Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1866-11-01
Address Offhe southern 10y
aIists,

lO Sit ilft lOiiD vi Otlt " ttA
President. Abrall:m Lincoln, as a tcstirno-
ny of the admiration anil affection with
which the Union men of the South rcmcm-
Der his single hearted patriotism, have dis
charged that duty Tie enthusiastic greet
ings which we received all along our route
are sufficient evidence that the CuiOn party
is still intact. We return our sincere and
hearty thanks for the uniform courtesy and
and kindness everywhere shown Us, but
before we separate. desire to warn our
countrymcn of new danger which appears
TO be looming up Everywhere that we
have been. the loval people who are sus-
tanning Congress seem TO be united in de-
manding:
First-That Andrew Johnson shall not
be permitted to usurp and exercise the
powers of Congress in addition To those of
President.
Second-That the dislOval men shall not
bc permitted TO rule either the whole cOun-
try or any part thereof: and.
Third-That the ioyal men ofshc South.
black a. well as white. shall he protected
in al their rights as American citizens.
Unfortunately. however. some Republi-
can speakers and writers. by the loose Ian
.uage they make uSe of and their frequent
declarations that if the non-recOnstruCtcd
States ratify the pending constitutional
amendment. such of their applicants rs can
or will take the test oath. viii bc admitted
TO membership in that body. are creating
the impression that the ratification of that
amendment will render any further lcgis-
lation by Congress in reference 10 the non
reconstructed States unnecessary. il this
conviction is allowed To fasten itself upon
the minds of the people. it can only be re-
moved by long acrimonious discussion.
pending which the nation viii continue to
he affected with the evils which now rem
der life in a third of the States almost in
tolerablc.
II now requires hut few moments re-
fcciion TO sec that such settlement of the
rccOn~iruction problem would convert the
victory bein" now at the polls into n de
feat. The Constitution of the United States
declares hat AL legislative powers shall
be vested in a Congress. and Legislative
power means simply thc power to make
laws. The usUrpatiOG OF the President
consists in the fact that when 1T the close
of the war. he found ten States deprived
of all civil government there being no
law upon the statute book providing how.
under such circumstances. government
might be Instituted, Instead of calling the
legislative department together in extra
session to- pass the necessary laws. he as
sumcd the preroSative of Congress. and
prescribed tie rules and rcs~uiial ions (claini-
ir.- for them all the force and validity of
regularly enacted laws necessary for es-
tablishing CIVIL governments in the ten
States which he declared had none. II
was in accordance with these Illegal elicts
TO he State Governments of North Carolina
South Carolina. Georgia. Florida. Alahama
Mississippi and Texas were formed. and
to recognize their adoption of the conStitu-
tional amendment a. valid is simply TO en-
dOrSc and legaliZe the Presidents usurpa-
tiGnS. Are the people willing thus to en-
dOrSe the actions of President Johnson
II not. they must fnqllv resolve and declare
that the Illegally organized tools ofa usrIrp-
er cannot, by their action, affect the Con
stitution of the country. and that before
the nOn-recOnstructed States can ratifv the
amendment, legal governments must bc
instituted in them.
Again. every one of the so-cailcd govern
merits in the ten nOn-reconstructed States
are i'll the hands of and controlled by the
men who attempted to destroy the nation,
and are Ostentatibrslyused to make strea-
son honorable and loyalty odiOus (and in
the Southern States impOssible.) If Con-
eresS legalizes them it perpetuates those
eX-rebels in power indefinitely. They will
continue to have absolute control of the
governments of all or nearly all of the late
slavehOlding States. and will send up del
egations to Congress of men whose sympa-
thies were and are with the Confederate
canse. Once admit that they are loyal
State governments. and Congress cannot
thereafter interfere in those States any more
than il can now in Illinois or New York
In short, legalize those bogus governments
and ex-rebels will thereafter have absolute
political control of nearly One-half of the
Union. If the loyal people do not wish
such "A state of affairs, they must never con-
sent to the endorsement of Andrew John
sons usurpation. Again. it is these State
governments which now tvranniZe over
the Union men of the South. and which
are being welded so as to render our liv-
inc there intolerable or impossible. While
! loyal State governments can afford us pro-
lection. we solemnly warn the people that
ratification of these bogus governments
is sentence of death or exile to every
Union man in the South whose position or
ability renders him at all obnoxious to the
late rebels. To those who are willing TO
tolerate for moment the idea of abandon
ing their friends 10 destrucii0n-of handing
them over hound hand and foot into the
power of their and the nations enemies.
we have not one word to say: but TO such
as call themselves Union men, and have
some spark of manhood or womanhood in
their natures, we appeal for protection
which can alone he afforded by State gov
ernments imbued with the principles of
impartial justice for all men. Shall we ap-
peal in vain: The action of Congress the
coming winter must answer this question
The late rebels are of course desirOus of
retaining a much power in Congress as
possible, but they would surrender all rep
resentatiOn in that body rather than lose
control sf the State governments, for by
the help of these State governments alone
can they keep their people united against
the General Government. Representation
in Congress is a side and comparatively
'unimpOrtant matter, but the coutrOl of the
State governments. whether or not they
shall remain in the hands of those who
once used them to wage war upon the
Union, is the vital question. We do not
wish TO have it understood that we are
finding fault with the present Congress
that noble body of men whose firmness has
afforded us our only protection thus far
since the war closed. 1t has been, and is.
our expectation, that most. if not all, the
Enion members intend to adopt the meas
ures necessary to give us protection. The
Reconstruction Committee, in addition to
the constitutional amendment, reported a
Ibill providing for the organization of loyal
governments in the seeded States, and this
bill hes yet to be acted upon If Congress
Immediately upon reassembling, takes it
up,tperfects and passes it, all will be well.
We have been compelled to issue this adj