The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-05-02
| customs duties, would be reduced by

customs duties, would be reduced by
the fall in gold.
The Secretary of the Treasury has
4 communicatedlhis purposes tono one
Butif he have not greatly changed his
1 mind since he wrote his report to Con
gress in December last, he is much
more likely to adopt the latter method
of disposing of his surplus than the
former.
The Political Situntion---AS Significant
Remnrk--.TiIe status OF the Seeding
states---The So-calIed conservative
PoIicy"---A ForeibIe View.
From Rmper's Weekly.
One remark in the testimony of Mr.,
Alexander III. Stephens expresses ex-
actlYs the absurdity and peril OF the
conservative" policy of reorganiza-
tion. In reply to direct question by
| Mr.. Boutwell,, Mr.. Stephens said; 81
/ do not think any of the States attempt
ing TO exercise it (the right of ofsecessionl
| thereby lost any of their rights under
| the Constitution as States when their
people abandoned that attempt" In
| other words, when State draws the
sword against the Union and is van
uuishedS THE moment she surrenders
the sword the Union has lost the right
| 10 provide for its further security with
out consulting the State that is still
sullen and sore with defeat. This doc;
trine is the very reverse of that adopted
by the PresidentSin appointing Gov
ernors and prescribing conditions, and
| is opposed to the virtually unanimous
resolution of the loyal citizens of the
country. 1t airily regards the war as
friendly tussle, an exciting little cpl
sode; and some of the pleasant party at
table having failed in cutting their
neighborsn nthroats, the company will
now all be reseated, and the dinner go
delightfully."- on.
Happily there is common sense in
human affairs which prevents men
from following any theory to their own
destruction. If this doctrine OF MIR.
Stephens's were to be gravely accepted
friends, who frankly confess that their
views as to the right of the rebellion
remain unchanged, finding thatthe pres
ent was an unpropitious moment for
putting that right into operation, would
still have succeeded in obtaining some
seventeen additional representatives in
Congress. Representation is based up
on population. A large part of the
population in certain States is reckoned
not by its actual number but by three
ffths of, it. Mr. Stephens and his
friends take up arms to secede. During
the struggle the United States restores
| that population to its actual numbers.
friends, finding that they are going to
the wall, shalt a loaf is better than no
bread. We aimed at the moon and
missed 1t, but we have shot an owl.
We stood at five, and we played for
ten. We do not get 1t this bout, but we
have scored seven. Letus acquiesce."
Aud he TRANQUILITY proposes that eleven
States, having failed to destroy the
Union by n bloody war, shall be vel
coined, back to Congress with largely
Increased representation, and being
there, shall help decide whether they
will agree to any other measure. -
Ills argument is one that has been
| frequently urged, and which has an
apparent fnality very agreeable to a
superficial view. The war says Mr:
Stephens, "on the part of the United
States was to prevent secession. 1t
succeeded. Consequently secession was
prevented. Consequently the States
are all in the Union. Consequently
they have equal rights, and Georgia has
New York has. If the population of
Georgia has increased during the war,
thereby increasing our representation,
that is our good luck, but 1t is none OF
your business. Show me in the Consti-
tuition the powerlto to keep out Georgta." "
That is adroit; it shows the practiced
politician, but it Is not the question.
The question Is not Georgia, but the
Union. The Union. has been mortally
| imperiled by conspiracy of which
/ Georgia was part. Georgia and the
other confederntes having been van
Iquished in the field, the question is
| what further is necessary to,secure the
Ii Union. .tAnd that is a question upon
(which Georgia can claim no voice
Whatsoever. The authority which
Irightfully secured the Union against
1.-the arms of Georgia can alone rightfully
determine when and how Georgia may
treturn to her rights in the Union.
That power is no more verbally spect-
lIfied in the Constitution than the power
to coerce States. 1t is in the nature oi
Things. The Constitution is not at war
with common sense, and the Govern
ment of the United States having been
| murClerously assaulted will determine,
like every other government, what is
necessary to its security, Five years
ago Mr.. .Stephensiani his friends told
4 us that the Constitution did not permit
us to do anything by force to prevent
| the attempt at secession. We differed,
and by force we have prevented seces-
| sion.-Now Mr.. Stephens anu his friends
infornt us that the Constitution does
not permit us to do anything further.
But do he and his friends suppose that
they are in situation to eXpoundr the
Constitution of the United States 70
those who have just now successfully y
maintained 1t against both the theories
and the arms of himselEand hisfriendsI
National necessity and the general
welfare justified the war They Justl-
fed emancipation. They justified the
appointment of military and provision
\ al Governors. They justified the aEbi;
trary selection of voters. They Justified
imposing assent to emancipation and
remuneration of the acts OF secession
upon the provisional conventions.
They justify the present maintenance
of martial law and the Ereedmen's Bu-
reau. They justify any other measure,
not Inconsistent with the plain and ne
cessary intention of the ekConstitution,
which may be deemed essential to the
| resumption by5any late rebel State OF
her positionin the Union The neces-
ity must of course be prudently estt-
mated. The conditions must be wisely
4 determined. Neither hostility nor
vengeance are to faint them: hist1Ty
/ and human nature are to be carefully
considered. But the right OF the au-
thoritys which prevented the eleven
states from destroying the Union tu
regulate the resumption of their rela-
tions in it Is as 'tlnqnesttonable as. the
right of SELF defense.
Post once Matters = washington
i County, Pennsylvania, and Wesl
i Virginia Mail Routes.
i WAsH1NeToN. April 80.
4 The Postmaster General has issued
4 the following orders ~ f8 ~
II Pannsylvania-Rou No. 2, 2,6S2, Pitts
Il burg 10 Independence, John Chambers
i contractor; curtail route to commence
at tBurgettstown, saving twenty-seyen
i lieu of Independence, and order three
4 odditi0ual trims Ilef week.