Charles City intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Floyd County, Iowa) 1864-1866, 1866-05-31
" Thy spirit. Independence, let me share
lord vt the li1u heart and eagle eye,
Thy steps Pillow, with my no roln bare,
Nor heed the storm that howts along tho sky

Johnson, tueU vi icIllicSSCc,
THAT the traitor has ceased to be n citizen
and i'm Joining the rebellion has become pub
lie enemy. He forfeited his right to vote
with loyal men when he renounced his citizen
ship and sought to destroy our Government.
They accepted thai as the law of
the case in 1864 pronounced by one
of their great leaders they carried
that law into effect in November Of
that year by clccting its author as the
Vice President of the United States.
1t was good law then, it is good law
now, and they adhere to it. They care
very little about the dead-State" or
"liye-State theories, and only regard
the attempted distinction as one of
form and not of substance. But they
do regard as of vital Importance the
real status of voluntary rebels and the
substantive rights and privileges of
voluntary Unionists in the great work
Of restoration. Fix those upon an en-
during, fair basis, and the metaphysi-
cal publicists may dispute as much as
they like about immaterial matters
connected with this great subject.
The Union men in Congress and out
of Congress very modestly, yet ear
nestly and firmly, assert that Congress
has the absolute right, and it is its du-
~ to exercise that right, to determine
who shall and who shall not be admit
ted to seats therein from the rebel
States. This position, take it, will
be maintained at all hazards as against
all antagonists, no matter whence they
come or whittier they go. And in fix
ing the character of such representa-
tion it is as firmly determined that
none but loyal men shall rule America.
TRAITORS must take back seats in the
work of restoration" If, in order to
secure such construction of future |
Government it has become necessary
10 have certain amendments made to |
the Constitution, then let that prccede
complete restoration. No loyal man
doubts that there is such necessity |
and that such an EFFICIENCY is now up
on us. Now is the time to effect the !
work so said Andrew johnson in
1864:
Al conclude that Governments can and
ought to be changed and amended to conform
to the wants. to the requirements and prog
ress and the enlightened spirit of the age.
And let me say, now is the time to secure
these fundamental principles, while the land
h tent with anarchy and upheaves with the |
throes of a mighty revolution. While society |
Is in this disordered state and we are seeking |
security, let us fix the foundation of the Gov
eminent on the principles of eternal justice
which will endure for all time. '-Speech Of
Gorernor johnson 1T Nashville, July . 1864.
This was good political doctrine then
enunciated in words fifty spoken it is
Just as sound now, ard will remain so,
commanding the homage of every 10y
al heart and demanding the earnest,
vigorous effort of every loyal man IN
til, indeed, the Government of
this country shall be finally and forev-
er rescued from the grasp Of the trail.
tor, and its foundations fixed "on prin-
ciples of eternal Justice which will en-
dure for all tme'
To this end the committee on recon-
struction has just agreed upon plan
which, if adopted and carried into final
effect, will go very far to secure these
grand results.
AS now understand it from very
hasty pcrusal of the series of the pro-
posed amendments to the Federal Con
stitution, shall most cheerfully sup
port it. The first section, looking t.
the security and defence of the person
al and property rights of the citizens
in all the States, is certainly just and
right, and must commend itself to the
Judgment of every fair-minded man
The second section, looking to the
proper and equitable distribution OF
political power in all the States, fixing
!. the basis of representation in each, is
certainly just, and the rights of the
loyal white men in this country de.
mand its adoption as part OF the
fundamental law of the land so that
white voter in the North shall here
after be Just as good and no better than
white voter in the South. No one
but the aristocrat, the rebel, or a dem
agogue will Oppose the adoption Of
that article.
As to the third section, it is not very
material, in my judgment, whether
that is retained or not as a part of the
general plan, provided it be followed
up by the passage into law Of the ac-
companying bill, which provides for
the dsfranchisement of certain des-
criptions of voluntary rebels.
AS to the fourth sand last section,
there certainly can be. no valid objec-
ton urged against its adoption and
ratification. AS whole, then, let this
plan receive hearty support of every
Union man in and out of Congress,
and the work of restoration will be
rapid, fair and easy, asking and de-
manding no more OF the people in the
unrepresented States than we are viii.
ling to impose OH ourselves, and cheer.
fully bear. With all Difference to gen
tlemen on the other side, we do think
q northern man is qrite as good as
southern man. We do not want to be
compelled to look up to him or have
him look up to lis, but to meet all sucl
upon the common democratic plain,
seeing eye to eye" each feeling him.
self to be Just as good, just as much OF
a man as the other. IL Democrats
shall persist in their purposes and
practices Of looking up to and toady-
ing after southern men, we cannot help
it. There is no law against hunkyism
in this country and l suppose we
should be met with violent opposition
from that quarter if we attempted to
pass one. 1t would be regarded as an
"act in restraint of personal liberty
and declared by them as unconstitu
tional.
But, Mr.. Speaker, it is said in Ger.
tain quarters that the Union party
cannot carry out its plans because the
President whom it elected now stands
opposed to it and will exert the force
and influence of his position to defeat
it. THAT he opposes all amendments
to the Constitution" &c. Well, il
this be SO, we shall have to try and
get along without him. For one !
shall part company with him "more
in sorrow than in anger"