The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-09-04
CITY INTELLIGENCE.
IT~ Additional Local Item, see Ega Page.l
The Union state Central Committee.

yesterday afternoon, at their rooms, No. 11O5 Ohes.
nut street. Reports from the different counties
character.
The following address was ordered to be pub
lished;
COMMITTEE Rooms, No. HOS Chesnut street,
PHILADELPHIA, September 3, 1866.
Fellow Citizens-The superficial observer might
suppose, after the fearful struggles, sacrifices and
sufferings of the last five years, that we could
safely relax efforts and watchfulness, and, re-
turning to our individual affairs permit the ma
chinery Of government to run itself An inteli-
gent and patriotic survey of the situation, how
viii impress us more than ever with the truth and
wisdom of the adage, eternal vigilance is the
price OF liberty; Six years ago the people law
United States. The minority, enemies of our gov
eminent and country, refused to submit to
our history, appealed from the ballot box to the
sword. They defiantly threw OFF all the obliga-
into civil war; and fought with malignity and
desperation for four long bloody years in the
wicked attempt to overthrow and utterly de-
stroy the government handed down by our ia
theirs. This they did under the pretext that State
had constitutional right to secede from the
Union. The same thing had been attempted by
South Carolina in 1888; bat, under the vigorous
signally failed, and the doctrine which IL was
based was repudiated. But in 1856, when the De-
mocratic party of Cincinnati nominated James
Buchanan for President, they revived the old State
rights dogma of secession, by readopting the Yir-
ginia and Kentucky resolutions of 179S and 1890,
as part of their platform And at the Charles
ton Con venton, in 1860, although the party there
split into two parts, the one nominating Douglas
and the other Breckinridge for President both
factions readopted these same resolutions. These
resolutions do not hold the relations of the States
TO the United States constituting government
in the ordinary and proper sense of the term,
but declared to be merely a compact and that
having no common Judge, each party has an equal
right to Judge for ITSELF as well of infractions
of the mode and measure of redress"
Under this free Democratic charter for rebellion,
the election of Abraham Lincoln was claimed by
the rebel States as an 'infraction' of the "com-
ank and nhn Qnn OIxyily
the "mode," and the destruction of the Union and
of the government as "the measure of redress"
fury found the Democratic party paralyzed.
1t was suddenly brought face to face with the
practical application OF its own political creed, by
its own political friends Hence, too, the sad de-
moraliZation and want of loyalty and patriotism
shown by that party during the whole war. Those
of them who preferred their country to their party
and platform abandoned both platform and party,
and under the flag of their country manfully ral
lied to put down the rebellion, while the leaders
and the mass of the party did otherwise.
They had so repeatedly proclaimed the right OF
secession they believed II, and were everywhere
found Justifying or excuslng the rebellion, de-
nouncng every means used to suppress it, pre-
dieting the war failure, and endeaVorlng TO
make good their predictions, and boldly denying
there was any power in the government TO "coerce
State" The Democratic party thus acquired
reputation for connivance at treason and dlsloy-
atty to the country which Justly consigned it TO
continuous and overwhelming defeats until at
the close OF the war it had not Governor or
Legislature in a single loyal State, except little
Delaware and the Legislature of Kentucky. And
since the Philadelphia Convention it to
have fallen upon the expedient OF other noted
criminals, and resolved TO sally forth under new
Not until April, 1865, were the rebels finally
overcome, and then only by the power Of our ar
miles, which they could no longer Withstand.
There was no voluntary surrender, but their arms
were stricken from their bloody hands. The great
conspiracy against freedom had failed, and the
armies and people of eleven revolted States were
at the mercy OF the conquerors, protesting will
lingness to accept any terms the vicors might i'm
nose Congress had then recently adjourned, and,
under the law, would not assemble until the fol =
lowing December, unless convened by the Presi-
dent in extra session. The occasion seemed to be
one of sufficient novelty and Importance to require
a meeting OF Congress, but the President Judged
differently. He proclaimed that these States had
been deprived of "all civil government" and the
Supreme Court of the United States declared the
whole population thereof to be ''alen enemies"
The President proceeded, by proclamations by
appointment of provisional governors and other
means, to create governments for these rebelllous
states, and upon the annual meeting of Congress
made report of what had been done, and recon-
mended the admission of Representative Con-
gress claimed to have jurisdiction over the whole
subject, and proceeded to inquire whether or MOI
governments had been established, and Whether
1nder all the circumstances, it would be proper tc
restore those rebelious people and States to theii
former relauons and rights in the Union, without
first imposing some terms upon them as security
The great question is not whether the States
themselves shall be restored, but whether they
shall have representation in Congress with Of
without terms Our political ladversaries-Demo
crats, rebels and their sympathizers, north anC
south-say without terms and conditions, ant
forthwith Congress, by the almost 9nanlmou
vote of all the members who sustained the war
has proposed sundry amendments to the Constitu
tion of the United States, to be submitted to tn
State Legislatures for ratihcation and II Will D
the duty Of the Legislature we are about to elec
to approve or disapprove these fundamental
changes in the national Constitution. Tines
amendments the terms liked by Congress OF
which the States lately in rebellion and their peo
ple can resume their practical relations TO the ma
tional Union. These terms may be briefly state
follows: --,,-, = -,
United states Shall be citizens thereof and that al
citizens shall have equal protection in the enjoy
nent of life liberty and property. ~
q That representation shall be apporlone
among the States according TO numbers, but tht
classes disfranchised without cause snail not
counted in fixing the basis OF Federal represents
ton. .. u =, ,o;
shall be ineligible to office, unless the disability
removed by a two-thirds vote OF Congress
A. That the validity of the national obligation
incurred in the war shall not be questioned, an
ali rehal debts and claims Tor slaves shall be void
The States of Tennessee, Connecticut ana Ne
Hampshire, by the action OF their several leglsi
lures, have already ratified these amendments
very large maiorities. Our friends in Congress al
ont of Congress united in the conviction IN
these terms are pre-emlnently magnanlmous, WI
and lust; that they are the leglumaue fruits OF y
war, and essential to our peace and security lot y
futurc Bv the storms of civil war some OF q
landmarks made by our fathers were taken ava
and some of the ancient foundations lald oy Ihe
were moved. Let us wisely readJust tnem, SO tn
our temple of liberty may stand upon the broad
and hrmer foundation OF unVersal hoerty anu II
partial justice. -. -.L,.
In March, 1866, the Union party assembled
convention TO nominate a candidate 1or GoVerh'
1t reafirmed its patriotic principles as proclaim
and fought for during the war, and declared IL
be the right and duty Of Congress 10 prescrlDSe S
terms OF reconstruction. Oh tnls platform III
General John W. Geary nominated Tor q
vernon by a unanimous vote, and subsequently
nomination was enthusiastically indorsed py
large and intelligent Convention OF the Soldl
and Sailors the State. He obscure persO