The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1866-06-02
Reconstruction.


Senator Creswe1I in his speech at Hagerstown,
on the 18th instant, this explained the plan pro-
posed by Congress for the reconstruction of the
rebel States '
4" Congress has submitted a plan TO the coun-
try. What is that plan The first proposition
says: No State shall make or enforce any law
which shall abridge the privileges and immuni-
ties OF citizens Of the United States . nor shall
any State deprive any person of life, liberty or
property, without due process of law nor deny
to any person within its jurisdiction the equal
protection of the law But the Constitution
means that fit does not say it. So does, but
it has been interpreted differently and the States
have assailed those principles of personal liberty
and personal security. If citizen Of the United
States went to south Carolina, and claimed to
exercise the privileges and immunities which he
was free to exereiseiin other States, the State
sometimes refusedto allow him SO to do. So in
some OF the Rebel States the people say now,
that loyal men shall not settle among them We
intend by these provisions to empower Congress
to legisate upon the subject, and design to re-
move them from the clause of mere guarantees
as they used to be called and to place them
among the express powers SO that wherever in
this broad lahdg any man, a citizen of the Uni
ted States shall be assaed in any of his rights of
life, liberty property, heshaI be able to throw
around his shoulders the protecting @gis of the
Stars and Stripes, and say, am an American
citizen, and no man dare assaI me, because the
Constitution and the laws protect me the world
over The second proposition refers to the basis
OF representation. We have left out the words
; three-hfths of other persons, and have added,
that whenever in any State the elective fran
chise shall be denied to any portion of its male
citizens not less than twenty one years of age or
in any way abridged, except for participation in
rebellion or other crime the basis of representa-
ton in such State shall be reduced in the proper
ton which the number of such male citizens over
twenty-oney years ofage. aWhatdoes that mean
These Southern States would now have a repre-
sentation for all the whites and all the negroes
now Free Eleven States attempted to secede,
and waged the bloody war to get out of the I'm
ion, and now, before they have fairly recovered
from the thteshipg they received, come back and
apply for admission--haye sent up representa-
tives, the most of them Rebels, and they stand
at our doors whining to get in These eleven
Rebel States had, in 1860, white population of
$500, 000-How many loyal men are there in
those States now hope there are great ma
ny. The aggregate population in all the Slave
States is something like eight millions of whites
] don't believe we could find more than three
millions loyal to the Government of the United
OldJco 1HOSC SlSNSu IGu6lIlOuS OldteS nave HOW
ffty-eight representatives. Under the present
apportionment they could obtain others to make
their number eighty-four. With such a power
in Congress they could stop the wheels of all leg
islaton. Without their consent no appropria-
ton could be made-not dollar voted to the
equalization of the bounties of your soldiers. If
they were to take stand, you could pass no
law to pay the nations soldiers unless you paid
for all the negroes emancipated by the war; and
pay the rebel debt. Do you want the Rebel debt
assumed, the freed negroes paid for, with a horde
of Rebel vutures from the South at Washington
'preying upon your Treasury? IF you do, let in
these eighty-four gentlemen, and give these Reb-
ell States their twenty-five members of the Sen
ate. They would have with their allies more
than one-third of the Senate of the United States.
All these things are in the hands of American
people. We simply stand upon the outer wall
and sound the alarm. If we are not sustained
by the people, we are but reeds in the tempest
We may fail and be overthrown, but for myself
if am to fail, shall fail squarey on this posi-
ton. But it is for the great American people,
looking into the future, as the seers of the old to
say what guarantees and what irreversible secu-
rites they will demand of these Rebels before
they shall again WELD part of the power of the
Government. Settle the question for yourselves.
give you my views.
EhichI presume you have all read. One disqual-
ifies from voting for Representatives or electing
President and Vice President until the year 1870,
those who have voluntarily adhered to the re-
bellion and the other prohibits the payment of
the Rebel debt OF any claims for slaves. With
all these guarantees secured, we can lay the
foundations ofthe Government SO deep in con-
stitutional amendments that all rebeldom COM
bined cannot overthrow it. If they were inserted
-
again the day after their admission, and alter or
amend their Constitutions so asto exclude them
and where then would be your guarantees? Can
you expect anything like good faith of these men
You have had to whip them on the field. Now
be firm to exact such terms as shall yield yoN pos
tive happiness and security and make this ma
ton safe for all tiIne. How many of these Reb- |
els can you trust? Go to the honest men among |
them and ask them" If you had the power to
do it, would you renew this war-would you
rather be citizen of an Independent Contedera-
cy or come back under the Constitution of the
United Safes ~ and they will tell you"
would renew the war tomorrow would rather
live under the Conederacy, and | want these
eleven States now all in separate Qontederacy.
These are the sentiments of men fresh from the
field Of battle 1.-THE Rebels get into power in
we will have to fight for our own
hearths and hearthstonss We will haveto fight
to maintain our position upon this soil During
the war they would have expelled us like dogs,
If they dared. They drove UnionistS out of Ten
nessee in troops. Read the history Of East Ten
history that should be written upon
her eternal mountains, in order that the human
race might readsapd comprehend the revolving
horrors which treason perpetrated against the
avs of God and men. How was it in Rebel
PRISONS? No civilized nation has ever treated
human beings so barbarously heretofore These
ire the gentlemen = these are The accomplished
these are the friends and confreres of
ny very particular friend, Mr.. Montgomery Blair
who are all to come back and elevate him and
themselves again to power.
The plan of reconstruction, as proposed by
congress, is before yod.l Without the approval
f the people it is nothing. In the name of our
ommon country, invoke you not to fail to
make every effort that men can make to main
ain the right and to gather and preserve the
ruits of our great victory, and thus hand down
ure and undeflled to your children and yonr
hildrens children those Heaven given principles
Which our fathers set like precious Jewels in the