The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1866-04-24
What Mr.. Stephens Thinks.

committee on the condi ion Of the states
lately in rebellion, expressed the opinion
that the general government had no right
to make any condition precedent to the
readmission of the stales which rCbelled,
to all their rights aud privileges iu the
Union. He holds that neither Congress
nor the President had the right to make
any conditions with these states; that
their rights to representation, &c, were
uninterrupted by their own action, mas
much as that action was disowned By
Congress. The following passage from
his testimony, as we 6nd it reported in
the World, gives his opinions Oh this i'm
portart subject:
THE people Of Georgia, as I have said,
would not willingly. think, do more than
they have done for restoration. The only
view, in their opinion, that could possibly
Justify the war which was carried on BY the
federal government against them, was the
idea of the iudiSsolubleness of the Union
that those who held the administration for the
time were bound to enforce the execution OF
the laws, and the maintenance Of the lnteg-
rty of the Union under the Constitution; and
since that was accomplished, since those who
had assumed the contrary prlnciple-the rIght
Of secession and the reserved sovereignty OF
the states-had abandoned their cause, and
the administration here was successful In
maintaining the idea upon which the war was
proclaimed and waged, and the only view on
which they supposed it could be Justified at
all, and when that was accomplished, L say
the people of Georgia supposed their state
was Immediately entitled to all her rights
under the Constitution. They expected that
as soon as the Confederate cause was abaE-
doned, Immediately the states would be
brought back into th9ir practical relations
with the governmental as LreviouSly constituted.
That is what they looked to. They expected
that the state would Immediately have their
representatives in the House, and they ex-
pected in good faith, as loyal men, as the term
is frequently used-I mean byit; loyal to law
and order and to the ConStitution-to sup
port the government under the Constitution.
That was their feeling"
Mr. Stephens here does what, as law
yer, he should know be is dcbarred from
doing; the law very Justly holds tha: no
man shall take advantage of his own
wrong-that is to say, he cannot protect
himself behind a statute he has violated;
he must not expect to plead the fagrancy
of his crime as his justification. Mr..
Stephens appeals to the Constitution, and
stands upon his rights, aud evidently be-
lieves that be and the men lately 10 re.
bellion can there rightfully and safely
stand But if be pleads the Constitution
does be not see that uuder that instru.
ment be is onl ly an unhung traitor ? Does
be not perceive that if we are to 90 strictly
according to law, the first thing we must
do is to arrest Mr.. Stephens, and all who
aided or abetted the great treason, bring
them to trial at our convenience. and
hang them under the very Constitution
and law which be pleads?
lie urges that the states lost none of
their rights by the rebellion. Most true;
but the rebels in them-all men who, in
any way, took part in or gave aid and
comfort to the rebellion-lOst all their
rights. They are not "the state" except
so far as the general government chooses
to recognise them the loyal people, the
faithful Unionists of Georgia, those who
served in ihe Union armies, or who, una
bic to do that, kept themselves clear from
any participation with treason and rebel
lion-theSe only are "the state" in the
sense in which Mr.. Stephens uses the
words. And if the suffrage were con
fined to them alone, if all civil rights had
been taken away from Mr.. Stephens aud
those who with him took part in the re
bellion, then his theory would be correct
but then he would not be in Washing
ton urging it.
We did not choose to execute the laws
upon Mr. Stephens and his confederate
traitors we preferred mercy to justice
the American people were content that
their government should give to Mr. Ste
phens aud other notorious traitors aud
rebels, not only the lives theJ had for
feited to the laws, but liberty as well not
only liberty but property ; not only prop.
erty, but civil rights; not only civil
rights, bat even political rights. But
surely it is astounding impudence in men
so treated, to tnrn round aud lecture US
upon their constitutional rights" Their
constitutional right" is to be hanged !;
and because we very sensibly believe
hanging to be very poor use to make of
so large number of men, therefore
they are not to forget that they are
criminals, aud, as Mr.. Stephens now does,
lecture loyal and patriotic men upon their
constitutional duties.
We repeat, if the men who were en-
gagged in the rebellion Insist upon their
constitutional rights, they do very i'm
prudent act. Mr.. Stephens theory Of
the unimpaired rights of the states is very
correct We have asserted it many times
in these column but he is not Che
state )" tie men VINO with him went into
Rebellion fr. not members of Gthe state