The Vinton record. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1866-1891, 1866-08-02

iiot Say prlHclple. OF G0-Qays Shall
! the Southern States be represented
! in Congress? Around this ques,
ton is grouped every other ques
ton which the war has raised
and by the principle on which it is
I decided will every other question
be determined. The President
says that they are entitled to rep.
resentation-that they have re-
.sumed their normal and harmoni-
Gus recitation to the Union. The
n Democratic party asserts the same
\ position. The Republican party
H speaking by its leaders in Con,
u gress, says that although they are
| atpeace with the Union, they shall
not be represented till they buy
the enjoyment of that right by
consenting to amendments of the
Constitution which the Southern
people loathe from the bottom of
| their hearts, and will neveryield to
except by coertion. Cheers. l.
| This is the question remitted to the
people for decision-and upon
their decision depend peace and
order, and the perpetuation of the
| Government, or discomfort, disor-
der, revolution and anarchy-des-
potism. Is not this true? If these
States are not entitled to represen-
tation in Congress, they are not
entitled to vote in the electoral
college, If they are not permitted
to vote in 1858, and their vote COM
bined with that Of either party at
the North would elect a President,
will that party submit to the de-
cision Twill it consent that the
whole country should be defeated
by a known and acknowledged mi
nority, and if it will not submit,
will there not be disorder, turbu.
lence, probably war? =.
Why should not these States be
represented? Pennsylvania and
Ohio are represented. Why not
Virginia. Ohio recognizes the SUI
premacy of the Federal Govern.
ment within the Constitution, so
does Virginia. Ohio obeys the
Federal laws; so does Virginia.
There is not an armed enemy in
1.-THE Confederate States. There is
mot a show Of opposition to FEEDER
I az authority; not even SO much as
a shadow when it declineth. The
Confederate Government is dis
solved /; the ordinances of seces-
sion are abrogated 1; the old Con
stitutions are set aside, new ones
are established; the old State Gov
ernments are displaced, new ones
are in their stead. The old officers
have been expelled; new ones
have been elected. The States are
performing all the functions neces-
sary to the maintenance of civil
society; they preserve order, pun
ish crime, protect life and property,
collect debts, enforce contracts,
regulate the relations of man and
wife, father and child, guardian
and ward; ; they regulate the des-
cent and distribution of real and
personal estate; they charter cities
and colleges; they exercise the
right of eminent domain, build
railroads, and establish common
schools. Why should they not be
represented? Ohio pays Federal
taxes; so does Virginia. A tax
gatherer rides every county; a
custom-house officer is at every
port. Virginia took up arms
against the Federal Government I;
alas she did. Seduced by the ad-
vice of fanatics of the South; goad-
ed by the acts of not less wicked
fanatics at the North; unwisely she
took up arms to resist The execu-
ton of Federal laws. But when
you sounded the tocsin of war, and
called upon the people to maintain
their Constitution, their Govern
men5 you told them that so soon as
Federal laws were obeyed the war
should cease, and it should leave
the States with their rights, their
powers, their equality unimpaired.
[Cheers.] Ohio is free State, SO
is Virginia Ohio protects negroes
in every civil right, so does Virgin
ia. But, but but what, my friend2
Out with it. Virginia does not per-
mit negroes to vote. Neither does
Ohio, nor Indiana, nor Illinois, nor
Iowa, nor Wisconsin, nor Pennsyl-
vania, nor Delaware, nor New Jer-
sey, nor Connecticut nor New
Hampshire, nor New York, nor
California, nor Oregon, nor Colora-
do; and if this is reason, why