Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1866-08-29

IlOus OF as mucn importance 10 US as IN
lives of our children, the duration o.
government and the maintenance of lib
b erty among men are values higher thai
individual life.
And, fellow citizens, these dangers car
be averted alone by an overwhelming
: universal and irresistible voice of the
American people pronounced in electiny
them. -a a.--.-
ARE ORGANIZED REBELLIoNs REPUBLIcAr
GOVERNMENTS
have said that the issue we are about
e to try is, whether this Government has,
under the Constitution, any control over
the Reorganization of loyal and republi-
can governments in the late rebel States
and to demand from them any evidences
of loyalty and guarantees against another
rebellion before they shall resume con
trolling power in the Government of the
Republic.
For Congress to assert the right to de-
mand such evidence and guarantees is
denounced by the President and mis- new
admirers as rebellion at the other end
of the line"
WHAT THE UNION PARTY HOLDS TO.
VIII you permitme to make as conden-
sed statement as 1 can of what is the
true position of the Union party, and the
true theory of the Constitution upon this
vital question. That party maintains that
whilst the Constitution did not contem
plate, permit or provide for the posi-
bility of any State or of any of its peo-
pie going out from the Union, it did
foresee and provide for the calamity of
State ceasing to have a republican gov
eminent; and against that calamity it
provided by requiring that the "United
States shall guarantee to each State re-
publican form of government" 1t is
maintained by that party that the re-
bellion did in fact "deprive" the rebel
States of all civil government, &C that
they had none under or loyal to our Con-
stitution, and that thereby the very con-
tingency arose which was foreseen and
provided for by the Constitution, when it
became the right and duty of the United
States, not of the President alone, to
guarantee to these ''States," not Terri
tories, republican government.
These precise propositions were expli-
city declared by Congress upon the 18th
day of February, A. D. 1866, by the de-
cisive vote of 119 to 90.
The irresistible truth of these propo-
sitions secures their acceptance by all
candid men as certainly as they accept
the proposition that we have had a re-
bellion, or that rebel State Government
organized and sworn to a rebellion, is not
republican government under our Con-
! stitution. ~
notwithstanding this obvious truth, let
me submit single argument to those
who are inclined to attach Importance to
the Presidents views and practices upon
this important matter.
The most recent and able apologist for
the Presidents consistency (Harper) from
whom l have heard, insists that he ought
not to be held responsible for his stump
speeches, because they are the excited ut
terances of an uncultivated mind, sway
ed by boisterous and uncomfortable pas
sion.
l accept the extenuation, and shall !
therefore refer to no speech of his proof. |
On May 29th, 1865, Mr.. johnson sign
ed his North Carolina proclamation. It |
is hV far. the rnnst innnrtaIaf f4AfaAS AUap |
issued by him. 1t was most carefully |
considered. 1t was doubtless written by |
the Secretary of State, and is also signed |
by him.
To fully realize the signifcanceo of these |
acts and utterances of the President,
you must not forget that every one of /!
them was after the last rebel had surren-
dered, and the rebellion was crushed; !
and hence if the overthrow of the rebel |
lion alone revived and restored the old /
loyal Government of these States, then
such act of the President was done in /
these States after and when they as much !
had republican Governments as had New /
York or Ohio. ss- .e..z p. ~
Now, notice carefully what this procla-
nation did and said within and touching
these States. i
1t recites and declares as follows:
LIST. 1t sets out by expressly deriving
the power to do what the proclamation
orders to be done in North Carolina from
the clause in the Constitution which re-
quires that the Omitted States shall & lar
antee to each State in the Union a re-
publican form of government" (Article
4, Section Al.
I'd. 1t in exact words declares that the
rebellion has deprived tie people of the
State of North Carolina Of all civil govern
nent"
Sd. That what he did in and under
that proclamation was not to amend or
bring back the old Government, but was
to "0rganize"-this was his word-''orgaia-
ize" State Government.
Atm. He ordered that a convention be
elected to organize this Government, and
to "alter" the Constitution, and that the
portion of the people who were loyal to
the United States should vote, and that
only such should be members of the con-
Yention." |
5th. He declared that +he powers he
therein exercised, were "Such as avers nee
esSary and proper to enable the people of the
State 10 return The STATE to It's Constitutional re-
lationS to the Federal Government, and to
present such a republican form of State
government as will entitle the State to
the guaranty of the United States there
for. Now this paper is not only frothy
stump speech, but is proclamation in
and executing the alledged
of the United States over the
rebel States; declaring what is their true
and legal condition, and what their rela-
tions to the Union were. -. ---..,g
Now Iaver that language can express
no proposition more plainly and no acts
can affirm their truth more solemnly than
these utteranees and acts if the President
affirm each one of the following truths.
That the rebellion deprived the rebel
States of all civil government, and of
course Of republican ones. a-ii5 AIti =
That such deprivations took these
States out of their constitutional rela-
tions to the Federal Government.
That they still required to be ''reStored'
to those relations at the time he issued
his proclamation.
That the power and duty to effect such
a restoration was derived from guaranty
clause of the Constitution, and was there
in the United States, and not in the
President.
That this restoration" must be effect
ed by the Organizations" of govern
ments republican in form.
And especially that what he did, with
necessary and proper polOers," which the
United States had the right to exercise"
within these States, so as to organize
those republican governments, which
a1ona would sErastoraO than IN their aon-