The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1866-08-20

H8Q OVERWHELMINGLY udutOnS, ouu o0n Aof0
no place or force, in this regard, in war
waged by q Government to suppress an
instruction, of its own people, upon Its
own soil, against its authority. If we
had carried on successful war against
any foreign nation, we might thereby
have acquired possession and jurisdic-
ton of their sell, with the right to en-
force our laws upon, their people and to
impose upon them such laws and sucn
obligations as we might choose. But we
had before the war complete jurisdiction
ovsr the soil of the Southern States, Inn
only by our own Constitution. Our
laws were the only national laws in force
uupon it. The Government of the United
States was the only Government through
I, which those States and their people had
relations with + sigr nations, and lts
dag was the q. r. " which tney
y were recogn' anywhere on
$50 - ..r... -es, and in all other
,iresne. ny as Dnal interests and
rights. OR, g. -as perfect ana
cononIate re TO be acquired,
bnt onlv to be L ed; and yictOri.
ous war against % rebellion could do
nothing more than maintain it. Itcould
only yindicate and re-establish the dis
puted supremacy OF the Constitution.
1t could neither enlarge nor diminish the
authority which that Constitution con-
fers upon the Government by which 1t
was achieved. Such enlargement or
abridgment of constitutional power can
be effected only by amendment OF the
Constitution itself, and such amendment
can be made only in the modes which
the Constitution itself prescrlbes. The
claim that the suppression OF an lnsur-
rection against the Government gives
additional authority and power TO that
Governments; especially that it enlarges
the jurisdiction of Congress and gives
that body the right to exclude States
from representation In the national coun-
ellis, without which the nation itself can
have no authority and no existence;
seems to us at variance alike with the
principles of the Constitution and with
the public safety.
WAY To AMEND THE CONSTITUTION.
Third-But it is alleged that in certain
particulars the Constitution of the Uni
ted States fails to secure that absolate
Justice and impartial equality which the
principles of our Government require;
that it was in these respects the result
ofeompromises and concessions, to which,
however necessary when the COnstitu-
ton was formed, we are no longer COM
PEELED to submiJ, and that now, having
the power through successful war and
lust warrant for It's exercise In the hos
tile conduct of the insurgent section,
the actual Government of the United
States may impose its OWN conditions,
and make the Constitution conform in
all its provisions to its own ideas of
equality and the tights of man. Con-
gress, at its last session, proposed amend
ments to the Constitution, charging in
some very important particulars the au-
thority of the General Government over
that Of the several States, and reducing,
by indirect acknowledgements, the repre-
sentative power Of the States in which
slavery formerly existed; and it is claim
cd that these amendments may be made
valid as parts of the original COnstita-
ton without the concurrence of the
States to be most seriously affected by
them, or may be imposed upon those
States by three-fouTths of the remaining
States, as conditions of their readmis
sion to representation in Congress and
in the Electoral College.
people of the United States 70 make such
changes in the Constitution as they
upon due deliberation, NAY deem expe
dent. But we insist. that they shall be
made in the mode which the Constitu-
ton itself points Out-in conformity with
the letter and the spirit of that instru-
ment, and with the principles of self
government and of equal rights which
lie at the basis of our republican insai.
buttons. We deny the right of Congress
to make these changes in the funda-
mental law, without the concurrence of
threefourths of all the States, including
especially those to be most seriously
affected by them; or to impose them
upon States or roople, as conditions of
representation, or of admission to any
ofthe rights, duties or obligations which
belong under the Constitution to all the
States alike. And with still greater
emphasis do we deny the right ofany
portion of the States, excluding the rest
of the States from any share In their
councils, to propose or sanction changes
in the Constitution which are to affect
permanently their political relations and
control or coeTce the legitimate action
of the several members of the common
Union.
Such an exercise of power is simply
usurpation, just as unwarrantable when
exercised by Northern States as it
would be if exercised by Southern. and
not to be fortified or palliated by any
thing in the past history either of those
by whom 1T is attempted or of those up
on whose rights aud liberties it is to
take effect. 1t finds no warrant in the
Constitution 1t is at war with the frn.
damental principles of our form of Gov.
eminent. If tolerated in one instance,
1t becomes the precedent for future in
vasions of liberty and constitutional
right, dependant solely upon the will of
the party in possession of power, aud
thus leads, by direct and necessary SO
quence, to the most fatal and intolerable
OF all tyrannies-the tyranny of shift
ing and irresponsible political factions.
1t is against this, the most formidahls
OF all the dangers which menace sae
of free governments THAI the
Constitution of the United States was
Intended most carefully to provide. We
demand strict and steadfast adherence
to its provisions. IA this and in this
alone can we ti1d a basis of permanent
Union and peace.
LOYALTY OF TILE SOUTH.