The Greene County Republican. [volume] (Waynesburg, Pa.) 185?-1867, 1866-09-19


these revolted, rebellious Confederat,
States have never lost any of their right
by the war, or their past acts, if the,
have the same rights that they had be-
fore the war-then no man has righ
to keep out their representatives or tc
Impose any condition Upon them, ant
therefore when gentlemen say to me
Congress has no right to say what Mas
sachusetts shall do asree-neilhe,
Congress nor the President has an,
right to say what Massachusetts, shal
do, or Pennsylvania, or New>York-ol
omit 10 do. But when Massachusetts.
rebel, agaipst the Government, and take:
ariiis; and after four years or four m onrhs
is subdued, after she has to surrende,
because she cannot fight longer, aud hes
bound hand and foot before the pow err Of
the United States-I will say that Mas
sachusetts then has lost her rights, and
that she has to come under the law ofthe
conqueror, and can come back into the
Union only when in the judgment of the
loyal States it shall be for The benefit OF
the whole country to receive her back.
Congress came together in December,
and for The first time the President
ennunciated the doctrine that these States
had a right to representation by loyal
representatives. 1t always seemed to
me that there was fallacy In that
statement, tina, 1t was scphistry, and
have seen very many good, honest, loyal
men that were stumbled by this argu-
ment, why wont Congress admit the
loyal representatives in the Union, is it
not wrong for Congress to keep on, loyal
men' Suppose the South is disloyal
and sends loyal representatives, why
should they not be admitted p Suppose,
my friend, you who have q doubt upon
this qneslion-suppose the loyal States
should send disloyal men to the Congress
of tho Unitel States! Will You admit
The disloyal representative No. because
ne mlsrPprescats his constituency, aud
he ought not to be United. Suppose
ilsloyal constituency sends a loyal rep
esentative, should he be admitted Z? No
N"y? Because he misrepresents his
constituency. Is it not perfectly an
'nswcr--a Perfect one, and not to be
'vercohe by any artticc-lhat the right
IT representative Is not the right of the
cp:esentators, but OF the CONSTITUENCY -
t the constituency Is loyal, then it will
'ardly do to inquire into the constitu-
ncy of the representative, an ! therefore
We all applaud the answer of John Rsn
olph when ask I'd if he was old enough
come to Congress-he said, "ask my
onstituents. Therefore we are brought
ack to this--if the constituency, in the
rst instance, is loyal, they. have right
be represeuted-but not by Rebels
nd If justice was done them ,hey would
ot have man OF the Rebels left to
eprescnt' them. [Applause But If
hey are jisloyal it is no matter whom
hey send to represent them, because
his year they will send loyal men, and
aving got established, next year they
'ill send disloyal men, saying; You
ave recognized our right to rcpresen,
alton and you must admit these men,
lave the people of the South such a
I'VE of the Union, love of country, as to
C entitled to take part in the govern
lent of the country? That is the guess
on. assume that President johnson
elievcl that they were loyal and that
ney had surrendered IN good faith
What is surrendering in good faith? l !
oppose that horse tibet when he gets
State prison surrenders the right of
orse|stealng in good faith, lie doesn't
,can to steal any more until he gets out.
They surrendered, not
ecause they wanted o,but because they
'ere obliged to; not for love of country,
ut from fear; they surrendered because
ley were whipped and soundlv whlp-
cd, too. think l do no discredit to
resident johnson to say that l think ho
'as mistaken
The issue is now made. When we
llk with anybody who claims to sup
ort tho policy of President Johnson, he
tells US about the Constitu-
on and the wisdom Of our fathers, and
,at no is content to do as our fathers
id. So am I. What did our fathers
o7 Iwon't cite Massachusetts, for she
as always thought to be mbid, but l
ill take the State Of North Carolina, and
the erd of the revolution what law did
he pass? She gave the Tory amnesty
'r all his past mssde'neanors, protection
'r his lite, liberty and property, bit
ever--forever-should he have any
art in tho government Of the Stats, l :