Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1866-03-24

on the other hand, hcsitates, delays, debates
and agonizes, not because they have not indi-
viduaIly had their will. 1t has not como out
right because they have not individually had
their own way iu bringing it TO that happy
termination. l apprehcnd no serious difficult
ty from the convictiol that there never was,
and never can be. any successful process for
the reconstruction OF the Union and harmony
among the States except the one with which
the President has avowed himself satisfied
Grant it, that the rebellion is dispersed, ended
and exhausted, dead, even at the root then it
follows necessarily that the States, sooner or
later, must be organized by loyal men, IN ac-
cordancc with the change in our fundamental
law, and resume their places in Congress. All
the rebel States but Texas have done just that
thing, and Texas is doing the same as fast as
possible The President is in harmony with
all the States that were in Scbcllion, and tho
Executive and judicial departments are rap
idly resuming their functions Loyal Repre-
sentatives, more or less, from these States are
now standing at the doors of Congress-, and
have been standing there for three months,
asking to be admitted to seats, which the dis
loyal representatives had previously left. In
the meanwhile Congress passes law after law,
imposes burdens after burdens aud duty after
duty, upon the States, which, against their
earnest desire, arc left unrcprescntcd feel
sure that the loyal men from the now loyal
States will sooner or later be admitted into
this Congress or the next When this is done
the process of restoration will be complete, for
that is all that remains to be done.
The speaker thought that Territorial gov
crnnents for seeded States were perfectly
impracticabc This was also rejected by Mr..
Lincoln. Say what you will, the States are
already organized in perfect harmony without
amended national constitution, and are in earn
est corporation with the Federal Government.
1t is impossible to reduce the States to ter
rtorinl condition Congress has had a Recon
struction Committee composed of fifteen mem
bers, who have stopped the wheels of Legisla-
ton three months to enable them to submit
plan different from that which is now OH the
eve of u happy consumlnation- what have
they given US? One proposed amendment to
the Constitution is to compel the excluded
States to enuolizSsuffrage upon the penalty of
abridgoment of representation. This was no
plan of reconstruction, but an obstruction.
The resolution which passed the House on
Tuesday last directly declares that loyal repre-
scntativcs shall not be admitted from loyal
States until Congress shall pass a law fpr that
purpose which law cannot be enacted with
out the Presidents approval, and which can
not br consistently given in view of the opin-
ions he seknown to entertain. The reso!nr
ton, thcn is not a plan for reconstruction, but
Indefinite postponement and delay. When
the rebellion began We determined to humble
the rebels We have humbled them and
Brought them back with humiliation and re.
pentancc, suing for restoration. The popular
voice was that all members Of family, how
ever prodigal they had been, they would be
received at the Board. These Ell ,rts at OBJ
struction, then, are as much impracticable as
think they are vicious. No State can keep
itself out of the Union, or keep itself in Ter
rtora condition, under the Union The
States which are in the Union cannot be taken
or kept out Of its limits. States that are in
the Union cannot keep any States that are out
side from coming in. Congress is habitually
inclined to thiscxpermcnt. 1t hesitated about
Michigan and Missouri, reeled and staggered
over Texas and California, and copvulsed the
nation about Kansas, yet they are all in the
Union, all happy, all loyal. How many COM
mittccs of conference did we have? How many
joint resolutions denying that Congress ever
would consent to the admission of such un-
welcome intrudcrs? How many crompromi
scs securing guarantees for free lom and for
slavery were broken and scattered when one
after the other Of these States came in as if by
;, hcndlonr thrust. and hurled by the Almirh-