Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1866-07-04


/ race This, it Is thought, would leave the
whole question with the people of each
state, holding out tC al the advantage of
increased political power as an induce
! ment TO allow all to participate in its ex-
ercIse Such a provision would be in its
nature gentle and persuasive and would
/ lead, 1t was hoped. at no distant day, to
an equal participation Of all. without dis
tnction, in all the rights and privileges OF
citizenship; thus afording full and ade-
quate protection 10 all classes of citizens.
/ since we would have through the ballot
/ box the power Of self protection Holding
! these views, your committee prepared an
/ amendment to the constitution TO carry
/ out this idea, and submitted the same 70
! congress. Unfortunately, as we think. it
| did not receive the necessary constitution
| nj support IL the SeGate, anI, therefore.
could not oe proposed for adoption by the
| States. The principe involved in that
amendment Is, however, believed to be
sound, and your committee have again
proposed 1t in another form, hoping that
1T may receive the approbation Of Con :
gress
THE PRESENT CONDITION OF THE SOUTH.
our committee have been urable to
find in the evidence submitted to Congress-
by the President under date of March s
1866, in compliance with the resolutions
Of January D and February 1T, 1866, anv
satisfactory proof that either OF the insur-
rectlonary states except perhaps the State
OF Tennessee, has placed itself in a con-
ditIon to resume its political relations t.
the Union. The first step toward that end
would necessarily be the establishment Of
a republican form Of government by the
people. 1t has been before remarked that
the provisional governors appointed bv the
President in the exercise Of his military
authority could do nothing by virtue Of the
power thus conferred toward the cstab-
lShment OF state government They
were acting under the War Department.
and were paid out of its funds. Thev were
simply bridging over the ckaEt1 between
rebellion and restoration. And vet we
lind them calling conventions and conyen-
ing Legislatures. Not only this. but we
find the conventions and Legislatures thus
convened acting under executive direction
as to the provisions required to be en-
bodied IN their constitutions and o-dinan-
ces, as conditions precedent to their reor
ganizati0n, by the President
THE SOUTHERN LEGISLATURES AND coSyEx-
TIONs.
The induceIteat held ont by the Presi-
dent for com mpliance with the conditions
imposed was directly in one instance and
presumably thereafter in others. the i'm
mediate admission Of senator's and repre>
'entatlyes to Congress The character of
tEe conventions and legislatures thus as
sembIet were not such as to inspire cou-
fdcnce in the good faith oftheir members
Governor Perry. Of South Carolina. dis
Columbia from Washinrton tbat the rebel
war del should be rcp1diatcd, and gave
as his reason that it was a Revolutionary
BODY" There Is no evidence of the lov-
atty or disloyalty of the members of these
conventions and legislatures except the
fact of pardons being asked for on their
account Some Of these states now claim
ing representation refused to adopt the
conditions imposed 10 reliable inform
alton is found in these papers as to the
constitutional provisions Of fseveral of these
states while in not one of them Is the
slightest evidence to show that these
amended constitutions, as they are call
ed, have ever been submitted 70 the people
FOR their adoption. In North Carolina
alone an ordinance was passed to that ei-
feet, but it does not appear to have been
acted on. Not one of them, therefore, has
been ratified Whether with President
Johnson we adopt the theory that the old
constitutions were abr0-atcd and destroys
ed. d.and the people deprived of all govern
ment," or whether we adopt the alterna-
tive doctrine that they were only suspend
ed and were revived by the suppression Of
the rebellion, the new provisions must be
considered as equally destitute Of validity
before adoption by tue people. II the con-
ventions were called for the sole purpose
Of putting the state government into oper-
alton. they had no power either TO adopt
a ne~ constitution o. to amend an old
one without the consent Of the people
Nor could either convention or q legis-
lature change the fundamental lar with
olt power previously conferred. In the
view Of your committee it follows, there
fore. that the people Of . state, when the
constitution has been thus amended. night
feel themselves justified IN regulating
altogether ali such unauthorized assump-
+ tions Of power, and might Ee expected TO
do so at pleasure.
! So far as the disposition Of the people
3f the insurrectioaary States and the
prc liability Of their adopting measures
conforming To the changed condition Of
affairs can be inferred from the papers
submitted by the President Gs the basis oi
his action, the prospects are far from en-
couragins Ii appears quite clear that
the anti slavery amendments, both TO the
State and Federal Constitutions, were
adopted with reluctance b. Tie bodies
that did adopt them nnj in some state:
they have either beer passed Ivy in silence
or rejected The language Of all the pro
fisioLs anu ordinances of the states on tbs
subject amounts to uOthILE rC-1 .aan II
unwilling admission of an UnwelcOme
truth As to the ordinance Of secession
it is in some eases declared "nrll apC
void, and in others simply repealed
. and in no instance Is a refutation OF tal
deadly he-e.T considered worthy OF I
-la,e in the new constitution
IL. 10 the President assumes. these II
suTrectl0nary states were CT the close o
| the war wholly without state governments
) II would seem that before being adultte'
; 70 participate IN the direction Of pabli
I affairs such governments should be regu
= larry organized Long usage has estab
{ lished and numerous statutes have p0In
D 81 out. the mode in which this should b
: done. \ convention . frame . form {
: government should be assembled und.
' com petent authority. Ordinarily this aU
: thoritv eraanates from Congress. bat or
e der the peculiar circumstances your con
. nlittee IS not disposed 70 criticise til
: President ; action IN assuming the pow
: exercised By HIN, Ia this regard. IN
= convention when assembled should iran.
= 3 constitution f zover11 -. ~d.9- s4s