North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1866-08-29


by the Constitution OF tha United States,
and the permanent integrity and indisSoln-
bility of the Federal Union is necessary
consequence and secondly, it has put an
end, finally and forever, to the existence of
slavery upon the soil or within the jurI sdic-
ton of the United States. Both these
points became directly involved iii the con-
test, and controversy upon both has ended
absolutely aud finally by the result.
In the third place, we deem it of the ut
most Importance that the real character of
the war, and the victory by which it was
closed, should be accuratcly understood.
The war was carried on by the Govern
ment of the United States in maintenance
of its own authority and in defence of its
own existence, both of which were men
aced bv the insurrection which il sought to
suppress. The suppression of that insur-
rection accomplished that result. The Gov
crnment of the United States maintained
bv force of arms the supreme authority
over all the territory and over all t. States
and people within It's jurisdiction which the
Constitution conftrs upon it, but it acquir-
ed thereby no new power, no enlarged
jurisdiction, no rights either of territorial!
possession or of civil authority, which it
did not possess before the rebellion b. oEe
out AL the rightful power it can ever
possess is tlat which is conferred upon it in
express terms, or by fair and necessary i'm
plica ion, by the Constitution of the United
States. 1t was that power and that au
thorily which the rebellion sought to over
throw, and the victory of the Federal arms
was simply the def,a Of that attempt.
The Government of the United ~tates
acted throughout the war on the defensive
1t sought only to hold possession of what
was already its own. Neither the war nor
the victory by which it was ended changed
in any way the Constitution of the United
States. The war was carried on by virtue
of its provisions and under the limitations
which they prescribed, ,andthe result of the
war i'd not either enlarge, abridge, or in
any way change or affect the powers it con-
fers upon the Federal Government, or re
lease that Government from the restrictions
which it has imposed.
The Constitution of the United States is
to-day precisely as it was before the war
the supreme law of the land, anything in
the constitution or laws of any State to the
contra notwithstanding. And to-day al
so, precisely as before the war, all the
powers not conferred 10y the Constitution
upon the General Government, nor prohib-
iteA BY it to the States, are reserved TO the
several States or to the people thereof.
This pos ton is vindIcated not only by
the essential nature of nur Government and
the language and spirit of the Constitution,
but by all the acts and the language of our
Government, in all its departments and at
all times. from the outbreak of the REBEL
ion to its final overthrow. In the MESA
ges and proclamations of the Exc cutive it
was explicitly declared that the sole object
and purpose of the war was TO maintain
the authority of the Constitution and to
preserve the integrity of the Union, and
Congress more than once reiterated this
solemn declaration, and aided the assur-
ance, that whenever this Object should be
attempted the war SHOULD cease, and all the
States should retain their equal rights and
dignity unimpaired. 1t is only since the
war has closed that other ghts have been
asserted on behalf OF one department of the
General Government. 1t has been pfo-
claimed by Congress that in addition to the
powers conferred rpon it by the Constitu
ton, the Federal Government may now
claim over the States an the territory,
and tn" people involved in the insurrec-
tion, the rights of war-rights of conquest
and of cOnfScatiOn, the right to abrOgate
all rxistin. governments, institutions, and
laws, and to subject the territory conquer
ed and its inhabitants to such terms and
regulations as the legislative department of
the Government may see fit to impose, I'M
der the broad and sweeping claim that tie
clause Of the Constitution which provides
that no State shall without Its consent be
deprived of its equal suffrage in the Sen
ate of the United States has been annull-
ed and States have been refused, and are
still refused, representation altogether in
both branches of. the Federal Congress :;
and the Congress in which only paIt Of
the States aud of the people of the Union
are represented has asserted the right to
exclude others from representation and
from all share in making their own laws
and choosing their own rulers, unless they
shall comp.y with such conditions and per-
form such acts AS this Congress, thus COM
posed, may itself prescribe. That right
has not only been asserted, but
it has been exercised, and is
practically enforced at the present time
Nor does it find any support in the cry
that the States thus excluded are in re-
beIlion against the Government, and are
therefore precluded from sharing its author
ity. They are not thus in rebellion. They
are one and all in an attitude of LOYALTY
towards the Government. and of sworn al
legiance to the Constitution of the United
States In none of them is there the slight
est indication of the resistance to this au-
thority, or the slightest protest against its
just aud binding obligations. This condi-
l..