The Greene County Republican. [volume] (Waynesburg, Pa.) 185?-1867, 1866-06-27


has established, and numerous statutes
have pointed out, the mode in which
this should be done. A convention to
frame form OF government should be
assembled under competent authority
Ordinarily this authority emanates from
Congress, but under the peculiar circum
stances your committee is not disposed
to criticise the Presidents action in as-
suming the power exercised by him in
this regard.
The convention, when assembled,
should frame constitution of govern.
ment, which should bs submitted to the
people for adoption If adopted, a
Legislature should be convened to pass
the laws necessary TO carry it into effect.
When State thus organised claims
representation in Congress, the election
of representatives should be provided
for by law in accordance with the laws
of Congress regulating representation,
and the proof that the action taken has
been in conformity to law should be
submitted to Congress
In no case have these essential prelimi'
nary steps been taken. The conventions
assembled seem to have assumed that the
Constitution which had been repudiated
and overthi own was still in existence
and operative to constitute the states
members Of tho Union, and to have
contented themselves with such amends
/ ,tg hnx inf ,aI
requisite in order to insure their return
to an immediate participation in the
Government of the United States. And
without waiting to ascertain whether the
people they represented would adopt
even the proposed amendments, they at
once called elections of Representatives
to Congress in nearly all instances before
an Executive had been chosen; to issue
certificates of election under the Stats
laws, and such elections as were held
were ordered by the conventions In
one instance at least the wrts of election
were signed by the heprovlsicnal governor.
Glaring irregularity and unwarranted
assumptions of power are manifest in
several cases, particularly in South
Carolina, where the convention, although
disbanded by the provisional governor
on the ground that 1t was revolutionary
body, assumed to direct the State.
The report insists, with startling force,
that the insurgent States
should exhibit in their acts something
more than unwilling submission to an
unavoidable necessity; teehng, if not
cheerful, certainly not offensive and
defiant, ard should evince an entire
reputation Of all hostility to the General
Government by an acceptance OF SUCH
Just and favorable conditions as that
Government should thuk the public
safety demands Has this been lone!-
Let us look at the facts shown by the
evidence taken by the committae.--
Hardly had the war closed before the
people OF these insurrectionary States
come forward and hastily claim as right
the privilege OF participating at once IN
that Government which they had for
four years been fighting to overthrow.
Allowed and encouraged by the
Executive to organize state governments,
they at once place in power leading
rebels, unrepentant and unpardoned,
excluding with contempt those who had
manifested an attachment to the Union,
and prefernug in many instances those
who had rendered themselves the most
obnoxious. In the face of the law
requiring an oath which wonld necces-
sarily exclude all such men from federal
office, they elect with very few excep-
tons as Senators and Representatives in
Congress, men who had actively partici-
psted in the rebellion, insultingly de-
nouncing the law as unconstitutional.
1t is only necessary TO instance the
election to the Senate of the late Vice
President of the Confederacy. A man
who, against his own declared convic-
tions. had lent all the weight OF his ack-
nowledged ability and of his influence
as most prominent public man to the
causes ofthe rebellion, and who, unpar-
doned rebel as ho is, with that oath
staring him in the face, had the assur-
ance to lay their credentials on the table
, OF the Senate. Other rebels of scarcely
less note or notority were selected from
other quarters Processing no repen
tance, glorying apparently in the crime
they had committed, avowing still, as
the uncontradioted testimony Of MI
, Stephens and many others proves, an
, adherence to the perniclous doctrine OF
secession, aud declaring that they yielded
+ only to necessity, they insist with
, unanimous voice upon their rights as
) States, and proclaim that they will submit
to no conditions whatever preliminary
/ to their resumption of power under that
9 Constitution which they still claim the
right to repudia'e.
Ihave recopied these important pas
sages to pace them more clearly before
| YOUR readers, in view of the action ofthe
Senate and the certain cooperative ac-
ton of the House, on the new amend.
: ment Of the National Constitution. The
I, great issue IN the coming elections will
, be that amendment. Approved. as i,
will be, predict, by the loyal Logisla'
, lures, it will nevertheless bo aSsailed by
the Copporheads. The very best vindi.
, cation OF the justice and necessity ofthe
/, new article is contained in the repor,
, from which have quoted, and intelli-