The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1866-03-31
Gan we Trust the People ?--Ifno
our system Of Government IL a

VIC Sonslltutlon or the United State
me sorcSt obstacles to whateye
scheme OF government they hay Q dec
ded upon. They treat the old instru
ment far worse than did the men VIII
rcbeIed against the Government iiy
years ago. JEFF. Davis himself had res
pcct enough for the old Constitutio,
TO pretend, at least, that it, was no
against that instrument he fomcnteI
revolt. What he claimed to find faul
with was an infraction, on the part 0
men elevated to power, Of the flnda
mental law. If it were possible 70
Jefr' Davis to have forced u Constitu
ton upon the country, and to have lief
TO the radicals the task Of amending il
they could not have gone to work in
more lrrevercnt spirit, or with a NOR,
unsparing handin proposing alteration,
than the radicals now show in dcalin.
with the instrument perfected BY on
Fathers, and under which the countr,
lived so long and so happily. Whoey
en- can live under the old Government
tis manifest that the radicals cannot
with any comfort to themselves or tt
anybody else.
Though the twenty or thirty amend
ments now before Congress differ il
almost everything, they are all inspired
by one purpose. The party in power
cannot retain control, and attempt to
govern the country under the existing
Constitution. The single issue upon
which the Republican party was united
mas been settled. AS 500 as the co
'hcsivc power of office is gone, the par
~t,y cannot rcmoin together, for its adhe-
tents agree on no single principle OF
public policy. One Republican doctor
thinks that the party may survive, if
under mcconvcnient prctcxt the mass
Of the Southern people are dislrsn.
chised, no matter what pledge Of lidcli-
ty they may pro1Icr in the future.
Another believes that if the representa-,
ton Of the South in Congress can be
greatly reduced, the Union can be res
torcd without danger to "the party"
Still another holds that the sole rcli.
ancc for "thc party" in the future
must be on the suffrage Of Southern ne
groes, and in claiming that the darkcys
will vote one way, irrespective of all
considerations ~ofpubIic policy, offer IN
answcrablc argument against colorcd
suffrage. This whole business could
be simpliiicd by an amendment to the
Constitution, providing that the Repub-
lican party shall hold power for the
next ten years, for it is the fear that
they will lose it, that stands in the way
of the pacifcation OF the country.
Republican governn eats are based
on Il generous confidence in the intcg-
rity, the humanity and the intelligence
of the people. The primary cause Of
the war was, that the party which came
into power on the anti slavery issue,
assumed that there was neither intcIli
gencc nor integrity nor humanity South
Of the Potomac. In the North we
abolished slavery in our own time and
way, with advantage TO ourselves and
negroes, but the Southern people,
it was held, could not be trusted TO fol.
low u example; nay, to pursue Il
which their own s%clrintcrcst
would have prompted. Now slavery
S abolished and the same pharasaicaI
ceilings are appealed to, to keep alive
iiscontent. If the Southern people
their allegiance to the general
government, honor and interest bind
hem to fidelity. We found il to be
'ur interest to pursue such a course in
with the liberated slaves among {
-, as would make them contcntcd and !
nconragc them to industry That in r
nc same desire the negroes in the l
will find their true safety, who D
an doubt? If we generously wipe out p
istinctions against those who were n
Ltcly in rebellion they will very soon W
Ease to remember the differences which u
Sists, to some extent, among them u
on account of disagreement du. pI
ng the war. Make the Upionlsts of o
G South II favored class, and you u
alive divisions, and draw down up ST
! the very class we propose to favor ",
| the disabilities which public sen:i- tl
cnt imposes, against which laws are IN
} security. gu
You cannot trust, the radicals say, 81,
'uthern professions of loyalty. The .!
ny strength Of the rebellion was in M
c perverted loyalty of the Southern 10
ople' The Virginian was brought up ie
believe that his first allegiance was HI
Ic to his State. The hungry and bare 81
hordes that, under Lee, bravcd II TIC
wer and met death in every form, ne
uld not have been inspired merely by %
'asonable motives. Treason plots at ma
dnight; crawls where it may kill or
tholt danger; bears the torch OF the IA
'cndiary and the dagger Of the assas.
!, but when it takes the risks and ry
ows itselfon the battle field, the world mi
) been content to call it by some 9TH pr
name. The question of supreme M
tic sovereignty has been settled in a 10
irt from which there is no appeal, ti'
! those who risked death under the inc
'verted idea of loyalty to Virginia KIN
y he trusted when they transfer that nn'
to the General Government. toI
c witty Sidney Smith answered the poi
that dissenters from the Els CT
lished Church if admitted to Parlia. COZ
ut in England, would not respect ide
If oath, by asking "what keeps them the
of Parliament? An oath. If they try
G no respect for an oath, why are IN
7 kept out by the fear of taking one bun
ch they cannot cOnscientiOusly aho
p" II the radical theory is right, AN
we cannot trust the good faith of iibe
Southern people when it is pledged pir'
then the very base OF Republican o
is destroyed, and our system of OF
eminent is an admitted failure gun
Eagle. ia Iha
fOut