Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-12-22
WHAT SHALL BE DoNEP


rebel States, it seems quite probable
that they will unanimously reject the
Constitutional Amendment. That being
so, some of our wisest men are beginning
to consider what shall be done in the
premises; forthe Amendment was offered
to them as a means of returning to the
Union, and by its rejection they keep
themselves out.
The Albany Journal takes up the
question and discusses it ably. 1t
lays down the proposition, as a
premise, that a State of the Federal
Union cannot become extinct, but only
disorganized. A State, it says, consists
of the lands and property, or freehold,
the inhabitants, the electors and the
Government. If the State Of New York
should to-day, by p%estilential disease
and death, be deprived of all its officers
it would be an unorganized corporation.
If n great majority Of its electors were
to be guilty of o~ffenses disqualitying
them for the exercise Of the suffrage, 1t
would still be Il State, although without
a body of electors. The fact that there
was no government within its borders,
and no electors, would not reduce it to
the condition of a Territory. 1t would
simply be a disorganized State.
This was the precise condition to
which the rebellion reduced the insur-
gent States. The body of their electors,
by treason, stripped themselves of their
electoral privileges, and became simply
inhabitants; so that at the close Of the
war there existed neither legal Govern
ments nor any considerable number Of
lawful electors in those States. Presi-
dent Johnson appointed Provisional
Governors, and through them set in mo-
ton a machinery of pretended State
Governments; but he exceeded his pow
ers in so doing; and as Congress has
positively refused to approve of them,
they are illegal. The insurgent States
therefore continue in a d~isorganized
condition, and the question Of the day
is: How shall the work Of ~re-organiza-
ton be accomplished?
Such the Journal contends to be the
status of the rebel States. And ms some
of them have already, and the others
are going to, reject the means By which
that status can be changed, the Journal
insists that there is but one alternative
the de faeto State Governments of the
Presidents making must be set aside 6y
| Congress, which must designate Provis-
ional Governors, and commit to them
the work Of initiating reorganization,
define qualifications for the exercise of
the franchise in the choice of delegates
to Constitutional Conventions, require
the work of those Conventions to be
submitted to it for approval, and if sane
| toned. then elections can be held,
| State Governments inaugurated and
| Congressman admitted.
AT first blush, this seems to be rather
a bold remedy, perhaps. But a second
thought shows it to be perfectly in con-
| sonance with the condition Of things.
| That the definition of the status Of the
rebel States by the Journal is correct,
has just been very decidedly affirmed by
the ~people-the source of all power, in
our Governmental their approval Of
the position of Congress, which is just
that and nothing more. Congress de-
| clared the State Governments made by
the President null and void, and he ap-
pealed from the declaration to the peo-
Pile. The people sustained the declara-
ton. The Journals definition is then
correct.
The Journal says that this disorgan-
lied condition Of States must not con-
/ tinue, for its effects are ruinous. This
is true. The diSorganized States must
be restored to practical and harmonious
relations to the Government as soon as
possible, both for its sake and their
own. 1t is absolutely necessary, there
fore, that Congress should act on the
subject. The remedy Of the Journal
for the Reorganization which the rebel
States persist in continuing themselves
in, would certainly be e~ficacious, which
| is a merit; and it is correlative, which
is its justification.
We are disposed to insist upon the
adoption of the Constitutional Amend
ment, and never allowing the Rebel
States Representation until they do
adopt it-but if in the course of time
it is found to be practicable to adopt
the course recommended by the Journal,
we would favor it as the next best course
| and the last resort to attain the desired
result ; and we believe that the plan
now before Congress, that of abolishing
their temporary State Governments, and
substituting therefor a Territorial con-
dition, is the idea contemplated. 1t is
| quite evident that the time has come
when stringent measures must be adop-
ted by Congress to break the stiff-neck-
edness of those lately in arms against
the Government. If it is not done be-
fore, the fortieth Congress will do it
| soon after the 4th of next March.