The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1866-06-06
to our hauds-I mean tho right of repre-


its place. In the States, old Constitu-
tions have been abolished aud new ones
have been established; old governments
have been thrown down and new ones set
up; old officers have been expelled and
others elected. The States are exercis.
ing all the functions of government me-
cesaary TO the preservation Of civil socic-
| ty. They preserve order, punish crime,
protect life and property. They regulate
the relation Of husband and wife, parent
and child, creditor and debtor. They
collect debts, enforce contracts, regulate
descents, establish cities, control public
education and who has said they were
not sufficient for these things?
Mr.. Seward, in the speech from which
| have quoted, s,ys the return of the
Southern people to their Federal allegi-
ance is without parallel in history. Yet
Congress for six months has devoted it.
self to the invention of odious Constitu-
tioral amendments which were intended
to deprive the States of their just pow
ers, and to the passage of odious laws
which were intended, if obeyed, to reduce
the people to the NEST degrading submis.
sion or, if not obeyed, to produce irrita.
ton and bitterness, and threats Of resist
ance from which it was hoped to doduce
the necessity Of establishing military gov
ernments and enforcing martial law. a
And why is this i? 1t is because they
hate the Constitution Of the United States
because they hate our system of Gov
ernmeDt. They hate its two fundamental
ideas-coafederation; granted and re.
serued po,oers. They admire the strength
Of consolidated government, and con
6de in the wisdom of an overshadowing
obsolute irrepressible majority. They
prefer to intrust the rights and liberties
of the people, the ameloration of the
condition of our race to such majority
rather than to the progress which con.
ssts with the checks and balances of our
system / speak of men with whom l
have been long associated, whom l know
intimately. Irecognize their intelligence
and their private worth l do not ques.
tion their integrity or the sincerity Of
their motives; yet l repeat, I believe
they hate our system of government and
desire its overthrow.
What is that system? 1 will net de.
tain you either with an analysis Of its
parts or of history Of its formation -
The exigency of their condition required
that the international affairs and the COM
mercial intercourse of the States should
be placed under one head. They were
committed to the Federal Government
all other powers and subjects we're re.
served to the States. The States were to
regulate the civil and political rights Of
their citizens-and so guarded we're those
who made the Constitution that, while in
respect to foreign affairs they gave to the
Government absolute exclusive jurisdic.
ton, in domestic affairs they so entirely
excluded it that it has no power to Try or
punish on assault by one citizen of Ohio
by another, or to collect simple promis.
sorry note between the same parties.
And this is the system which Congress
has determined to subvert and Destroy
let me illustrate more particularly my
meaning Take the Freedmen's Bureau
Bill. A law intended to answer the same
purpose was in full force. Its provisions
seemed ample, There was no complaint
on this score from any quarter. 1t was
to expire within year after the close Of
tle rebellion, If the object of this new
\ bill were only to extend the time, sin.
| gle section in two lines would have been
sufficient If in any one point enlarged
powers were needed, another section equal.
| ly brief would have suficed. But Meth,
er Of. these was the true purpose of the
bill. Its main object is explained in the
eighth and ninth oectiors. The eighth
section provides that in all the States
where the jurisdiction of the Civil Courts
has been suspended, and by reason of any
law, custom or prejudice, the Same civil
rights which have been accorded to the
white man have not been accorded to the
negro, the President shall "extend to all
cases relating to persons so Disseminated
against military jurisdiction and protec
ton" And the ninth section declares
that the agents Of the Freedmen's Bu.
reau shall, under the direction of the War
Department, take cognizance of all cases
Of this nature, and shall try, and if gull.
lty, punish by fine and Imprisonment all
State officers who enforce any such dis.
crimination created by State laws, GAN
cases relating to persons so Disseminated
againstW What does that mean? Did
4 you ever consider itY All cases crimi.
| nal and civil whether to punish crimes
/ or to enforce contracts, or to compel fair
dealings, "relating to such persons
whether tho suit be between white man
\ and q negro, or between two negroes :
4 whether the indictment be against white
man for beating negro, or against ne
u gro for assaulting white man, or even Q
negro. "Military jurisdiction"--a j, a
| what is that, pray? Why, tho jurisdic.
4. tiOu Of a drum. head court.martial, or Of
military commission, under the articles
OF war, which the Constitution forbids,
except in cases ofpersohs, engaged In the
Il lind Of naval service, or 10 tho militia
while in active service, Now, the Con.
atitutionprovides that Hno person, -aogro
or white man, shall be held to answer fol
an Infamous crime except upon an indict.