The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1866-05-03


the question Of suffrage. He made a
dead failure, Tuesday, and his favorite
bill, providing fo- universal suffrage
went overheard, only four Senators
voting with him. Even Bosom desert
ed him. Fowler must indite epistle
number two
A Candid Survey of the Political
Futures Ahead.
From the auburn IN. " Advertiser Union 25:l
ut.
We had occasion to state in our issue
of Yesterday, that any further indem-
nity for the expenses of the war than
we have already received, is out of the
question. Security for the future is the
subject now uppermost before Congress
aud the country.
In respect to this the first question
which arises is, whether Congress pos
sesses any power whatever to exact
from the late rebels any security for
their future behavior To consider
this Alright, we must first settle in our
minds the precise status of the rebels
as members of their respective States
and whether there exists any way Of
obtaining security from them as indi
yiduals. 80 far as the paroled soldiers
are concerned, it seems to be admitted
that there is not. All other rebels
might be arrested and put under recog-
nizance to keep the peace if it were not
for the Amnesty proclamation, which
extends pardon to some of them. A
few of their leaders are now under ar
rest for suspected completely in the as
sassination of President Lincoln, and
for treason, and may yet be tried with
the view to punishment But in look
ing over the whole subject neither the
President nor Congress have found any
feasible constitutional way to exact any
security from them that they will not
rebel again when opportunity offers
So we dismiss that idea from considera
ton as being of no practical account.
No security will be, because it canno!
be, exacted of them as individuals.
The next question which arises is
whether any security can be obtained
from them in their collective capacity
as members of their respective States
And here we must consider that these
States are acknowledged and proclaim.
ed to be inside the Union under the
Constitution, although some of their
functions are suspended by the pecu-
liarity of their situation. They are
within the Union yet in certain re
spects, although out of their proper
practical relations to the Government.
This being the condition, is there any
way in which the Federal Government
can exact any formal guaranty
from these States that their inhab-
itanis will never again rebel2 We sup
pose not, except through an amend
ment to the Constitution, and no such
amendment will be likely TO be ratified
by three-fourths of the States. We
dismiss that idea also as one Of nc
practical account
This brings us TO the consideration
of the question whether any security
can be exacted by indirection as logi'
cal result of any practical line of policy
toward them. Ii has been suggested
that since there appears to be no way
to exact security for future behavior by
direct means they shall be denied re
presentation in Congress and in Ma
tional Conventions until they so amend
their State Conventions as to declare
the Union Of States to be perpetual
This idea seems to obtain favor with
those who have been rebels.
Those, who like Judge Shellabarger
of Ohio, continue to believe that the
rebels have lost all right to participate
in the Government, and that mo good
thing can come out of Nazareth, main
tain another position, namely:
!. That the people Of the Southern
States shall be excluded from repre-
sentation in Congress and participation
in political councils until after the
next Presidential election
2. To exclude the entire Southern
vote fer President and Vice President
upon the precedent established by Con
| gress in the last election.
3 If the Southern and Northern
Democratic vote together should cleo
President, to be prepared to resist
that election.
Upon this the Democratic party o.
the country have already taken issue
with the apparent hope Of making i
successful
The point we are discussing IS indi
rect security for the good behavior o
the rebels in the future The question
is whether this line OF policy, il it shal
be followed, will be likely, in view o
the issue already made upon it TO Sc
cure it. We have seen no reason fol
believing that it viii The keynote
to the probable solution may be discov
cred in the testimony of Alexander IL
stephens, OF Georgia He said distinct
| ly that the Southern people had com
Piled with all the terms originally
offered them, and all which Congress
had the right to impose-that they
would not accept Others as conditions
! precedent to admission into Congress
/ Il is reasonably certain that they con
slider themselves within the Union, anC
in practical relations TO the Govern
! ment which entit!e them 10 representa-
ton in Congress and in political con
ventions
/ IL 10 ECdeOlnbll vi testn AttfAN VIZ
will send delegates to the next nation
al nominating convention, and tina
! the Democratic nominating convention
will admit them 1t is reasonably Ger,
tain, however, that they will choose
Electors OF President and Vice Presi
dent, and ask to have them csnvassed
and that If the electoral votes Of South
ern and Northern Democrats together
are enough TO elect President anC
Vice President, and they are not al
lowed, there will be a political trouble
Of a very formidable character. VIII
johnson for President at that time il
command of the military forces, 1t can
not be reasonably expected that the
candidates elected will or can be KEEP
out of office.
We are free to say that we cannot
contemplate such contingency without
the deepest concern. When we apply
to this subject the logic OF our own OBJ
serYation and experience of political
campaigns in by-gone years, we are
obliged to conclude that such an
experiment will result in trouble
without any corresponding benefits to
the party and country. We fervently
hope that such contingency may be