, 1866-03-28

Your leader under the above caption, OF
March 9Th, came none too soou. A most
painful suspense broods over the country,
The loyal people Of The land are OPP
pressed with dread, lest, through timidity and
indeclsion On the part OF Congress, In the as
se1tion Of their unquestionable powers, a
treschcrous, law-defying Vice President, will
succeed, BY unscrnpulously pursuing pos
Tive policy {however wicked 1t may be) In
undoing much, 1t moi all, Of tho just results of
our conquest Of traitors and rebels.
What Is needed to lessen the actual danger,
as well rs to Lift this burden Of apprehension
from the minds Of the people, Is the adoption
by Congress OF some sharply defined, positive
policy, founded on Justice md right The
course Congress has already chalkcd out,
locking to amendments 10 tie Constitution,
is Ill well, and need not be abandoned.
Ry ali means let the amendments go on.
But to accomplish these Wy REQUIRE ~ time.
uot afford TO wait j0- them. Delays are
dangerous" Perhaps we may fail to perfect
some Of them. Meanwhile a fnithlcss Vice
President Is - 'strainlng crery ncrve'' to re-
cnslaye the negroes, and bring again the
Radicals'-that is, the Republican party and
tors and Copperheads. Will his lips he
would deny this assertion, but to this end Lis
noIicy leads with upcrriug certainty, and Ia
The legitimate results Of that policy, and not
in his professors, are we to read his pur-
Tic lawful power of Congress over tho
whole subject OF reconstruction Is derived
from several sources, each complete and sutl1-
cjept in and Of itself. Not to 60 at length
into discussion here OF this question, I viii
simply refer 10 two or three provision Of the
Constitution In support Of the assertion: :. ,,
United States shall guarantee TO each State
republican form Of fgoyeInmcnt."
Article !, section 8, II, states that
sCongress shall have power to make all laws
which shall be necessary aud proper lot carry
| Ing into execution oil tue powers
ofthe United States, or In any department or
| officer thereof" THIS last mentioned provis-
| ion vests In Congress all the specific power
| embodied in that first quoted, and immensely
| more. It clothes Congress with the entire
law making power ol the Government.
But this "GoTernment" takes rink among
] the nations OF The earth, and Is recognized
throughout the entire world, as one Of the
leading nations, possessed OF all the attri-
butes belonging 10 nations as such. A.
member Of the family OF nations, we hold
ourselves amcnable to " the laT OF nations:,
| The Constitution, Article Section ., y
iSh i offences against the low of ua.
tions," does, 10 all intents and purposes, en-,
act "the law OF natious'' into constitutions
law. Now there Is no other nation on earth
| civilized, semi-ciyilizcd or sayage--monafc1i
cal, aristocratic or republican (and never pa
bcenIwhich, having quelled rebellion
f6r m instant, or allow to be questioned, IT.
rirhttul and lawful authority to leg1s
iafe for The conquered rebels In respect
to all matters whatever, and to m
pose upon them such laws as 10 hseJ mlgh
seem proper. Whatever any other natiot
Iuight do IN such case, may We 40. nnacl
tue last quoted provision Of our Constructor ID
The ground that the approval of three-tou1tn
OF the States only, that were present ant
voting. clothed In all their normal attributes
was or could be required, that the amena
mcnt to the Constitution abollshing slAVels
can be sustained, 81r. Scward's flourish aboa
"twcnty statcs'' 10 the contrary nos
~vithslandfng. But these two grounds 81
sufIjcient. as will be made to appear Wheneve
tic question may come before the Suprem
Having briefly indicated some Of the sonrce
whence the power Of Congress Is derived y
lccislate In respect to the reconsttuct19n :
tic rebel States, I assume TINT, a1eept " r.
epect 10 the system OF slavery, the coosutt !.
Hons and laws of the rebel States. prior !
the rebellion, were IN the main satisfactory
viii the overthrow Of their armies, me
J entire structure Of laws, general and spceia
tell into one common ruin. , ,o
: Now, let Congress, BY genera laT, :
enact so much Of their respective stato co
! stitut!ous and other laws as were good and
t force In 1860, prior to tho attempted secossle
0 Of soulh Carolina at the sumo time, nbc
isbiup all laws establishing slavery and q
kindrcd laws; all laws discriminating again
r persons Of any race or color, Us contfast'