The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1866-07-27

that the laws are faithfully executed'-it
is the official duty of the President TO
know whether rebellion has been sup.
pressed, and whether the authority u
the Constitution and laws OF tne Onl.e9
States have beencompletely restored anu
firmly established. The mere organlza-
ton of republican government In hal
mony with the Union, by the pesple .,
one of the existing States OF the UnIteu
States requires no enabling act Oh Con.
gress, and can find no authority Id tne
Constitution for any interference ~
Congress to prohibit or regulate Inc
organization of such government ny
the people of an existing State Oh INC
Union. On the other hand u Is
clearly necessary that the freslucuC
sbould act, so far, at least, as to remove
| ont of the way military restrictions on
the mower of the people to assemble and
| do those acts which are necessary to
reorpanize their government. This, l
think. he was bound to do as soon as he
became satisfied that the right time had
come. After much reflection, and with
no such partiality for executivapower as
would be likely to lead me astray, have
formed the opinion that the Southern
States are now as rightfully and should
| be effectually ia the Union as they were
before the madness of their people at
tempted to carry them out oft, and IN
| this opinion believe majority OF Inc
| people of the Northern States agree
| The work the people are awaiting to
have done this convention may greatly
help if it will elevate itself above Sec
| tional passions, ignore all party scheme s,
ldespise the sordid and petty scramb Die
| for offices, and fairly represent the Ia.
tional instinct. Its action cannot 1ail
| to be beneficial to our country. The
pass ons generated in great and dlvld-
ed people by long and bloody civil war
are deep and formidable. They are hot
confined to one section-the vlctors as
we'll as the vanquished are sWayed ny
them. They connect themselves Will
the purest and tenderest senslbllltles OF
our nature, with our love of country,
with our love of those who have l;ild
down their lives in the contest, Win
the sufferings which war in multiplied
forms always brings to the homes OF mon,
and still more to the homes of women,
and which civil war, most of all, brings to
the homes of all; and these passions ere
the sharp and ready tools OF party
spirit, of selfinterest, perversity, and,
most of all, of that fierce infatuation
which finds its best satisfaction
in hatred and its only enjoyment in re.
venge. No statesman who Is acquainted
with the nature of man and the necessi-
ties of civil government, can contemplate
such passions without the deepest con-
Germ, or fail to do what he fifty may to
allay them. Hard enough the work will
prove to be at the best, but a scrupulOus
regard for tho rights of all and mag
unanimous Clemency are twice blessed;
they both elevate and soften the power
full, and they reach and subdue what
law and bayonets cannot control. be-
lieve there is now general conviction
among the people that this great and
difficult work is practicable. That it
will long remain so if the present state
of things continues have not the hardi-
hood to trust look to this convention
with the hope that it will do much to
helm onward this instructive desire of the
peoplo &c +he United States for harmony
and peace-thaJ Twill assert strongly
and clearly those principles wniua. % o.
the foundations of our government, that
it will exhibit the connection between
their violation and the present distracted
condition of our country, that it will re-
buke the violence of party spirit, and es.
pecially OF that spirit of hatred which
is a, Inconsistent with true love of our
country as it is with true love of our
brethren, and hat it will do much to
convince the people of the United States
that they must act soon, in the wisest
way, or suffer wills which they and their
posterity will long deplore.
With great Iespect, e..
/ am your obediant servant,
B. r. CURTIS.