The Ebensburg Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1865-1871, 1866-09-27

Is it charged that the action of the two
Houses was tardy and hesitating? Con-
slider how momentous were the questions
involved, the issues depending. Consider
how novel and extraordinary was the stu
alton. Consider how utterly silent and
blank is the Federal Constitution touch
ing the treatment of insurgent States,
whether during their fragrant hostility to
the Union or after their discontinue.
Consider with how many embarrassments
you will not wonder that months were re-
quired to devise, perfect, and pass, by a
two thirds vote in either House, a just
and safe plan of reconstruction.
Yet that plan has been matured. 1t
has passed the Senate by 33 to IL, and
the House by 1873 to Sc. It is DOW fairly
before the country, having already been
ratified by the legislatures 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 invitingiy
openzto all who still finger without.
Are the conditions thus prescribed in
tolerable, or even humiliating? They
are in substance these
l. All persons born or naturalized in
this country are henceforth citizens of
the United States, and shall enjoy all
the rights OF citizens evermore and no
State shall have power to contravene this
most righteous and necessary provision.
II. While the States claim and exercise
the power Of denying the elective franchise
TO part of their people, the weight of
each State in the Union shall be measured
by and based upon It's enfranchised popu-
lation If any State shall choose, for no
crime, 20 deny political rights to any race
or caste, it must no longer count that
race or caste as basis of political power
in the Union.
III. He who has once held Office on the
strength of his solemn oath to support the
Federal Constitution, and has nevertheless
forsworn himself aud treasonaoly plotted
to suovert that Constitution, shall hence
forth hold no political Office till Congress,
by a two-thirds vote, shall remove or
modify the disability.
". The National Debt shall be nowise
repudiated or invalidated; and no debt
incurred in support of the rebellion shall
ever be assumed or paid by any State nor
shall payment be made for the loss or
emancipation of any slave.
V. Congress shall have power to enforce
these guarantees by Inappropriate legislation.
Such, tellOw-citizens, are the conditions
of reconstruction proposed by Congress
and already accepted by the loyal Legis-
lott Of k1
degrading? Do you discern therein a
disposition to trample on the prostrate or
push an advantage to the uttermost ? Do
they embody aught of vengeance, or any
confscation but that Of slavery? We
solicit your candid, impartial Judgment:
What is intended by the third section
is simply to give Loyalty fair start in
the reconstructed States. Under the
johnson policy, the rebels monopolize
power and place even In communities
where they are decidedly ortnuni bered.
Their Generals are Members elect Of
Congress their Colonels and Majors fill
| the legislatures, and officiate as Sheriffs.
Not only are the steadfastly loyal pro-
scribed, but even stay-at home rebels have
little chance in competition with those
-
this rebel monopoly of Office shall have
| been broken up, and loyalty to the Union
shall have become general and hearty,
Congress may remove the disability, and
viii. doubtless make haste to dc So
We do not perceive that the justice or
fitness of the fourth section-prescribin
that the Union Public Debt shall be
promptly met, but that Of the Rebel Con-
federacy never-is seriously contested.
There remains, then, but the second
section, which prescribes in substance
that political power in the Union shall
henceforth be based only on that portion
of the people of each State who are
deemed by its constitution fit repositories
of such power. In other words A State
which chooses to hold part of its popula-
tion iu ignorance and vassalage-power-
less, uneducated, nfranchised-shall not
count that portion to balance the educated,
intelligent, enfranchised citizens of other
States.
We do not purpose to argue the justice
of this provision. As we'll argue tho
shape of cube or the correctness of the
Multiplication Table. He who does not
feel that this is simply and mildly just,
would not be persuaded though one rose
from the dead to convince him. That
there are those among US who would not
have it ratified, sadly demonstrates that
the good work of Emancipation is not yet
complete.
"But," say some, "this section is de-
signed to coerce the South into according
suffrage to her blacks" Not go, we