Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1866-08-30

By which it was closed, changed 10 any way,
the Constitution Of the United States. The
var was carried on by virture Of its provis.
ions and under the Limitations which they
prescribe, and the result of the war did not
either enlarge, abridge, or in any way
change or affect the powers it confers upon
the federal government, or release that gov.
ernment from the restrictions which it has
imposed. The Constitution Of. the United
States is to-day precisely as it was before the
| war, "the supreme lao Of the land, any.
thing in the Constitution or laws of any
State to the contrary Notwithstanding: - =
And to day, also, as precisely before the
| war, "sll powers not conferred by the Con.
stitution upon the general government, nor
prohibited by it to the States, is reserved to
the several States or to the people thereof. -
This position is yiudicated not only BY
the essential nature of our government, and
the language aud spirit Of the constitution,
but by all the acts and the language Of our
government in all its departments and at all
times. From the outbreak of the rebellion
to its final overthrow, in every message and
proclamation of the Executive, it was ex
plicitIy declared tbst the sole object and
purpose of the war was to maintain the an,
thority of the Constitution, and to preserve
the integrity of the Union. And Congress
| more than once reiterated this solemn decla.
ration, and added the assurance that when
ever this object should be attsiped the war
should cease, and all the States should re-
tain their equal rights and dignity unim.
paired. 1t is only since the war was closed
that other rights have been asserted on be-
half of one department Of the general gov
eminent. 1t has been proclaimed BY Con-
gress that in addition to the powers con
ferred upon it by the constitution, the Fed.
eral government may now claim over the
States, the territory and the people iuVol
we'd in the iusurrection, the right of con
quest and of cou6scation !; the right to abro.
gate all existing governments, institutions
and laws, and to subject the territory con.
9aered and its inhabitants to such laws,
regulations and deprivatious as the legisla
tive departments of the government may
see fit to impose.
Under this broad and sweeping claim,
that clause of the constitution which pro
vides that "no State shall, without its con-
sent be deprived of its equal suffrage in the
Senate of the United States" has been an:
nulled, and ten States have been refused,
and are still refused representation altogeth
er, in both branches of the Federal Con
gress; and the Congress-, in which only a
part Of the States and of the people of the
Union are represented, has asserted the right
thus to exclude the rest from representation
and all share in making their own laws, or
choosing their own rulers, until they shall
comply with such conditions and perform
such acts as this Congress, thus composed,
may itself prescribe That right has not
only been asserted, but it has been exercis-
ed, and is practically enforced at the present
time. Nor does it find any support in the
theory that the States thus excluded are in
rebellion against the government, and there
fore precluded from sharing its authority.
They are not thus in rebellion. They are
one and all in an attitude of loyalty towards
the government and of sworn allegiance to
the constitution of thu United States. In
none of them is there the slightest indiction
of resistance to this authority, or the sight
est protest against its just and binding obli-
CATION. This condition of renewed loyalty
has been officially recognized by solemn
proclamation of the Executive Depart.
uent and the laws of the United States
have been extended by Congress over all
Q; these States aud the people thereof;
Federal courts have been re opened and
Federal taxes imposed and levied and,
in every respect, except that they are de
uied representation in Congress aud the
electora! college, the States oncein rebellion
are now recognized as holding the same po
sitiou, as owing the same obligations and
subject to the same duties as the other
States of our common Union.
1t seems to rs, in the exercise of the
ealmest and most candid judgment We can
bring to the subject, that such claim, so
enforced, involves as fatal an overthrow of
the authority of the Constitution, and as
complete destruction Of the government
aud Union, as that which was sought to be-
effected by the States and people in armed
lnsurrection against them both It canuot
escape observation that the power thus as
serted to exclude certain States from re
presentation is made to rest wholly on the
will and discretion OF the Congress that as
serts it, 1t is not made to depend upon
any specified condition, or circumstances,
nor to be subject to any rules or regulations
whatever. The right asserted and exercised
is absolute, without qualification or restfic.
tion-not confoed to States in rebellion nor
to States that have rebelled-it is the right
of any Congress, in formal possession of the
legislative authority, to exclude any State
or States, and any portion of the people
thereof, at any time. from representation in
Congress and in the electoral college, at its
own discretion, and until they shall peform
such acts and comply with such conditions
as it may dictate.
Obviously the reasons for such exclusion,
being wholly within the discretion Of Con.
gress, may change as the Congress, itself
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