New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-04-18
THE LOGIC OF sECEss1ON-h. III
sTEpIgENs,

Tho present Congress has earned The lasting graft
tude of the country in the constitution and action OF
its Joint Committee Reconstruction. Tho testimony
taken by t-and especially that Of exRebels-is most
essential to an intelligent judgment upon the prob
lens now ftly engrossing the public attention. Let
US, them consider thoughtfuly the salient points IN
the testimony of the Hon. A. II. Stephens.
Mr.. Stephens, like Gen. Robert L. Lee, wl' not
an original Seces5ionst. That is, while each held to
the abstract right Of State TO secele neither Of them
regarded Secession as required b. aniece1cnt con-
dlons, nor a remedy for existing evils. Yet, when
their respective States decided to secele they cast in
their lot with the majority, and became conspicuous
and potent champions Of the Disunion cause. And
this they still hold to have been right.
Let as test this assumption by familiar examples.
Mr.. Stephens was long prominent and influential
Member of Congress- Gen. Lee was educated at West
Point and had since been favored officer in the Army
of the United States. Now, suppose each OF them
when he came to enter the service Of country had
offered to take the prescribed oath in this form:
y solemnly swear that viii support the Constitution end
obey lawful authorities u The United States nHl S
shall see IL % sso.fs from TIE Uafor'-
does any sane man believe that this would have
been accepted as a substantial compliance with the
requisitionl Would youth at We, Point, repre-
sentative in Congress. be permitted hereafter TO take
the oath thus quafell WAS there ev,r time when
this would have been permitted Mlni.estly, not.
And II not, how do men Of character Ike MessTs.
Lee and Stephens, satisfy themselves tia. they are
not foreswornl
Again:
Mr. Stephens tells Us that the people have attained
q very decided conviction that Secession is impoltc.
They have good reason for that conclusion. But loD
impotcl Clearly, because Of their crushing dcioa..
But.suppose the whirligig Of time" should present
totally new conditions, wherein Secession might be
attempted afrcsh. without probability Of failure,
what them Scan Air. soplonss testimony COX tho
answer
Once more
ItisMr. Stephens very decided conviction 'ha.
,bo people Of Georgil-ljy which he means the
Whites only-thosc who fhe states were al but unan-
imous in sustaining the Rebelon)-wego entitled,
from the moment their Rebellion was put down by
the strong arm-to come rsAt back, without oondi-
tons or restrictions into Congress, and share fully
and equally With the loyal il tie g5vernmcnt Of the
country He thinks il was for "a, tle, tho loyal we're
fghting-( wherein they do not agree with him.
Nay he grayely doubts iAo legal validity of acts oi
Congress passed IN the absence Of representatives,
from the seeded States II tina. be 80, it seems TO Us
10 follow that every act Of Congress whereby the
power Of the Union was brought TO bear against
Secession was usurpng and void; 50 .ha. tL3 seeded
States are now legally out Of ,Ae Union.
Finally, Mr.. Stephens thinks Slavery is dead only
because the former Slave states have abolished It,
(Which several of them have not doue,) and that,
while the Whites Of the South have all the power in
the Union which they deliberately and deiantly re-
nounced by Secession, the Blacks Of those States have
lust such rights q, the Whites thereof choose 10 give
thom-no less aud no more We beg leave to assure
the ex.Vice-President that on this very important
point his views are radically diverse 10 those Of the
great party which carried the county trilmphantly
through the War against Secession and that, unless
those whom he calls the South are willing 20
sumo their places in Congress footing OF equality
Of power, man for man, between themselves and the
Unon.uphOlding Whites of the North aud West, they
will probablywait some time for readmis5on. II the
Southern Blacks are not 10 vote Gas We trust they
arc) it must at least DO conceded that those who
deny them the Right Of Suffrage shall not cast votes
in THAR lfeud