Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1866-12-13

/ NOfaole auspices Tor the HresldentS p0llcy
under which the late political contest was
inaugurated, he having been elected by
the party which now opposes him, supper
ted by able cabinet officers, and some of
the sh:ewdest politicians Of the country of
the same party. In the hope of dividing
that party by means Of the power and pat
ronage Of TIE Federal Government in some
instances bestowins that patronage on for
mer political friends, in others persuasively
holding out the emoluments Of office to be
conferred after the election-and that in
opposition to all this the president has been
defeated, it is not likely that another cam
paign can be SO favorably inaugurated for
the supposed interests Of the Southern
States as the one just closed.
The people of the South ought not again
to be beguiled by tie promises ofthose pro-
fessed allies and friends at the North Fhe
same promises were made III 1860 and 81;
| need not remind you how they were ful-
filled. = 4 = < 4 x
The practical question for your conside-
ration now is, whether by the rejection. of
the Constitutional Amendment you are
likely to place the people of our State in a
better condition If the views have pre-
sented be correct, there is no hope of bet
ter terms. 1t is urged that it would be
dishonorable to accept the terms offered in
the Amendment l think this objection is
not substantial There was no political
power acquired by the saprender Of the
Confederate armies. The terms were, as
to the soldier, the surrender Of bis arms,
giving his parole that he would 20 to his
home and replain there peaceably until ex-
changed as a prisoner Of war or released
from his parole; the officer had more liber-
al terms granted to him, but these terms
were only such as applied to a prisoner of
war, Ill military point of view. This
position is fully confirmed by the fact, that
after one Of the i7eteal commanders had
attempted to give a political status 10 "a
large division of the insurgcnt army, the
political feature of the treaty was ordered
to be stricken out by the Government at
Washington.
Up to this point no political status had
been given to those who had been engaged
in levying war against the Government -
It is not material to the argument whether
the unrepresented States are TO be re; arded
as members Of d de facto Government
which had been overthroWn by the arlns
OF the t. States, OF as an aggi crate Ot IN
divi,uaTs who had been engaged IN reI:4 l.
i0n against the Government. which had
been suppressed If these Confederate
/ J i
ntent, they had surrendered and were at
the discretion Of the colIqueror. II we re-
gard the inhabitants as persons who were
engaged in domestic violence and waging
war against lae United States they were
subdueQ and amenable to the laws The
President of the United States regarded
them in the latter capacity, and decided
itat all the State Governments in the eli :
represented States Except Virginia, Ten
ncssee, Louisiana and Arkansas, where
governments had baen re-establshtd by
the loyal people, had been abolished by
this domestic violence" lie ordered
conventions to be called to make new or-
garlic laws OF constitutions for those States,
prescribing who should and who SbUuit
not vote for delegates to these conventions.
lie issued a proclamation, enumcrating
some tnirtccn On fourteen classes OF persons
liable to the penal laws OF the United
States unless they should obtain his pardon.
Thus he attempted to fix the political STA
tus OF these States.
The term Of the rty-eighth Coz gress
expired on the Sd Of March, 1865; tbs
surrender of the Confederate armies took
place in the months Of April and May fol-
lowing and the action of the President to
which have just referred was had before
the assem5lage of the present Congress in
December of the same year. When Con
gress assembled, it in effect denied the va
lidity of the action of the President in at
tempting 70 define che political status OF
the people OF the unrepresented States,
who hal been engaged in levying war a
gainst the government, and denied admls-
sion to representatives from those States
unless they should adopt the proposed a
mcnJment Nor has Congress sanctioned
the validity Of the Presidet's action so far,
except hy acquiesccnce, and on condition
that this constitutional amendment shall be
adopted by the Legislature of each State,
1t is claimed by Congress that, being the
law making branch Of the Government, it
belongs to that body to determine the po-
litical status of the people Of those States,
Therefore, as yet, the political status OF
the people in those States is precisely in
the same condition that 1t was on the day
the Confederate armies were surrendered.
There has been nothing done by the law
making power Of the Government Of the
United States to settle that question: ex-
cept, the submission OF this proposition to
amend the Constitution.
The people of those States, asa conquer
ed nation, or as individuals who have for
fetcd their political rights by rebellion,
are still under the ban of the Government,
or i'll the power ofthe conqueror. In the case
Of nations at war, the conqueror dictates
the terms Of peace; III the case Of subjects
engaged in rebellion, when the rebellion is
subdued the Government enforces or miti-
gates the penalty The terms Of the con-
ouaror IN this ease or the pcnatips fixed