American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1866-09-26
THE GREAT CRISIS.
Important Address of the National
Union Committee.


WAsHTvGroy, Sept. 1S.-Tho follow.
ing is the address of the National Union
Committee to the American people
Fellow Ctivsas: Very grave differ
ences having arisen between your imme
diate representatives in Congress and the
President, who owes his position to your
votes, we are impellel to ask your a.ten
tion there.o and to suggest the duties to
your country which they render impera-
tive, We shall avoid the use of hard
words; of these there have already beer
TOO many, aud that the matters in issue
may be brought within the narrowesi
compass, let IA first eliminate from the
controversy al that has already been set
tied or has been in dispute.
Tho republic has been desperately as
sailed from within and its very existence
seriously imperilei. Thirteen States wer
claimed as having Withdrawn from the
Onion, aud were represented for years in
a hostile Congress meeting at Richmond
Ten of these States were for time Who'll
ly in the power of hostile Confederacy
the other three; partially SO. The un
doubtedly loyal States were repeatedly
and iormidably invaded by rebel armies
which were only expello alter obstinate
and bloody battles through four years OF
an ordu1us, desperate civil war
The hosts Of the rebel Confederacy
wlhstool those OF the Union Agent,
of the Contederacy traversei the civilized
world, seeking allies in thoir war against
the Repablic, anl melting the rapaciou
and uuprincpIel to lit out armed corsair.
to prey upon her commerce By State au
thority, aud in the perverted name Of
patriotism and loyalty hundreds Of thous
ande of our countrymen were cGnscripted
| into the rebel armies, and ma G to fieh.
desperately for our national disruption
oud ruin; and, though by the blcssn. oil
/ God aud the valor and constancy of om
loyal people, the rebellion was finally and
utterly crushed, it did not succeed until
| q, had cause The destruction Of more
thln half million Of precious human
lives, not to speak Of property, to the
value Of at least five billions Of dollars
At length the rebel armies surrendered
and the rebel power utterly collapsed and
vanished. What then? The claim oI
1rhc insurgents that they either now re
acquired or had never forfeited their con.
stitutional rights in the Union, including
that Of representation in Congress, stane'
in pointed a,taSonism alike to the re-
quirements Of Congress, and to those oil
the acting President. 1t was the Exec
utive alone who, after the rebellion Wa,
u, more. appointed Provisional Governor,
ior the now submissive, unarmed.South-
ern States, on the assumption that Tho
rebellion had been revolutionary and de-
prived the people under its sway Of al
civil government, and who required thu
assembling Ola convection clmposed o
delegates who are to be chosen by ha
portion o. the people Of said State, VIII
arc loyal to the United States, and u,
others, Tor the purpose of altering anC
amending the Constitution Of said State
1t was President Johnson, who, 81
late as last October, when all shadow .
overt resistance to the union had long
since disappeared, insisted that 1t wa
not enough that a State. which had revol
ted, must recognize her ordinances of SC
eession as null aud void from the begin
Mug, and ratify the constitutional Amend
ment prohibiting slavery sveImore, bu
she must also repudiate every dollar o
indel tcdposs created to aid in carryins
on the rebellion. It was he who ordered
the dispersion by military force, of au.
ELegisature chosen under the rebellion
which should assume the power to max
laws after that rebellion had failed;
was he who referred to Congress all tn
inquiries as to the probability of repre-
senta,ives from he States lately in revolt
being admitted to seats ia either House
and suggested that they should presen
their credentials, not at the organizatio
of Congress, but aftefward; and, finally
it was he, and not Congress, who sug
pested to his, Gov. sharkey, Of Missis
sippi, that
1T you could extend the eleotiy
franchise to all persons Of color who cal
read the Constitution of tie Unite
States in English and write their names
and to all persons Of color who own rea
estate valued At not less than two hund
red ana ffty dollars, and pay taxes there
on, you 3ull completely disarm the ad
veFsary and set an example that ethc
States will follw."
II, then, there be any controversy as