The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1866-09-28
DID II E SS
National Union Committee
To the American People

10 LuS American Z cope.
LLow-CITIzENs: Very grave diff
ferences having arisen between your
immediate Representatives in Con
gress and the President who owes
his position to your votes, we are inn
PEELED to ask your attention thereto,
and to suggest tie duties to your
country which they render impera-
tive.
We shall avoid the use of hard
words. OF these, there have already
been too many. And, that the mat
ters in issue may be brought within
the narrowest compass, let us first
eliminate from the controversy all
THAT has already been settled or has
never been in dispute.
The Republic has been desperately
assniled from within, and ITS very
existence seriously imperled. Thir-
teen States were claimed as having
withdrawn from the Union, and were
represented for years in a hostile
Congress meeting at Richmond
Ten of these States were, for time,
wholly in the power OF a hostile con
Gederacy; the other three partially
so. The undoubtedly loyal States
were repeatedly and formidably in
vaded by rebel armies, which were
only expelled after obstinate and
bloody battles. Through four years
of arduous, desperate civil strife, the
hosts Of the rebel Conrederacy with
stood those of the Union. Agents
of that confederacy traversed the
civilized world, seeking allies in their
war against the Republic, and incit-
ing the rapacious and unprincipled tc
lit out armed corsairs to prey upon
her commerce. BY State authority
and in the perverted names OF pat
riotism and loyalty, hundreds of thou
sands of our countrymen were con
scripted into rebel armies and mad,
to fight desperately for our nationa
disruption and ruin. And though
by the blessing of God and the valoI
and constancy of our loyal people
The rebellion was finally and utterly
crushed, it did not succumb until il
had caused the destruction of moro
than half million ofprecious human
lives, not to speak Of property to th'
value of at least five billions of dol
lars.
At length the rebel armies sur
rendered, and the rebel power utter
, Ily collapsed and vanished. Nha
; then2
The claim Of the insurgents tina
they either now reacquired or ha,
never forfeited their constitutions
! rights in the Union, including tina
representation ia Congress, stands il
f pointed antagonism alike to the re
quirements OF Congress and to thos
OF the acting President. 1t was til
: Executive alone who, after the rebel
lion was no more, appointed Provis
ional Governors for the now submis
sive, unarmcd Southern States, OH th
assumption that the rebellion ha
$ been revolutionary" and had dc
II prived the people under its sway c
all civil government, and who requii
cd the assembling OF "a Convention
: lcomposed Of delegates to be chose
e by that portion of the people OF sal
IT State who are loyal to the Unite
States, and no others, for the purpo'
Of altering and amending the Const
tuition of said State" 1t was Pres
dent Johnson who, so late as Octob
N last-when all shadow of overt +
sistance to the Union had long SIN,
'e dsappearcd-insisted that it was II,
~ enough that State which had rcvol
s, ed must recognize her ordinance
m secession as null and void from u
!. beginning, and ratiiy the constit
;" tional amendment prohibiting slave
a. evermore, but she must also repuC
ny ate "every dollar of indcbtednc
or created to aid in carrying on the l
bellion.n 1t was he who ordered I
" dispersion by military force of a
We Legislature chosen under the rcb
er lion which should assume power
ov make laws after that rebellion h
fallen. II was he who referred
Congress all inquiries as to the pre-
ot ability of Representatives from I
o. States lately in revolt being admit
ly TO seats in either House, and sugge
e, cd that they should present their cI
X dentials, not at the organization
Congress, but afterward. And fin
lot ly, il was he, and not Congress, W
ch suggested to his Governor Shark
at of Mississippi, that
IS "If you could extend the elect
les franchise to all persons Of color W
can read the Constitution Of the L
lot ted States, in English, and write th
no names, aud to all persons of col
ga, who own real estate valued at |
m less than $3.50, and pay taxes the
on, you would completely disarm
lot adversary and set an example Il
for other States will follow"
If, then, there be any controvel
do as to the right of the loyal States
on exact conditions and require guari
md tees of those which plunged MAJ
into secession and rebellion, the 81
do porters respectively Of Andrew j ol
ty, son and of Congress can not be
to tagonist parties to that contest, sil
ch. their record places them on the sa
side.
do 1t being thus agreed that con
rtv tions of restoration and guarant
to against future rebellion may be
at acted of the States lately in rev
the right OF Congress to voice