Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1866-08-20

the cxc-cise 81 usurped ard unlawful NJ,
ihcrity, hud prolibitcd. within me territory
: nder It's co'il-ol. That allegiance 20 the Con-
s.itltior sno avs Of the United sta-es Which
Is inrce, by hat fundamental law, The c.
sentias condition Of representation IN =
Government.
No man within the insurgcnt States ".
tllowed TO take the oath &c support the g.
s.i,I,ion cf,he United States, ard. as ne
essar, consequences. 70 nan could la.fu,.v
represent those Sts.sS in the councils of the
MON. BIZ, thi. Was My an obstacle .
the enjoyment of the right and to the dis.
charge Of duty; it did not annul the one
or abroga,e the other, and it ceased 70 ex-
is, when shc usurea,ic, by which i. xss
treated h4u en- Owe rrown, and the States
bad assin re- umed t.4er aliC giar,e TO the
Ccrstitu'io. md laws Of lie United States.
,Sseon. But il IS asserted in supper. cf
soc authority c.a ned BY the Congress nc
10 Possession Of rc~er hat e flows direct
IL from the laws Of yar tbat il IA apeng
,he ris his sliic. victcrioIs war always con.
fers upon th- cor qasrors, and which he
conqucros may exercise or wa'y. in his or
discretion. To this we reply that he 'sss
In question relate so.sly, 80 iar ~ Toe rg,its
obey cor'er are concerned. u wars vrgel
between alien ana ladcpead.n. nations. ard
can have no place or force, in tins regard,
ir war wsged by government to suppress
Z. in,uTree' II lie qap peeb,e, arou IS
Nv sci. aysinstits authority, I've had
carried ona >icces.ful war against any for
eign nsiion, We ight thereby have acqui. d
POSSESSION and jurisdiction of their soii,
with the right 10 enforce our lava upoff;heir
people and 10 impose upon them 80 'ta ,..s
and such obligations - We might chDx
But we had b 90 he Mar, conpietc iutis-
ELECTION over the scll Il the Sou,herr s,aes,
LIMITED only by ,ur own CONSTITUTION. Our
laws sele the My national laws in fore. ny
on It. Tie Government Of The United State.
va the only Government through winch
these States ard their people mad req tsons
with foreign ia ions; aad It's flag was tie oal,
flag i,y WHICH they we're Recognized OF kronn
anywhere o.. ;tie face 81 The earth.
> la all these respects. a. d ia al other
spccts involving national interests and
rights, our possession was perfect aud COM
plcte 1t did rot reed 10 he ac4uifel. bn,
only to be ina ntaiped aud vlci,aiois WIZ
-seA,Hst the rebellion could DO ne,ls,s.. ,ne-r
than maintain il. II could only vnd,cate
and reSesiab irh the disputed supremacy of
The Consttatisn. II could neither enlarge
nor diminish the authority which that Con-
stitu'ion conlcrs upon the Government, by
it which it was achieved. Such an enlsree
ment or Infringement OF constitutional pow
er can lie effected only by the amendment Of
the Constitution itself; and such amends
ment can be made only in the modes which
the Constitution itself prcscribcs.
Tho CLAIM thai the suppression of an in.
str. ection against the Government gives a l.
ditional authority and power to thu. Governs
mcn,, especially TINT it cniargcs the juris.
diction Of Congress. and gives that body the
right to exclude States from representation
in the national councils, without which the
nation itself can have no authority and no
existence, seems 10 US ut variance alike with
the principles of the Constitution and with
the public safety.
Third. But il is alleged that in certain par
ticulars the Constitution Of the United
States fails { secure the absolute Jus ice
aud impartial equal " which the principles
Of our ve au..nt require; that il Wa, H.
Thu respect, the result Of the compton, srs
an cone, slgns, TO which, however neccs
sary wner the Constitution Was formed. we
are nc compelled % submit aal
that now, having the power through sus.
