The West Virginia journal. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1864-1877, 1866-07-18

lie thinks the proper plan OF recon
struc,ion is: for Congress to pass law
disqualifyins all who participated in inc
rebellion from holding any Office either
State or national.
.Lct nc ask you. a Senator Of the
United States. he says, addressing oena'
NOR I've, Of Nevada, why don't you ex'
scrcisc the power the people have put in
ronr hands? What arc you afraid OF,
and Of whom arc you afraid? The pco'
nile Of the United States have given you
4 majority Of two.thirds in both branch.
CO. Instead Of proposing constitutional
amendments, good as far as they go, but
wlich will never be carried out. why
don't you exercise your power OF two
thirds Of Congress, and pass law that
will accomplish tho object, and it the
President vctocs the bill, pass 1t over his
head? You have the power, and l call
upon you as n representative Of Congress.
70 do your duty and pass law that vii!
drive di>loyal,y out Of the country for.
ever. viii you do it? Pass law dc
c;arin. that no man shall be capable OF
| holding my office. legislative, executive
or judicial, who has voluntarily taken
any par, in this war against the United
States. You have passed law rcqu'r'
in" every man who takes his scat IN
! Congress- to take certain oath. Why
not pass .aw requirin: every State and
Federal officer to take an oath, like the
! following: :,
! 4. \. f.. do solcmnly swear that /
have not, since the Goth day Of Dcccm'
Der, 1850, lhc date Of the ordinance OF
secession in South Carolinal, voluntarily
taken up arms against the United States,
nor have advised or encouraged others
to 10 so that have not sought or held
Office under the confederate states gov.
crnmcnt, or Of that Of my State in re-
bcllion, with a Wow !: any manner to aid
the rebellion that | have not said,
written or done auy thing designed, OF
of a nature calculated, to ALLEVIATE the
affections or allegiance Of the people from
the Government Of. the United States
nor have | otherwise given aid or com
fort to the rebellion
i Why no: pass that law2 Why, some
gentlemen say, this would get up q trc-
menlous howl about State rights. Are
you to be scared BY the cry Of State
; rights? But :hey will be asked, what
power have you to prescribe conditions
| lor State officers? What power have
you under the Constitution to keep one
Of those men out Of the Houses Of Con.
grcss? The necessity which has arisen
from the rebellion. They nave deprived
themselves Of these rights, and you have
q right to impose what conditions you
sec proper before they shall again par.
iicipa;o in tic administration Of the
Government. What did they do with
me and all Union men in the Convcn.
ton Of Virginia? In the month Of
July, 1861, the Virginia Convention
passed an ordinance. to the following
effect:
! That any citizen Of Virginia holding
office under the Government of the
United States after the 3lst Of July.
1861, should be forever banishcd from
the State and be declared an alien enemy.
Also, that any citizen Of Virginia here
alter undertaking to represent the State
of Virginia in the Congress ofthc United
States, should, in addition to the above
penalties, be considered guilty Of treason
and his property be liable to coniisca'
ton. \ provision was inserted exempt
ing f.o;a the penalties Of the nc, all oil.
GERS Of the United States or Of the Con-
fcdcratc States until after July lst, 1862.
And they would make me an alien
tomorrow, if they had the power. DO
they complain Of me, when they make
this warfare upon me, that should turn
upon them, and give blow for blow, and
cndcavor to deprive them Of the power
o. trampling me into the earth? That
was the ordinance Of the Convention.
If was an alien to that Government
because was loyal to the Constitution
Of my country, why arc they not aliens
for being disloyal? And why. when
you pronounce them aliens, and fix con-
di,ions upon which they shall come into
power. why shall they complain? You
have the came power to do that that you
haze 10 keep them out at all from Con-
crcss. You havo the power to carry it
hy = t%othirds vote.
| want 20 make remark in regard to
tina, ut;crance Of Mr.. Johnson when he
said these men were guilty Of treason.
lie told the truth when he said that.
say there is no man among them that
does not know that he committed trca-
son. There is no man among them who
honestly, fairly and sQuarcly believes
that he vas authorized Il 20 into rebel.
lion against the United States under the
! Constitution Of the United States and
| will give tho proof Of it. If they
thought they were justified BY the Con.
stitution, and that they could maintain
themselves before the Congress Of this
country, why did they 50 up to Wash
ing:on with trembling limbs, with
'ba,ed breath and whispering humble.
g.,