The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1866-11-26

utter absence of authority on the part
of the President TO confer upon mil
| lions Of insurgents more power than
they possessed before their bafiied re-
| bellion. the two houses OF Congress
| incorporated certain other essential
safeguards into the proposed amend
ment to the Constitution. To make
this decree iFreversible, except IN the
manner pointed out by the Constltu-
ton, your sanction has been asked,
although that may not be necessary TO
complete the work. a.s
And now | have 30 say in reply to
your question. that if Alabama and
the other Southern States were even
ut this late day cordially and prompt
ly to consent to the conditions there
in contained, ia my opinion nothing
else will be required by the Federal
Government in order that the people
Of the States shall be restored TO all
their rights under the Constitution.
Such undoubtedly was the determine
tioniof the large majority Of Congress
when that body adjourned on the 18th
of July, and such would. ! believe, be
the Response Of the triumphant peo-
pie OF the North and West ut the
present time But any one who pc
ruses with ordinary care the page Of
present politics Ia tho South cannot
come 10 my Other conclusion than
that such action on the part OF the
Southern Legislatures is simply i'm
possible. Their strong repugnance
to the conditions presented by Andrew
johnson, although subsequently over
come by menace and appeal, has been
so revived against the constitutional
amendment that there is not now
Southern State il which the old con-
trivers of the rebellion, under the lead
Of Andrew johnson, and in response
to the Copperhead politicians OF the
North, have not worked up and crys-
tallized the bitterest hatred against
that magnanim0us and moderate
proposition. Your ex-Governor Par
sons, unconvinced and unmarried by
the October elections, is still hoarse
from his assaults upon it in the great
State Of New York, while not one of
the leading newspapers that, in an
evil hour, were allowed by Andrew
johnson TO resume the dissemination
of falsehoods against The Government
and people of the United States, have
spoken of ID save in terms OF contempt
and scorn. Even the moderate Gov
ernor Orr, Of South Carolina, who
little more than a year ago was
raedy to agree to any conditions
that would restore the Southern
States to friendly relations with the
National Government, on the 9th Of
! October authorized the Duly South
Carolinidn newspaper to say that he
is unequivocally opposed TO the Con-
stitutional Amendment, and will not
recommend its adoption by the Leg
islature. Ex- Provisional Governor
Perry, of the same State, follows by
declaring in letter dated November
5, that South Carolina never will con-
sent to be 50 "dishonored Xa,Ser gain
eraced, and that il can n.y.. stba
,esepvss mon. Al. H. Stephens. of
Georgia, another of the so-called
moderate men of The South, uses still
stronger language, and insists that the
Legislature of Georgia should hasten
TO place its seal Of condemnation up-
on plan which has just been en-
dorsed by the great majority of the
loyal people Of the United States.
These are a few of many instances
that might be named, and, as the ex-
pressions of representative men. they
must be received as the settled deter
mination of those who began. carried
on, and failed TO accomplish a bloody
rebellion. If Alabama, in the face Of |
this opposition, can ratify the eonsti
tutional amendment, | assure you. my |
dear sir, she will be honored by all |
good men, and will greatly strengthen |
the hands of those in this section |
who are anxious to stand forth as the
friends of the Southern people. Need
| say TO you how utterly impossible il
is for the NEE who have the Ameri- !
can Government in charge to submit
to continued agitation on this sub
ject2 There is no delusion more fatal
than that which justifies continued /
obstinacy and virulence in the South
by the assumption that this amend
ment cannot be completed with
out the votes of the recently
seeded and still insubordinate
States. Are you aware that Abra-
ham Lincoln and Andrew john
son were elected by the votes Of
twenty-five out of twenty-five adher-
ing Commonwealth, and that all the
acts Of Congress, including the con-
in men and money, and our
vast and unparalleled system of e.
nance, were considered, passed, and
perfected by Representatives elected
in the same manner? What else is
needed but the application of this
theory to the ratification of this
without the votes of the
rebelious States, who con-
tinue to strengthen the hands Of
reckless President, and to contribute
1aily material to our public discon-
tent, forgetting all the while the fixed