The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1866-02-15

Mr.. Stevens, republican leader in Con-
gress, contends that the States late in
rebellion are ont of the Union; Mr. Ray>
mond. republican leader in the same
body, contends that they are IN. The re-
publican side of Congress is divided be-
tween those who agree with Mr.. Stevens
and those who agree with Mr.. Raymond.
The former has a majority of members in
the two Houses upon his side; the latter
has the minority, and an entire co-ord :
nate branch of the governmeut-the Pres
idont.
The question whether the American
Union consists of thirty-six or of only
f"enty-fiye States, is one, a foreigner would
suppose, of considerable Importance 1t
certainly appears to be one upon which
the party III power ought to agree If
neither our Constitution, laws, customs
ner precedents afford the means to deter>
mine, to the satisfaction at least OF the
representatives Of the party i'll power in
the government, what States are parts OF
the nation and what are not; to define
with absolute certainty the national boun-
Diary, our institutions, Or our knowledge
of them is, it must be confessed, somewhat
defective.
One would naturally suppose that be-
fore any thing else, and as AN indispensa-
BILE preliminary to legislation upon any
other subject, Congress would proceed to
settle this question. If We were asked
Does the United States consist of twenty
five or thirty-six States we would be com
PEELED to reply that upon this point we
have no authentic information. There
may be the greater and there may be the
lesser number. Mr.. Stevens and the ma.
jority Of Congress hold to the former; Mr..
Raymond aud the minority with the
President, to the latter The people of
the eleven States insist that they are in
the Cniyn; the voice Of the people of
twenty-five proclaim that they are not, and
there is no authorized um ,rc to decide
the dispute. Funny nation some peo>
pie with old-world ideas would exclain:
aud we should feel constrained to agree
with them
We remember, some three or four mouths
ago. neighboring journal-which seems
ot late to have pretty much subsidized from
matters Ola party haractcr-declarcd and
affirmed that the question whether the
States lately in revolt were in or out OF
the mon was = matter Of no sort of con
sequence. 1t protessed its utter disgust
at any argument Of the point, beginning
Either the said States are in the Union
or they ale out of it, and advised its
frlends, one and ALL not to enter into the
discussion. Things of this kini are not
put down by 4 formal refusal to join issue.
Now, these States are either in the 'nion,
or they are out. If they are in they have
certain entitlements; they are in upon the
same terms, and with the same rights and
privileges as others; and if they are out.
we may have power over their people as
eonquerorS, but none as Legislators under
the Constitution. No law VIII be binding
upon them unless they are permitted to
assist IN It's enactment; no constitutional
clause: unless it is submitted to their free
action to accept or reject. These are prop
ositions which it is not necessary to en>
force by argument; to dispute them is to
confess that we do not understand the first
principles of moral government; that we
have no knowledge of civil liberty, and do
not deserve it.
1t is enough to deliver over the party
in power to everlasting contempt, that it
does not know, and can not determine,
how many States there are in the Union
10 say nothing about the opinions Of the
opposition or of the people at large, the
very leaders Of the party in the highest
legislative body in the land can not agree
among themselves. Unable to come to an
understanding, they try to slur it over, to
ignore it, to turn their backs upon it, to
pretend not to See it; the only effect of
which is to make more manifest their
cowardice and dishCnesty.-Cm Eng.