Delaware Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1843-1874, 1866-12-20
For the Delaware Republican.
RECONSTRUCTION.

have dotted my sentiments on paper so that |
reference may be had without despoiling or
impairipg them. The great questions Of the
day every nan should eadeavor to make his
own, andin doing so we should cast of all party
tavors or party bias whatever, neither cling
| ing TO this man or that examine with care and
without fear turning neither to the right or
left asking favors from none, nor granting
any; keeping our eye continually on the right
| aud Ter the good of our common country. With
this in view, | have arrived at the following
conclusions:
The amendments to the Constitution Of the
| United States will not pass into law in the
commonly expected way the South holding the
North in check preventing them frem doing
what is exclusively their own work. The
south uiH not be admitted Congress will pass
a law that three .fourths OF the States now
constituting the Union or Federal Govern
| ment are sufficient to ratify the amendments,
aud do so; and it is strange, In looking at the
question in Its broad sense and in the light of
reason, find the case stands thus:
lu 1860 or 1861 eleven States withdrew from
the Union for the estensiole purpose OF form
ing a government of their swn. Independent of
this OF the United States they passed solemn
aets separating themselves, and repeatedly de-
caring their solemn purpose to die 10 defence
OF SAID acts. In separating they gave up all
the rights they had or enjoyed while in the
Uaiop; in going out they really said In so many
words-" We now give up all rights, enjoy
ments titles, emolumenis, protection, and all
other things which we have claimed and en-
joyed for better one OF our own make. We
| give To you the sole right to alter, amend, alb
rogate, TO make Low or destroy your organic
law, for from this time forth we have no claim
upon it, nor it upon US. Do as you please with
i; you do not modest US we are sovereign and
independent; we will treat you as enemies in
I =. s.. IL
, | thing to the States who remained in the Union;
: they agreed that the twenty tour States that
i, were left had the right to do all that a nation
, may oil right do to borrow money, to carry on
a war, to build navy, raise and equip an army
= lay taxation upon its own people for tho payment
8 OF its debts, make treaties with foreign States
:. | without their consent, They have, since the
!, war ceased, acknowledged the power, and
right, and justice, of the twenty four States, In
abolishing the servitude OF four millions Of
their slaves. A majority of Congress during
the war could have passed all laws, and yet a
| ma ority might not have been half of the
twenty -four States. Not being twelve States
!, of the Congress, would not have been one
. third OF the whole number; yet this ma ority
= in Congress raised an army of 1000 900 o
a men, created a debt of 900 900, 900 of dol.
=, lars put afoat the strongest navy in the world
y y are now pensioning half a million Of persons
70 kept the nation going in all it's branches, mad
treaties advanced science aud the arts, Ant
done all that any nation lays claim to. II ma
- joIity Of Congress can do all this, land 1t i!
IL not dsputed,) ald said majority represent
~ ing minority of States, - it not very strang
indeed if three-fourths or seven-eights, o
=, the whole of them, shall not amend thei
p constitution. Would any sane man thinl
80 a that twenty -six States shall be thwarted b.
- two or three. and these two or three just bee
:. in four years war to destroy this same gov
eminent that they now claim to have RICH
in. Shall we, the twenty six States formin
~ the Federal Government, 40 belittle ourselve
=, as 10 ask the consent of outside parties to d
!, our own work Would not the Democrat
~ psrty in 1864 have claimed that Mcclellan wa
-, the constitutional President had he have ha
n a majority of electors, and yet he might hav
"A had the one third or one-fourth only of all th
an States
~ President Jhnson said 10 his tour th At he
, the consutu tiondl President; yet when he wa
cleo ed, three fourths of the States did not pa
ticipate in the election. 1t 10 plain that th
lis remaining or twenty-six States constitute I'll
u Federal Union, not by our own will, but by Il
to force of the eleven Southern States who refuse
he to take part, our own will being against sece
he sion The more 10 add the stronger is the arg
n ment that the twenty four States were the Fs
eral Government. II was acknowledged by q
foreign States through their Ministers at Wasl
IA | luRtOn. FRANCE owns IL ~ uAJ III TeliElnR ITO
Mexico. An objector may say, "Ah, but v
.'i arc ~ peace now and that alters the case; Il
s South did rot succeed" True they did n
succeed aud twas by this Federal Cover
'ns meut OF twenty 1--WE States that they ackuow
edged they we're defeated, and tits by this ow
-, ing vi defeat, OF their want of success, th
-. proves more than anything else that we col
stitule the Union. Aud shall we ask more thi
three-tourths of the Union 20 amend the O
'Sa gauic law2 Does not the States, throul
Congress, hold them in abeyanoe2 Does D
military law control TO certain extent, al
do they not obey it2 And now the folly of t
whole will appear plain that the twenty 10
ro- State during the war, (made twenty-six by t
uld creation of West Virginia and the admission
Ems Ter nesseel shall ask the consent of those OF
nal eide 10 enable us TO alter or amend our owa
game law. When were they admitted to me
The bership in the Union that shall give them
I'D voice pro or cor As well might we divi
re- Que vast domain into Statesi ION paper) a.
iest say that in fifty years we will have so ma
OF States and retuse TO amend our Oonstituti
,ver becau5e we have not three. fonrths of tn
red, | whole number now. Just as good an arg
the ment Ns to say we cannot amend without
IDLY consent of class OF people WI ose lives are
were forfeited to the laws by treason. 1t
ight placing bounty on the head of crime; it is g
,Wsr ing crime greater reward than Is possesi
em. by virtue 1t is giving treason wreath inste
ople oil II rope il lie praising elayery and damn
rom freedom; Il is the total destruction OF the pr
With ciples OF the Declaration Of Independent
for Ask criminal if he Is willing to have
% OF peualty enforced because he 10 to be the 9