The Ebensburg Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1865-1871, 1866-08-30


Of Union blood. The leading proposition
on which this conspiracy against the
country is TO be conducted is the mons.rous
absurdity that the rebel States have an
inherent, "coutinuous," uncOndifioned,
constitutional right to form part OF the
Federal Government, when they have
once acknowledged the fact of the defeat
of their inhabitants in an armed attempt
t. overthrow aud Subvert it-a proposition
which implies that victory paralyZes the
powers Of the victors that ruin begins
when success is assured that the only
effect of beating Southern rebel in the
field Is TO exait him into a maker of laws
for his antagonist.
In the minority report Of the Congress
sioual Joint Committee on Recon structiop,
which is designed to supply the new party
with constitutional law. this theory of
State rights is most eltbofately presented.
The ground Is taken, that during the
rebellion the States in which it prevailed
were as completely competent States of
the United States they were before the
rebellion, and were boun1 by all the obi
cations which the Constitution imposed,
aud entitled to all its privileges p and that
Il
Of ''illeSal acts OF The citizens of such
| States" On this theory it is Gificulr TO
find where the guilt of rebellion lies The
Safes are innoceu; because the rebellion
was rising os individuals ; the individu-
ais cannot be very criminal, for t Is on
their votes that the committee chiefly
rely to build up the National Union
| Party. Again, We are informed that, In
respect to the admission of representatives
| from ''such States" Congress has no right
or power to ask more than two questions
! These are Have these States organized
governments republican in form ?" The
committee proceed to say "lIow they
were formed, under what auspices they
were formed, are inquiries with which
| Congress has no concern. The right of
the people To form government for
Themselves has never been questioned" ;"
On this principle, President Johnson's
| laborS In organizing State governments
We're works OF supe-erogation. At the
close of active hostlities the rebel States
had organized, though disloyal, govern
ments as republican in form as they were
| before the war broke out The only
| thing, therefore, they were required to do
| Was 10 send their Senators and Represen-
ta'ives to Washington Congress could
not have rightfuIly refused to receive
them, because all questions as to their
being loyal or di-lnyal, apd as TO he
| changes which the war had wrought in
the relations of the States they represented
TO the Union, were inquiries with which
| Congress had no cuncern And here
again we have the ever-recurring diffic ulty
| respecting the "individuals' who were
| alone guilty OF the acts of rebellion. "Tae
| right Of the people," we are assured, Ito
form a government for themselves has
never been questioned" But it happens
that ''the people" here indicated are the
very individuals who were before pointed
our as alone responsible for the rebellion.
| In the exercise of their right "to form
government for themselves" they re-
| helied and now, it seems, by the exercise
OF The same right, they can Internationally
return. There is no wrong anywhere it
Is all right" The people are first made
criminals, in order TO exculpate the States,
aud then the innocence of the States is
used To exculpate the people. When we
! see such outrayes on c)nIm0n sense grave
! ly perpetrated By so eminent a LAWYER as
| the one who drew up the committees
report, one is amidst Inclined to define
minds as uf Two kinds. the legal mind aud
| the human mind, and 10 doubt If ther, is
| any possible connection in reason between
! the two. To the human mind it appears
that the Federal Government has spent
| thirty five hundred millions of dollars,
and sacrificed three hundred thousand
| lives :n 4 contest which the leual mind
| di-soves into mere mist of unsubstantial
phrases and by skill in the trick Of su5-
stituting words for things, and definitions
| for events, the leya! mind proceeds to
| show that these words and definitions,
though scrupulously shielded from any
contact with realities, are sufficient to
prevent the nation from taking ordinary
! precaution against the recurrence of
caamlties fresh in its bitter experience
The phrase Estate Rights" translated
from legal into human language. is found
to mean the power to commit wrongs on
individuals whom States may desire to
oppress, or the power 10 protect the inhab-
itants oi States from the consequences of
their own crimes. The minority of the
committee, JUDGED, seem 10 have forgotten
that there has been any real war, and
bring TO mind the converted Australian
savage whom the missionary could not
make penitent for murder committed
the dav before, because the trihing occur
renee had altogether passed from his rec
objection
In fact, all attempts to discriminate be-
tween rebels aud rebel States, to the ad-