The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1866-09-27
Address Of.the National Union Committee 10
lhR American PeOnlR.

who owes his position to your votes, we are
impelled to ask your attention thereto and
to suggest the duties to your country which
they reader imperative. 81
We.shall avoid the use of hard words =
Of thesestilere have already been too many.
And that the matters in issue may he
brought within the Barrowest compass, let
us first eliminate from the controversy al
that has already been settled OF has never
been in dispute,
Tie republic has been desperately assail
ed from within, and its very existence serl-
ously imperriiIed Thirteen States We're
claimed as having withdrawn from the
Union and were represented for years in
hostile Congress meeting at Richmond =
Ten of these States were for time, wholly
in the power of hostile Confederacy the
other three partially so. The undoubtedly
loyal States were repeatedly and fornidabiy
invaded by rebel armies which were only
expelled after bloody and obstinate battles.
through four years Of arduous desperate
civil strife the hosts of the rebel Confederaev
witLstood those of the Union. Agents OF
that Confederacy traversed the civilized
world. seeking allies in their war against
the republic and melting the rapacious ami
unprincipled to fit out armed corsaIrs to
prev npon her commerce. BY State author
itv. and in the perverted names of patriot
ism, and toyalty hundreds of thousands OF
our sconntrymen were conscripted into rebel
armies and made to fight desperately for
our national disruption and rain. Add
though. by the blessing Of Cod and the
valor and coustancy of our loyal people, the
rebellion was finally and utterly crushed, it
did not succomb until il had caused the de
structioS of more than half million Of
precious human lives. not to speak of prop
erty to the value of five billions OF dollars
At length the rebel armies surrendered
and the rebel power utterly collapsed and
vanished What then
The claim of the insurgents that they have
either now re-aCquired or had never forfeited
their constitutional rights in the Union, III
Guiding that Of representation in Congress
stands in pointed antagonism alike to TIE
requirements of Congress and to those OF
the acting President It was the Executive
alone who, after the rebellion was no more,
amounted Provisional Governors for the now
submissive unarmed Southern States, on
the assumption that the rebellion had been
Revolutionary" and had deprived the pe0-
pie under its sway of all civil government,
and who required the assembling of "a
convention, composed Of delegates to be
chosen by that portion of the people Of said
State who are loyal to the United States.
and no others, for the purpose OF altering
and amending the constitution Of said State.
1t was President johnson who, so late ae
October Iast-V hen all shadow of overt re-
sstaneesto the Union had long since disdp-
peared-insisted that it was not enough
that State which had revoted must recog
nize her ordinance of secession as null aud
void from the beginning, and ratlty the
constitutional amendment prohibiting sla
very forever more, but she most repudiate
'every dollar of indebtedness created to aid
in carving on the rebellion Ii was lie
who ordered the dispersion by military
force of any Legislature chosen under the
rebellion which should assume power TO
make laws after that rebellion. 1t was he
whoreierred to Congress all inquiries as te
the probability Of Representatives from the
States ateIy ia revolt being admitted to
seats in either house, and suggested that
they should present their credentials, not at
the organization of Congress- but atteryard.
And Gaaliyait washes aud not Congress.
who suggested tos5his Governor Sharkey OF
Mississippi that
1ht~iiN''NSN
to all PERSONS of color whocau read tlIel Con
stitution Of the United States in Epgfist
aud write their names, andatp all persons o
color who own real estate valued at not les'
than $3.50 md pay taxes thereon, you
would completely disarm the adversary and
set an example. that other States willtoilow y
Ii, then, there be, any controversy as tC
the right Of che loyal States to exact con
ditious and require guarantees Of those which
plunged nfadly into secession and rebellion,
the supporters respectively Of Andrew john
son and Of Congress cauuot be antagonstic
parties lto;tllat contest since their record
places them on the same side.
1t being thus agreed that conditions OF
restoration and guarantees against future
rebellion may .be exacted of the States late
ly in revolt Iheright Of Congress to,a voice
in prescribing those conditions and in snap
ing those guarantees is plainly incontesti,
BILE Whether it take the shape of law OF
OF a constitutional amendment. the action
Of Congress is vital Even if they were to
be settled by treaty the ratification of the
Senate by two thirds vote would be indis-
pensible There is nothing il the Federal
Constitution nor in the nature Of tie case
that countenauces an Executive monopoly
of The power.
What then, is the ground of complaint
against Congress-?
Is it charged that the action Of the t~t
houses was tardy and hesitating Copsidel
how moIneutous Were thequestions ihso
we'd ,the2 issues depending Consider no"
novel and extraordinary was the situation
Consider how utterly silent and blank is tie
Federal Constitution touching the treat
ment Of iusuFsent States whether during
their fragrant hostility to the UHion-er after
their (discomfture. Consider with how
many em6arrassments and difficulties Che
problem is beset, aud you will not wonder
taat months were required to devise, per
feet aud pass, by a two thirds vote in Ell
ther house, il jsst and safe plau Of recon
struction tus 3.ttj asa @ta
Yet that plan has been maturel II hat
passed the Senate by SO to II, and tin
House by 1873 to &c. II is now fairly be
fore the country, having already been raul
= fed 10y the Legislatures OF several States
aud rejected by noue. Under it the Stats
of Tennessee has been formally restored tc
all the privileges She forfeited by rebellion,
including representation III both houses u
Congress; aud the door thus passed through
stands invitingly open to all who still liz
ger without steE %
Are the conditions thus prescribed intot-
cradle, or even humiliatiug? They are in
substance, these: a.
I. All persons born or naturalized in this
country are heuceforth citizens of the Uni
ted States, and shall enjoy all tie rights Of
cilizens evermore; and no State shall have
power to contravene this most righteous and
necessary provision.
II eXNhila 4hA States ~ inn and oyarcieo
the power Of denying the elective franchise
toapart oftheir people, the weight of each
State in the Union shall be measured by
and based uponits eufranchised population
If if any State shall choose, for no crime, to
deny poliriealrights to any race or caste it
must notlongers count that race or caste, as