Smyrna times., 1866-01-17

trary, subsequent events have strengthened I
and confirmed them The general acuuiescenSe |
ct the Southern people in the results Of the |
war which unhapplly so long afflicted the coun |
try, furnished the gratifying evidence of their |
desire to renew their former relations to the |
General Government, and it was to be hoped |
that no impeachment would be presented to a
speedy restoration of the States which had at
tempted to scccde to their proper duties and
rights As members of the Federal Union Soon
after the termination Of hoStilities, the Prcsi-
dent of the United States, actuated by sin
ccrc desire to see the harmony of the country
restored. proposed to the Southern people
plan t"r the reorganization Of the State GOV
ernmcntS in those States which had recently
been in armed resistance to Federal authority
The plan OF reorganization proposed by the
President was liable to grave objections, and
might justly have been refused by the South
ern people as imposing terms and conditions
unnecessary and offensive to their own sclf-rcs-
pect. Without cavil or hesitation, however,
they proceeded to organize their State Govern
ments on the plan suggested by the President
and civil government in most Of the States is
new administered by agents of their own Sclec-
ton. Several of the States in which govern
mcntS had been organized upon the plan pro
posed by the President, have already elected
Senators and Representatives to Congress, and
their admission into the National councils is
all that Is necessary to complete the rcstora-
tlon OF those States to their proper relations to
the Federal Guvernment. The restoration of
traternaI feeling between the people of the two
sections OF country, too long estrangcd and en-
blttercd by angry discussions and the conflict
of arms, no less than justice to the people of
the South who 50 promptly co-Operated with
the President in his efforts to restore the peace
! and harmony of the country, demands the i'm
! mediate al 9
sentatiyes Of the Southern States into the Ma
tional Legislature. Hitherto they have been
excluded without even the privilege of being
heard III defence of their just rights upon no
grounds, it is apprchcndcd, that can fnd JUS
titcation i'll sound public policy or in the le
gItImatc powers conferred upon Congress by
| the Federal Constitution. Whether the South
ern States will be admitted To q representation
i'll Congress at the present session, remains to
! be seen; but from present indications it is to
| be feared that on the part of many. in and ont
of Congress, the pcrpetuaton of party power is
more desired than the prosperity and harmony
of the country.
The right of each house of Congress to de
eide upon the elections, returns and qualitca-
tions OF its members is not denied. 1t is \
right plainly and wisely secured by eonstitu-
tiUnal provision, but such right conters no
power on the representatives Of one portion of
|
their just right TO be represented in the nation
al councils. Such a power would be danger
Gus to liberty itself, and the attempt on the
part of Congress to exercise it is justly alarm
ing and i'll violation of the fundamental princi-
plies of representative government. The as
sumption that either house Of Congress cen ex-
clude the Southern States from representation
therein, or prescribe the terms and conditions
upon which they may be represented, is based
II Il II. L - I -.
! have no rights of which they may not be legit-
imately deprived by the Federal Government
In other words that al State rights may be
subordinated to the will Of Congress. Such a
theory, if adopted in practice, will clothe Con
greSS with all the OmnIpOtence claimed for the
British Parliament, and strip the States of all
the rights which by the Constitution are re-
served to the States or the people. The pow
ers secured by the Constitution to Congress were
believed by the trainers of that instrument to
be all that were essential to complete eYer-
else of its proper functions and all with which
it could be safely entrusted without endanger-
ing the proper adjustment of powers between
the different departments of the General Gov
ernment, and without an Infringement of the
rights deemed essential to the existence Of pro
per State governments How wisely they
Judged, the prosperity Of the country and the
happiness Of the people through the greater
part Of our history can testify. The exercise
Of the powers granted in the Constitution to
the different departments of the Government
has, until recently, been considered by all Sut-
icient for every exigency, both in time ofpeace
and Of war. The late civil war, however, fur
nished both the occasion and excuse for the as
sumption of powers by the executive and legs-
lative departments Of the government, not only
unwarranted by the Federal Constitution, but
in fragrant violation of It's plainest provisions.
The most sacred rights of the citizen were Vlo-
lated with impunity, and his appeal to the
guarantees of the Constitution was unheSrd, or
disrcgardcd. The rights Of the States, their
laws and institutions, were set at defiance even
hy the subordinate agents of the Federal Gov
ernment, who found shelter from the just pen
atty of their crimes under the protection of the
usurped Federal power. Submission to the
exercise Of unwarranted powers by the General
Government may induce to retention OF au-
thOrity which was unjustlhably assumed and
can only be retained by the utter disregard OF
the essential principles of AmeAh,an liberty.
Capitalization Of power was sought to be guar
ded against in the formation of the govern
meut and cannot be too strongly opposed by
the people of this country if they would retain
any vestige of the rights essential to the free
dom of the citizen, and necessary to the exist
ence of proper State Government. 1t was ex-
nected that when the war had ceased the in
States and the people would also cease, and
perhaps, so far as the action of the executive
department of government is concerned that
expectation may at no distant day be realized.
But no one familiar with the various PROPOSE
tons submitted to Congress at its present sss
sion can have failed to discover the claim Of
power for Congress by leading members of both
houses, destructive to many Of the rights here
toforc exercised BY the States, and of which
they cannot be lcgitmately deprived. and ought
not voluntarily to surrender
The official announcement of the adoption of
: an amendment to the Constitution abOlishing
slavery throughout the United States, has been
made by the Secretary of State and the insti-
tuition of slavery therefore no longer exists OF
the wisdom or folly, policy or impolicy Of such
an amendment it would be useless now 10 in
quire nor would it avail to discuss the injus-
tice to those who have been deprived of the
labor and services of the slaves thus made free.
The effect upon the class Of persons who have
been thus deprived of the protection and care
of those upon whom they have been accustom-
: cd 81 depend, Il Is vswvteu'fej viii, in srgc