
that one candidate should get a majority OF
the electoral votes from the states which
congress does recognize as IN the nnion, and
the other should get enough northern votes
which. added to the southern votes, shall
make clear ma jcrity, but IN the canvass.
congress ELECTS all these southern votes, ana
declares the one having the minority duly
J
ton of such a contingency gave me more
uueasiness than even the rebellion itself, for
[ never doubted that th At would be put down
and the Government be left stronger than
before: but here was danger more appal>
ing, for i; might bring the conflict TO the
very door OF every man i'll the north The
president would believe, and, with him, a
majority Of the people OF the wnoie United
| States. that the candidate having "A majority
of all the votes wouli be the legally elected
| president, and entitled to the Office, and
| would feel bound To sustain his lnuaration.
| and deliver over 10 him The command of the
| army ard navy, o. which the president Is the
| constitutional commander lie and they
! would believe that, by iagrant violation OF
the conslitution, bold and daring attemp.
was made to defraud the people of their right
| 10 elect president, aud the nan elected Ol
| his right 10 the office and Gould he. or would
the people. stand quietly by and allow such
daring revolution to triumph without a
! struggle 20 vindicate the constitution, to pre-
serve which 30 much precious blood has been
| shed lie. each voter answer this question
for himself Had l not cause to fear for my
country?
Ie1pressed these fears to all my country
men wi,om | met in Rome, where l first
| heard Oi lnlS Appalling state Vi thlHSs uoi
have .ley been aiayed by anything | have
seen s;uce INV return. The spirit of party
/ runs so high that the voice of reason seems
drowned IN loud denunciation or ribald abuse
If the reoui., ,ustain the actio of congress
III denying the right OF the sout hern states tc
ra,.r,.. ,..e,t,tion. then Is not the crisis which
| have pointed out almost certainly upon US
[ cannot believe that, in hess than nine
months, SO great change has taken piac.
in the sentiments of this people. cannon
believe that my countrymen ARE SO under the
control of party leaders as to' be swung
around one way or the other, a they may
be directed. | wish cou.d, in some moment
when he has thrown eff all influence of par,
ties, I'd could feel the solemn responsibility
Ill nna of Iht. gnytrnIng ciaSs resting uDOt