The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1866-06-28

great extent involved in such admission.
The staple productions of the southern states
are AZ important to the other states az TO
themselves. Those staples largely enter into
tbs wants of oil alike, and they are also most
lmportant to the financial credit of the gov
ernment. These staples will meyer be pro.
duced as in the past until real peace, resting.
Is II can alone rest, on the equal and uni
form operation OF the Constitution on all. Ia
attained. To suppose that brave and sens-
tive people will give An undivided attention
to the increase of mere material wealth.
whist retained in a state of practical inferi.
ority and degradation, 10 mere folly.
UNION SENTIMENTS OF THE SOUTH
They desire to be again in the Union, to
enjoy the benefits of tbs constitution, and
they invoke you to receive them. They have
adopted constitutions free from any intrinsic
objection, and have agreed to every stipula-
ton thought by the president to be necessary
for the protection and benefit of all, and in
the opinion of the undersigned they are amp
" sufficient. Why exact, az preliminary
condition to representation, more? What
moro is supposed advisable? First, the re-
pudiation OF the rebel debt second, the de-
NAL of all obligation to pay for manumitted
slaves; third, the inviolability of our own
debt. If these provisions are deemed neces-
| sary, they cannot be defeated. if the south
| were disposed to defeat them, by the admis
| sion into congress of their representatives.
| Nothing is more probable, in the opinion of
| the undersigned, than that the south would
| adopt them but those measures the commit
| tee connect with other conditions, which we
| think the people of the south will never
adopt. They are asked to disfranchise u
| numerous class of their citizens, and also to
| agree to diminish their representation in
| congress, and of course in the electoral col
lege, or to admit to the right of suffrage their
colored males of twenty one years OF age and
| upwards, class now in a condition of almost
utter ignoranee-thus placing them on the
same political footing with white citizens of
| that age. For reasons so obvious that the
dulest may discover them, the right is not
| directly asserted of granting suffrage to the
| negro. That would be obnoxious to most OF
/ the original states--se tnuoh SO that their
| consent was not to be anticipated. But the
| plan adopted, because Z the limited number
| of negroes Ill such ste :, will have no effect
| on their representation, and 1t Is thought
may therefore be adopted, whilst in the south
ern states it will materially lessen their mum
Der. That such states will assent to the
measure can hardly be expected. The efsc,
| then, If not the purpose of the measure, is
| forever to deny Representatives to such states
| or if they consent to the condition, to weaken
| their representative power. and thus proba
bly, secure a continuance of such party in
power az now controls the legislation of the
| government. The measure In its terms and
effect. whether designed not is TO degrade
the southern states. To consent TO it will be
| to consent to their own dishonor.
| Concluded tomorrow