The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1866-07-19

thopunishihsnt for treason. bet 4 -
true In government ~ IN averythine,
else, thatthe greater iuelndes the lonssi
The Government may commute the
punishment Of deathto imprisonment
1t may remit the imprisonment and
insist only upoA the i0sfsitaEs q Pe.r
litical aud OWL rights; and II mafio
leave to the traitor his civil rights, de-
priving him only Of certain poliIlcsl4
rights, or itmay forgive the,oFime In .
all liis consequences. aud restore him o.
iull citizenship. as arliying mouuaensll
OF pardoning grace. Every step that
has been taken in the work Of recon-
struetion thus far has proceeded upon
this principle. And here / may be al-
lowed to remariS, that Ieconstruction
consists Of two distinct things which
are in many respects independent Of
each other. Yea Eaan ss
First-Tbe reorganization of the
State Governments, in the States late,
~ in rebellion. I'd, ati ass al i,s
Secondly-The admission Of Sens.
tors, and members Of Congress from
such States to seats in the Congress Of
the United States. gae -ofaoAs
The first part was undertaken By
President Johnson, and whether prop
erly or Improperly, il is now hardly
worth while TO discuss, -inasmuch as
the State Governments reconstructed
upon his plan are in operation, and the
programme submitted by the Recon-
struction Committee, does not, as I
understand it, contemplate their disso-
luton, or require their modification
bey yond ratifying the Constitutional
Amendment, and making their Con-
stitutions and laws conform 10 it pro-
visions, .-. ~ .ggts4 y. -o-s
President Johnson in his plan for re-.
constructing the State Governments,
treated the rebelIious inhabitants of
those States as having by their treason
forfeited their political and civil rights,
and he granted them permission to re.
organize State Governments only upon
certain conditions, and excluded from
all participation certain classes of per
SONS specially designated, unless they
should first receive. personal and
specific pardon He provided that no
one should participate in the work of
reconstruction without first having tn
ken an oath, the terms Of which he
prescribed. fae.. u
He then provided that the Govern
menta which might be reorganized
should not be recognized until they
had formally abolished slavery in their
several States, had ratified the amend
ment of. the Consultation Of the United
States, which forever prohibited sla-
very within the States or Territories,
had repudiated their several war
debts, nor until they had by law So
cured to the negroes within their linz
its the right to sue and be sued. and
testify as competent witnesses in the
Courts. The second part of recon-
struction. the admission of Senator'S
and Representatives from the rebel
States 10 seats in Congress, is . matter
over which the President has no control
or jurisdiction. The Constitution de-
clares that each House shall be the
judge of the qualifications of its own
members, and in this respect one
House has no control over the other.
Each House judges for itself whether
the person claiming to be admitted as
q member has been properly elected;
or has been elected by a people who
have Alright to be represented in Con-
gress, or whether he is q man Of such
character as would be entitled to sit
in their body as a. man and equal; for
if he be a convicted felon or traitor,
who has shed the blood of loyal men
in efforts to destroy the Government,
they have a right to say they will not
give him fellowship.
But beyond and above these rights,
which it may be said are special and
technical, there is the broad and COM
prehensiye right essentially inherent
in all Governments, to protect itself
against the malignity and future ma
chinations of vanquished rebels. In
this work Of reconstruction, so called.
two leading purposes should be kept
in view ... o.. AL. ....
l. That nothing shall be done to in
! jure or destroy the general theory or
scheme Of Government as bequeathed
to US by our fathers.
9. That such security be taken as
can be to prevent the recurrence of
future rebelions, and to prevent those
who have been in rebellion, but are
restored to their political rights, from
defeating. necessary legislation, or
bringing about legislation which would
be reasonable or dishonorable, and
thus accomplish in the Government
what they had failed to do by, force Of
arms. Ii it should be deemed es-
sential to the safety of the Govern
ment that Senators and Representa-
tlves from the States lately in rebel
lion should not be admitted to seats in
Congress until the representative pow.
er of those States had been so reduced
that they could not by uniting with a
reasonable faction in the North con-
troll the Government and perhaps des-
troy it, Congress would have tho right
TO exclude the members from such
States until such time as the measure
of reduction had been accomplished,
provided such measure OF reduction is
not in violation of the general theory
and scheme of the Government, and
is within the essential powers Of Con-
gross. In this case the measure of re-,
duction would be an amendment to
the Constitution equaliging the repre-
sentation in Congress, and in the elec.
tion of President and Vice President,