9 s,iul war. aat lust warrant for it, exercise
III The hostile conduct Of the nsurgr,,t SEC
l0n, the act, Al Government Of the United
States H.. u Pose its oan coaditlun,. a.
make tl.c tons itution conform in Ill II pi ~
is.ons 10 Us own IDEAS Of equality ana H.,
rignts of maa. Congress, at its last ses.L,.
proposed amendments to the Const,t,i;,a'
,nla ging IN some very important p.rric
Jars The authority of the General Cover.
meat over TINT e the several States, and re-
ducing by ladlr.es distranciis .xiait The
represent tv power Of the States IN wh,cll
slavery formerly existed and i Is claimed
hat these amendments may be voted as
parts Vi the original Constitution withov.
the concurrence Of III. States to DO most So
riou>ly affected by III N, or may be imposed
upon those States by threc>fourths Of III,
! remaining states ss conditions VI tle,r "
admission to representation in Congress
J snd in the Electoral College
+, I. -. - r-rnesticnsh's ~;..Ns sc ~. pa.
| ole oi the United States to make su !,
changes ia ti.e Constitution AS tnes. up
! due de'iberation, iaay i-e,n n. ,s4i.~s.t na.
~'c insist Tat ussy shall be made ia
mode which the Consultation itself p,i,
! out. in conformity with tyc testcr AMI SPA
/, Vi that ins,runles,t sud Vita the sprnic p
! Of sclf>governsnent aud vi equal IA
which lie 1t the basis Of our Republican IN
s,tutions. We deny the right Of congrc :.
10 make these changes in the flnda
ilsn,al law wtnuut IN" concurrence q
three fc,'rths c' al the States. inclndin,
, especially these 70 De seriously affected by
them, OF 10 imyo.. them upon States ol
people as condition Of reprcscn ation. o. o
ad,u ssipn 10 nj Y If the rights, duties, %
Obligations whloi be.ong. under the Cons i
tuuon, 70 oil tn, 5 atcs alike; and with $ il
greater emphasis do wc d ny the sht o
any portion ~ the States to eNclM1c The res
oithc S.a,.s from any share in their c5nn
Cts, to propose or senction changes ~ ln
Constitution WHICH are /, Affect PEI ulsa. ).
~ their political relations, and contrci Q
coerce the leg innate actinn Is the severe,
members OF ,re common lFni~n SUCH n
cxerciscof puwar Is simply an ~ urba'o
Just as wafrantabc when cXcrcisedby S0ut..
ern States, and not t. bc fortified VI ral,iA
te by ANYTHING IN the past history citac
q those bY whan 1t j. attempted. or .haS
upnn whose tights aud lib rites i is to tax
effect. II is,ds ny warrant in the Consti
tltioa. IL is NJ war with The ianiamcnta
principles of our form uh Governments.
tolerated IN one instance, it becomes I'll
precede,t for future invasions OF liberty M,
constitutional right, dependent sol,ly o
the will Of the party in power; and thu
leads, BY direct and necessary sequence. I
the NEST intolerable and fatal Of tyrannie
the tyranny Of shifting irresponsible fac
tions. II is against this the most formida
bic Of all dangers which menace tho stabils
T. Of free government, that the constitute
of the Uaitcd States was intended mos
carefully 10 provide. We demand a strc
adherence to its provisions. In this, an
this alone, can be found basis Of pcrma
nent union and peace.
Fourth-But il is alleged, in justification
OF the usurpation which NC condemn, tina
the condition Of the Southern States an
people is not such a. renders safe their re
admission 70 share in the government Z
the country; that they arc still disloyal il
cen iincnt and purpose, and that neither tn
honor. the ere it, nor interest Of the nAtio
would I've safe, werc they admitted 10 iii
councils OF the nation.
We rcl.y 10 this. First,-That We .a.vc !.
right, fsr .uch reasons, to dcny to auy pei
tion OF :he States or people any rict' sol
tc-rcd upon len by the Constitution Of 10
{ nited States. Second, that % long As the
acts are those OF loyalty, 30 long a. thev cor