East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1866-01-31
WHOLE NO, 33g.. :

But the advocates Of this doctrinsns
say that the phase Of absolute despot-sr'
ism is only 70 last for a season; that -
these States are'only to go nnrepre-I
sented for a few years, 'until giaran.Agi
tees-guarantees for the future---are ~
obtained. Guarantees for the futurel -
This vague term is another political -
convenience like that of 'dead States, =.
Under it each innovator dreamer and !.
lrevolutionist throughout fheiland cam 4,
demand and require the fiil6lnent of 4
all his fantastic desires against the /
South before he as willing to admits-.
her representatives. 1t is the cloak J,
for every higher law purpose now IN
abroad in the public mind.. 1t is a I
well-filled arsenal from which to showro'
ea confiscation, negro suffrage, reap 4 !
rortionment, prescription of persons, b.
and every other missel of torture that II
was ever leveled at an unfortunate
people. ,i1,aaW eea 4 81. i-r
Sir, deny that State can be re.
fused her representation fora single
moment on any such grounds. Peace y
d.
guarantees for the future which any,,
government can Justly require of is q
citizens. Where is the power in the
Constitution whereby anything moro
can be demanded 2 Or has that Iin-
strument become q dead letter TO us
because we have been four years in. y
forcing others to obey it If we arc
not released from it let me see the seq
tion on the subject Of guarantees whica
authorizes Congress to close its doors
in the face of the representatives of
the people until they sign deeds of
political capitulation. s....t4,a
II mny be said that the President
himself has required guarantees in his
policy of restoration. Even if he did
SO, / do not understand that he pro-
posed TO make their refusal pretext
for violating the Constitution himself.
But i have not regarded his advice to
the South in the nature Of this move
ment in Congress. On the great ques-
ton Of slavery, | hold that the action
of the Southern States in adopting
the constitutional amendment has
been wise and benelicient. The sys-
tenn was destroyed by the force of
arms and the operations of war, and
it is better for the future dignity and
history of the Nation that a fact ac-,
compl shed of the utmost magnitude,
should have the sanct on Of funda-'
mental law. 1t was vast step, too,
toward a speedy restoration, and that
alone is powerful appeal in favor Of
the council of the Executive and tho
action of the South.
One other subject has been much
canvassed underthisn snew- coined phrase
of guarantees for the future. The
war debt incurred by the Southern
States in their attempt to establish :
Confedoracy has been shaken in the
face of the Northern people to incite
them to a policy of distrust and Sc.
verify. Every body well,knows, Of
course that il will never be paid. All
history tells us that the debt of de-
feated revolution is a'woys lost. The
government that contracted It is no
more, and the ruined and exhausted
people gladly turn their backs on the
Mechanically past and look forward 10
the future with new hopes, new ties,
and new destiny. As to the victor
in ayr.s ever assuming such a debt,
no instance is known in the annals Of
mankind, and such an idea is not re-
spectacle outside an asylum for the
insane. / regarded, therefore, the
war debt Of the South as fit only for
one use-the defamation of dema-
gogues and tho malign purposes of
political agitators. Hence, l voted IA
few days ago that itshould be buried
out of sight and out Of mind in tic
most effective and conclusive manner.
/ did not do so because / wanted
guarantee OH that subject, but simply
because / wished to remove it as an
obstacle in the pathway of reunion,
and as means of useless and per-
nicious discord in the future.
But again, as TO the right OF repre-
sentation, immediate and without any
other guarantee than obediance TO the
Constitution. / shall now prove that \
the refusal to admit the Southern rer-
resentatives arises from sense of
power and not Of justice; that while
the Southern people were III arms no
position Of the kind was assumed by
any department of the Government,
and harder terms are now tonderedto
II defeated than were held out to a de-
fant enemy. In the proclamation OF
the late Chief Magistrate, from which
l have already quoted, he clearly and
explicitly asserts the right of any
State, whose people were then in hos
tility to the General Government to
be represented in the Federal Con-
gress, and announces that he will con-
slider such fact as on evidence that
neither the State nor its people are
any longer in rebellion. Where, then,
was the guarantee doctrine? IL had
not yet been born. We were then
wooing and courting representation
because it suited our purpose to do so.
We are now repclling it for the same
reason. The great proclamation was
then akin to the gospels of righteous
ness. Now I challenge the Commit
tee of Fifteen to report in its favor
II is deserted in the house of its
friends, and / am found defending the
only healthy and legal spot in it,
But, potent as it was consideied, vet
il was not the only expression that
emanated from the high places Of tho
last Administration, which confounds
the philosophers of this new faith.
On the 9th of February, ls03slMr.
Seward informed Europe and t:ciciv-
Hired world that seats in Congress
care also vacant and inviting ;he Sem
ators and Representatives of the dis
party who may be cous'itu-