The Daily clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1866-1888, 1866-12-21
Territorial Obstacles.

/ CONSTITUTIONAL lanulnarkS, ana uSurp-
ing and exercising the powers of CO.
ordinate departments of government,
does not appear to progress as rapidly
as Washington dispatches led us to be
lieve few days since. The job is the
most stupendous ever undertaken by
Congress, and as the details are ex-
amined the difficulties in the way of its
accomplishment loom up before the
overriders of the rights ofthe people
"Territorial existence for the States OF
the South is all very fine to talk
about and parade through the columns
of abolitiOn newspapers, but when the
consequences of such legislation is
carefully examined, we opine many OF
the moderate revolutionists will pause
in their mad career. Congress OF
course must act upon the presumption
that we are conquered provinces, and
in consequence of rebelling against the
Government, are deprived of all polit-
ical rights. When it is remembered
every message, proclamation and State
paper, issued from the President
office since the, date of secession, has
declared the war to be an insurrectiOn,
a revolution against the laws of the
United States, and when it is borne in
mind that the acts of the very Con-
gress now clamoring for territorial
Sv,UI uIuUuLS at tho --------
that we were never out of the Union
that all our laws were null, unconstl-
tutional and void, the reader will dis
cover why the territorial bill has not
been rushed through. When Congress
last spring passed an act to fix the
number of Judges of the Supreme
Court of the United States and TO
change certain judicial circuits,
we were clearly recognized as
States, for Congress cannot hold these
courts in territories.
The second section of this act pro-
vides that the districts of Maryland,
West Virginia, Virginia, North Caro-
lima and South Carolina shall constl-
tute the fourth circuit; that the dis
tricts of Georgia, Florida, Alabama,
Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas shall
constitute the fifth circuit; that the
districts of Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky
and Tennessee shall constitute the
sixth circuit; and that the districts of
Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas and
Arkansas shall constitute the eighth
| circuit
So here we have another impeachment
to the scheme of Stevens and Julian,
and an equally formidable one will be
found in the Civil Rights bill, to say
nothing of the Supreme Court, which
would be called upon to decide the con-
| stitutionality of the laws, and from
whose decisions Congress has no ap-
peal. Indeed, when Congress consid-
nre tho results that must necessarily
flow from recognizing the South as
conquered provinces, and admitting
that our little Confederacy was a de-
focto government, the radicals will
very probably abandon the enterprise.
Already we see that the Confederate
bonds in Europe have advanced to Gid
in consequence Of this measure.
Sensible men know that the North
must pay our war deGt if we do not
belong to the sisterhood, and that
when we are taken back the conquer
ing" power assumes our Indebtedness,
which in Virginia alone foots up near
ly forty -four millions of dollars. These,
and hundreds of other points, will I'M
doubtedly force Congress to don it's
thinking cap and count the cost and
consequences of the territorial expert
ment. If, however, that body is deter
mined to override all law and prece-
dent, we would be glad to have them
expedite matters. If we are to be
slaves, our States cyphers, and that in
strument, which has always been re-
garded as bulwark of safety, is to be
entirely ignored, let us know it imme-
diately. We are prepared for any
fate-even an unfinching application
of territorial policy. Let US get to the
end of our troubles at once. Our re-
lection of pending amendments was
unanimous, and now we want the
''pains and penalties" if come they
must, of failing to obey tyrannical
mandate