Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1866-09-26

voice in prescribing those conditions and
in shaping those guarantees is plainly in
contestable. Whether it take the shape
Of Law or of constitutional Amendment,
I the action of Congress is vital. Even If
they were to be settled by treaty. the rat.
/ ification of The Senate. by two thirds
vote. would be indispensable. There is
nothing in the Federal Constitution, nor
IN the pature Of the case. that counte-
nauces an Executive monopoly of their
power.
What, then, is the ground of complaint
against Congress?
1t is charged that the action of the two
Houses was tardy and hesltating? Con-
slider how momcntous were the questions
involved. the issues depending Consid-
err how utterly silent and blank is the
Federal Consultation touching the treat
ment of insurgeut States, whether during
their fragrant hostility to the Union or at-
ter their discontinue. Consider with
how manv cmbarrassments and difficulties
the problem is beset and you will not
wonder that months were required to de-
wise, perfect, and pass, by two-thrds
vote in either House, just aud safe plan
of reconstruction.
Yet that plan has been maturcd. 1t
has passed the Senate SO to eleven, and
the house by 1873 to SO. 1t is now fairly
before the country, having already been
ratified by the Legislature of several
States and rejected by none Under it,
the State Of Tennessee has been formally
restored to all the privileges she forfeited
by Rebellion, including representation in
either House Of Congress And the door
thus passed through stands invltingly
open to all who still linger without.
Are the Prescriptions thus described in
toerable, or even humiliatiDg? They
are in substance these
|. All persons born or naturalizod in
the country are hcnceforth citizens of the
United States, and shall enjoy all the
rights of citizens cvermorc and no State
shall have power to contrayene this most
righteous and ncccss Try provision.
2. While the States claim aud cxer-
else the power of denying the elective
franchise to a Fart of their people, the
weight of each State in the Union shall
be measured by and based on its enfran-
chised population, If any State shall
choose, for no crime, to deny politicol
rights to any race or caste, it must no
Ion ger count that race or caste as basis
of political power in the Union.
3. He who has once held Office on the
strength of his solemn oath to support the
Federal Consultation. and has ncverthe
less forcswolu himself and reasonably
plotted to subvert shat Constitution. shall
henceforth hold no political office till Con
grcss. by two thirds vote, shall remove
Or modify the dsabilit'.
1. The Nation.l Debt, shall be no.
wise rcpudiatcd nor iuvalidatel and no
dept incurred in support of the rebellion
shall ever be assumed or paid by any
State; nor shall payment I've made for
the loss or the emancipation of any slave.
5. Congress shall have power to Gu
force these guarantees by appropriate leg
islatiou.
Such. fellow citizens, are the conditions
of reconstruction proposed by Congress
and already accepted by the loyal Legis-
lature of Tennessee Are they harsh or
degrading? DO you discern therein
to trample on the PROSTATE or
push an advantage to the uttermost? Do
they embody aught Of vengence, or any
confscation but that of slavery? We
solicit your candid, impartial judgement
What is Intended bJ the third section
is simply to give loyalty fair start IN
Reconstructed States Under the Johnson
policy, the rebels monopolize power and
place even in communities where they are
decidedly outpumbered. Their generals
are governors and members elect of Con.
gross; their colonels and majors Gil the
legislatures aud ofiiciatc as sheriifs. Not
only are the steadfsstly loyal, prescribed,
but even stay.at home rebels have little
chance 10 competition with ,those who
fought to subvert the Union. When this
rebel monopoly Of ttiicc shall have been.
broken up, and loyalty to the Ulion shall
have become general and hearty. Con.
gress may remove the disability, and will
doubtless make haste to do so.
There remains, then. but the second ac
ton, which prescribes in substance that
political power in the Union shall hence
forth be based only Gu that portion Of the
people Of each State who are deemed by
its Constitution it repositories of such
power. In other words A State which
chnosac IA hold n p,rf of he ,ou,,l,t:o.. Z: