The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-09-20
TO THE PEOPLE.
NATIoNA1 uNIoN AppREga ).
Differences Between Congress and
the President.
Plain Statement of the Questions
at Issue.

WAsHINGToN, Sept. 1S.-The follow
ing is the address of the National
Union Committee to the American
people. ll1'9 s.Is.1s
=, FeLtoto Citizens: Very grave differen-
ces having arisen between your immedi-
ate representatives in Congress and the
President, who owes his position to
your votes, we are impelled toask your
attention thereto, and to suggest the
duties to your country which they rem.
der Imperative. We shall avoid the
use of hard words; of these there have
already been too many, and that the
matters in issue may be brought within
thenarrowest compass, let us first elimi-
nate from the controversy all that has
already been settled or has been in dis
pute. IS s,as l,4 -
The republic has been desperately as
sailed from within, and ITS very exis-
tence seriously tmperiled. Thirteen
States were claimed as having with
drawn from the Union, and were repre-
sented for years in a hostile Congress
meeting at Richmond. Ton of these
States were for a time wholly in the
power of hostile Confederacy, the oth-
er three, partially so. The undoubted-
1y loyal States were repeatedly and for
nidably invaded by rebel armies, which
were only expelled after obstinate and
bloody battles through four years of an
arduous, desperate civil war.
The hosts of the rebel Confederacy
Withstood those of the Union. Agents
of the Confederacy traversed the civil
lied world; seeking allies in their war
against the Republic, and melting the
rapacious and unprincipled TO fiJ out
armed corsairs to prey upon her COM
merce by State authority, and in the
perverted name of patriotism and 10y
atty hundreds of thousands of orr
countrymen were conscriptSd into the
a
ately for our national disruption and
ruin; and, though by the blessing OF
God, and the yalor and constancy of
our loyal people, the rebellion was
finally and utterly crushed, it did not
succeed until it had caused the destruc-
tion of more than, half q million of
precious human lives. not to speak of
property, to the value of at least five
billions of dollars.
At length the rebel armies surren-
dered, and the rebel power utterly coll
lapsed and vanished. What then2
The claim of the insurgents that they
either howlreacquired or had never for
Union, including that of representation
in Congress, stands IN pointed autago-
nism alike TO the requirements of Con-
gress, and to those of the acting Presi-
dent. 1t Wasthe Executive alone, who,
after the rebellion was no more, ap-
QUluLeu euh9NQNl1au4dA 5Q0NHEUUEd fIUE tlle
now submissive; unRrmed Southern
States, on the assumption that the re-
bellion had been revolutionary, and
deprived the people under its sway OF
all civil government, and who requir-
ed the assembling of q convention
composed of delegates who are to be
chosen by that portion of the peo-
pie ofsaid 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 Pres
ident johnson, who; SO late as last oo;
tober, when all shadow of overt resist
ance TO the Union had long since disap-
peared, Insisted that il was net enough
chat State which had revoked, must
recognize her ordinances fseeession as
null and void from the beginning, and
ratify the Gonstit tion0l Amendment
prohibiting slavery evermpre, but she
/ must also repudiate every dollar of
dehtedness created to aid In carrying on
/ the REBELLION It,Was he who. ordered
the desperation BY military force, OF any
/ legislature chosen under the rebellion,
L which should assume the power ztC
make laws aiier That rebellion had fal-
/ len5 It was he who referred to Congress
all the inq quiries as 70 the proba bility o.
feprese esentatiVes from the States lately
IN revolt, being admitted to seats IN
i either House. and 81 ted that lbey
shOnld present heir cradenfiaIs, not d
the.Orgauizafion Of Congress but niter-
ward; and, finally, Il twas he, and MOI
1 Congress, who su sted to his Gov.
Shafkey, of Iissis ppi, that
t,If you could taxtend the elective
I franchise to ail persons Of color who
can read the Constit tuition, Of the United
States ID Eng glisli and write theii
NAMES and 20 all persons OF color who
4 own real estate valued at not less than
I two hundred and ffty dollars, and pay