The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-08-08

justified by its success, but this would
justify It equally in defeat. This pro-
position belongs to the class of vile
sophistries wherewith the country was
assatled at the beginning ofand through
out the war, and which We're the dimsy
and transparent garments by which
Northern men sought to cover the hid
eous nakedness of their sympathy with
rebellion. They said 1tha Government
conld not coerce n State; that it was in
compatible with the nature of a Gov
ernment to preserve its existence by
right by force of arms to preserve its
life against rebellious violence. f-itt68
Mr.. Buchanan, in his message to Con-
gress in December, 1860, committed
himself to the inconceivahly foolish
paradox, that States under the Consti-
ton had no right to secede, but that il
they attempted secession, the Govern
ment had no power to prevent them
from SO doing. And again, during the
war, when it became manifest to the
world that the rebellion could not be
suppressed and slavery preserved, Mr..
Lincoln was furiously denounced as
usurper, tyrant, and tiend for his great
Proclamation of Freedom. And now as
a proper conclusion. we are told by the
authors of these Infamous sayings that
vanquished rebels may, and ought 70,
without condition, hindrance or delay,
return to their places of trust, profit
and power in the. .Gouernment, Just as
ifnothing had happened.
The right to protect itself against
public or secret enemies, and to punish
or impose conditions upon traitors, is
an essential principle in every. form of
government, and without it no govern
ment can exist. In our Government
the law has prescribed death as the
puntshmentfor treason, but it is true
in government, as in everything
else, that the greater includes the less.
The Government may commute the
punishment of death TO imprisonment.
1t may remit the imprisonment, and
insist only upon the forfeiture of pollti-
cal and civil rights, and it may leave 10
the traitor his civil rights, depriVing
him only of certain political rights, or
1t may forgive the crime in all its con-
sequences, and restore him to full citi-
doning grace. Every step that has
been taken in the work of reconstruc-
ton thus far, has proceeded upon this
principle. And here may be allowed
to remark that reconstruction consists
of two distinct things, which are in
many respects independent of each
other: F! ID. -,qa a..ss
First-The reorganization ofthe State
Governments, in the States lately in re-
bellion. lsr--.4,
Secondly-The admission of Senators
and members of Congress from such
States to seats in the Congress Of the
United States. l9i3 go
The first part was undertaken by
President Johnson, and whether prop
erly or Improperly, it is now hardly
worth while 70 discuss, inasmuch as
the State governments reconstructed
upon his plan, are In operation, and
the programme submitted by the Re-
construction Committee does not, as
understand 1t, contemplate their disso-
luton, or require their modification
beyond ratifying the Constitu-
Constitutions and laws conform to its
provisions. llsi.as E-4.a ".
President johnson in his plan of re-
constructing the State governments,
treated the rebellious Inhabitants OF
those States as having by their treason
forfeited their political and civil rights,
and he granted them permission to re-
organize State governments only upon
certain conditions, and excluded from
all participation certain Glasses of per-
sons specially designated, unless they
should first receive personal and spe.
citic pardon. he provided that no one
should participate in the work of recon-
struction without first having taken an
oath, the terms of which he prescribed.
He then provided that the govern
ments which, might be reorganized
should not be recognized until they had
formally abolished slavery in their sew
eral States, had ratified the amendment
of the Constitution of the United States,
which forever prohibited slavery with
In the States or Territories, had repudi-
ated their several war debts, nor until
they had by law secured to the negroes
within their limits the right to sue and
be sued, and testify as competent wit
nesses in the courts.
The second part of reconstruction, the
admission of Senators and Representa-
tives from the rebel States to seats in
Congress, is a matter over which the
President has no control or Jurisdiction.
The Constitution declares that each
House shall be the judge of the qualifi-
cations of its own members, and in this
respect one House has no control over
the other. Each House judges for itself
whether the person claiming to be adj
mitted as member has been properly
elected or has been elected by a people
who have a. right to be represented in
Congress, or whether he lis man of
such character as would be entitled to
sit in their body as man and equal: for
If he be a convicted felon or traitor
who has shed the blood of loyal men in
efforts to destroy the Government, they
have right to say they will not give
him fellowship. taAidi
But beyond and above these rights.
which It may be said are special and
technical, there is theibroad and compre-
hensiye Fight essentially inherent in all,
Governments, to protect itself against
the maglignity and future machina-
tions of Vanquished rebels. In this
work of reconstruction, so-called, two
leading purposes should be kept in
view.
L. That nothing shall be done to in
jure or destroy the general theory or
scheme of Government as bequeathed
to us by our fathers! g
2 That such security be takengas can
be to prevent the recurrence of future
rebel lions, and to prevent those who
have been in rebellion, bnt are restored
to their political rights, from defeating
necessary legislation, or bringing about
legislation which would be reasonable
or honorable. and thus accomplish
ing in the Government what they had
failed to, do by force of arms II IL
should be deemed essential to the safety
of the Government that Senators and
Representatives from the States lately
in rebellion should not be- admitted to
seats in Congress until the repfesefta-
tive power of those States had been so
reduced that they could not by uniting
with a reasonable faction in the North
control the Government and perhaps
destroy IT 5Gpngress would have the
right to exclude the. members from
such States until such timaas the, meas
ure ofreduetion had been accomplished,
provided such measure of reduction is
not in violation OF the general theory
and scheme OF the GoVefnmeit. and fs
within the essential powers OF Congress.
In this case the measure of reduction
would be anlamendmentto to the Consti--
tuition equhlizing the lelfepresentati6n in
Congress-, and In the election of Presi-i
dent and Vice President, by taking
Sfalaa ElIefFirEl1f m rSs5a,1N = : n z - -;