Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1866-02-28

of United States lave, the Ieperai GOV
eminent should be exceedingly cautildMe
about interfering ID the local administra-
ton of State affairs. Opposed as we
were to the fugitive slave law, inasmuch
as it undertook to do that BY United
States executive authorities which had
been assigned BY the Constitution to
those Of the States, We are also very
dubious about the propriety Of Freed
mems Bureau bills. Congress should
avoid every act which assumes,
TO administer the immediate interests OF
the icitizens Of States, whenevertthere is
a possible method of having the duty nm
dertaken by the local authorities. We
have not read she Presidents veto mes.
sage, and shall not quarrel with him on
account of il, no matter what his reasons
are therefor. q,
The President, however, has insisted
that every citizen Of the United States
shall be fully protected in his right to
an equality of civil privileges, and we
see no reason why, If he knows how that
is to be, he does not indicate the method.
The revolted State authorities are evil
IDENTIFY not willing to yield an equality of
civil privilege to the blacks by law, and
to no color BY social usage. ~ I0
The United States has pledged its
word that the civil privilege of every
citizen shall be inviolably secured. If
the reconstructing States are not willing,
and it 10 lot expedient or lawful to use
United States officials supported by the
military, how is the unequivocal and
righteous duty to be accomplished The
method to. which our thoughts have
always tended 10, that the re-
spective State organizations should
be the agents in executing the
fundamental law which no sane and
civilized man doubts--that all men are
equally entitled 10 life, liberty, and the
pursuit Of happiness in this country
now, and also to equally unrestricted
employment of their energies in every
civil walk of life and occupation. But
If the States are not willing, or are not
sane or civilized, how is the object to be
attained without 10 by the direct in
struments of the general administra-
ton. In our opinion, thus, and
thus alone-not to admit any State
until the Consultation recognizes
the fact that the civil rights of every
citizen is equal, aud until Of course
their laws are consonant herewith. Id
short, until they adopt a republican form
of government, of which the rights in
question are perhaps the only, the soli-
tary criterion of Republican Govern
ment, and under it special legislation
abontspersonal civil rights Is an absurd
.ity-an impossibility. Ne one can dis
pute that II 10 so, when in reference to
any frssmen. Until the laws and Con-
stitution conform this essential requisite
of Republican Government as guaran.
teed BY our fundamental law, military
occupation and government from the
fountain head must continue. The Presi-
dent has personally pledged his honor,
the Government has guaranteed its faith
and all it's powers to the enforcement Of
equal rights and justice TO every free
man under it's flag 1t has 80 done from
the origin of the Union, and must not
fail Of its promise. The Constitutions
of each and all the States, North and
South, the general Administration is
bound to see, are alike in this respect
4 There is no need Of defining what are
the civil rights of the freedmen, for they
are in no manner different from those
of other frsemen They are alike by
the law Of common sense and the law
of the land at large.
II any State reconstructed or not is
unable or unwilling to enforce the
United States Law, the United States
must step in to eoerce or assist. 1t is the
United States first duty, and IL cannot
cOnstitutionalIy shirk the responsibility.
But the States have the irst privilege of
seeing to the fulfllment of every law
The General Government must come in
only in case of local failure.
Is the President afraid to say that
the rights Of each freeman must and
shall be alike and equal before the com
mon Law, as the Constitution requires ?
Is he inclined to compromise that instru-
ment for the sake Of peace and speedy
reorganization only in one direction
towards the sacrifice of personal liberty,
as has been the compromising hab it
heretofore. Ak
Of course, there must exist the right
of appeal from State courts to those
of the United States in individual
cases, or where the law is uDequally
administered. That is a consideration
which we shall not discuss, or whether
it will be necessary for Congress to
enact additional measures. Isa3 3-zse
Surely, the President cannot conceive
that he would be demanding too much
of the reconstructing States, if he de-
manded that they come up for re-repre-
sentation in Congress, with constitutions
framedin accordance with the first prin.
ciples of republicanism, as the general
fundamental law requires. d.
The Peoria Transcript, not only one
of the most ably conducted Republican
papers in Illinois, but at the same time
fully alive to the significance Of the