Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1866-12-28
EvFORsEAEION FOR THE BE-
gTGHTEB.

LAEUAEAHL@AAAOM EO4 AAAA 0 =
gTGHTED.
The apoerypFai editor Of the Week
| y Herald being befoqged in the in
trieaoies Of che State suicide" ques-
ton solemnly propounGs to us some
queries concerning II. Being al found
ed upon an imaginary state Of things
il would be hardly worth while 10
waste time in answering them, but for
a faiBt hope that we may do something
to enlighten & benighted mind strug-
Cling for knowledge under difficulties.
| First be inquiries, IF the States
lately in revolt are out Of the Union.
| bv what process did they dissolve their
relation 70 the Federal compact p
The solemn gravity with which this
question is prOpounded provokes
smile. II wster runs up hill, he
might as well have asked, BY what
process has It thus reversed the laws
Of nature?" Or, II" anything else,
however absurd, which comes into the
Editor of the Herald's mind Is true,
how did it happen? If" the war
for the Union had been "a failure as
Democrats ouce said It was. and the
rebellion had been a success, as Dem
ocrats many times declared it would
be, then the insurgent States doubtless
would have been 'out of the Union,
and the process BY which they would
have got out would have been armed
reason, aided by Democratic sympathy.
But the war Tor the onion was not a
failure and the rebellion was not a sue
cess and therefore no foot Of insuEgent
territory has passed from under the
dominion of the United States Gov
ernment and no State" is out Of the
Uniea." To consider by what process
the rebel States got out when they. are
not OUT is simply foolish waste Of
time.
Query No. 2. IF not out by what
authority are they denied representa-
tion. or q voice in the law making
power We answer, By the authority
of the loyal people of the country
Has the editor of the Herald so soon
forgotten the result of the late eleo
tions that he has to be informed Of
this ? Has he forgotten the fate OF
my policy? ? Ifhis memory issso weak (
it is hardly worth while to remind him
that the people have b. immense ma
jorities authorized Congress to exclude
the insurgent States from ''a voice IN
the law making power" until they re-
nounee rebellion, give pledges Of good /
behavior, and show themselves WORTHY
70 share in administering the Gov
ernment they have done their utmost
to destroy.
Query No. ). IF those States are
politically dissolved and reduced t.
the condition of territories, why cali /
upon them to ratify an amendment to /
the Constitution which ratification 1
requires three-fOurths Of the States /
not territories ~ We reply that the
question whether or not the insurgen1
States are politically dissolved" has
no practical bearing upon the propri-
ETY. or necessity Of submitting the
Amendment. Nor has the question
been opened by Congress or the peo.
pie. They have simply said to the in
sUtgeEt States, Whatever rights you
may have forfeited, or. if the Herald
please, however much you may have
been politically dissolved by the act
of rebellion, only when you accept the
conditions proposed can you be restor- |
ed to your former privileges az States
In the Union. Ii you will not accept
these conditions you will have to sub
nit &c be governed as terrific
ries which Is the only alterna-
tive left us under the Constitution.
Therefore, the people, who are the
makers and unmakers OF the Consti-
tuition, have decided that the insurgeni
States, territories, or what tever the
Herald please to call them, have for
feited their rights as States and can
only regain them upon certain eOndi-
tions. Ifthey will not accept these con-
ditions they shall not resume the for
fcited rights. Their acceptance Of the
Amendment is asked simply that It
may become morally and legally pos
sible. and consistent with our nation
al honor and safety to restore those
rights to them. The people of the
North anziously desire the restoration
of the Southern States. but how can
the latter be restored unless they sig
nifty their willingness to be and to
abide By such conditions as make it
safe and honorable What they are
to be restored from is an idle question.
Hoa0 can they be restored is the all abb
3Orbing theme. Congress and the peo-
pie have prescribed the method The s
communities Of the South I