The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1866-04-25
~ .,,., -. ,est .of the Union; with on


Sanitation. II came to Washington, and un-
I der extraordinary circumstances succeeded
/ to the presidential chair. What then the
4 CONGRESS of the United States had ajourned
without prescribing any plan. then pro-
lceeded, as / had done in my own state, I'M
der the direction of the government to re-
store the other States, and how Gid we pc
gin? We found that the people had no
courts, and we said to the judges, the district
attorneys and the marshals: Go down and
hold your courts. The people need the tri-
bunals of justice to be opened. Was there
ANYTHING wrong in thatg The courts were
opened. What else? We looked out and
saw that thepeople down there had no mails.
They had been interrupted and cut OH by
the operations of the rebellion.
We said to the Postmaster General, !" let
the people have facilities for mail commune
cation, and let them begin again to under
stand what we all feel and think-that we
are one people" Helooked out again and saw
/ that there was a blockade-that the custom
houses were all closed-he said: ''Open the
doors of the custom-house and remove the
blockade Let trade, commerce, and the
pursuits of peace be restored" and it was
done. We thus travelled on, step by step,
opening up custom-houses, appointing col
Iectors, establishing mail facilities, and re-
storing all the relations that had been inter
rupted by the rebellion. Was there anything
undertaken to be done here, that was not au-
thorized by the constitution
What was justified by the great necessities
of the case, that has not been already conso-
nant with the Constitution and with the ge
MUS and theory of our government p
| CHEERS What remained to be done? One
other thing remained to demonstrate to the
civilized and pagan world that we had pass
ed successfully through the third ordeal of
our national existence, and proved that our
government was perpetual. A great prin-
ciple was to be restored which was establish
ed in our revolution when our fathers were
contending against the power of Great Bri-
tain, what was one of the principal causes
of their complaint? 1t was that they were
denied representation. They complained of
taxation without representation. [Cheers.
One of the great principles laid down by
our fathers, and which fired their hearts, was
that there should be no taxation without
representation.
How then does the matter stand? Who
has been usurping power? Who has been
defeating the operation of the Constitution,
and what now remains to be done to COM
plete the restoration of these States to all
their former relations under the federal gov
eminent, and to finish the great ordeal
through which we have been passing9 1t is
to admit representation. [Cheers. And
when we say admit representation, what do
we mean! We mean representation in the
Constitutional and law abiding sense, as was
intended at the beginning of the Govern
ment. And where does that power lie2 The
Constitution declares in express terms that
each House, the Senate and House OF Repre-
judge Of the returns of election and qualiica-
lions OF its own members.
1t is for each House to settle the question
under the Constitution and under the solemn
sanction of an oath and can we believe that
either House would admit any member into
its body to participate in the legislation of
the country who was not qualified and fit to
sit in that body and participate in its pro-
ceedings? They have the power-not the
two houses, but each house for itself. The
Constitution further declares that no State
shall be deprived of its equal suffrage in the
Senate of the United States without its con-
sent. Then, where do we stand? All that
is needed TO finish this great work of resto-
ration, is for the two Houses respectively to
determine these questions. "Oh," but some
will say, a traitor might come in" The
answer to that is-each House must be the
judge, and if a traitor presents himself can
not either House know that he is a traitor,
| [applausel and if he is a traitor can they not
kick him out OF the door, and send him
back, saying to the people who sent him,
you must send us a loyal MANI" Cheers,
and voice" that's the logic" Is there
any difficulty about that [Cries of no,
no. If a traitor presents himself to either
House, cannot that House say to him no,
you cannot be admitted into this body-go
back, we will not deny your people the right
of representation, but they must send a loyal
representative Cheersl
And when the States do send loyal repre-
sentatives. can you have any better evidence
of their fidelity to the Constitution and laws2
There is no one learned in Constitutional
law who will say, that if a traitor happens
to get into Congress, the body cannot expel
him after he gets in. That makes assurance
doubly sure, and confirms the action of the
government to the Constitution of our faith
ers. Hence, say, let US stand by that Con-
stitution, and in standing by it, the covenant
will be preserved.
While l have been contending against
traitors. and treason, and secession, and the
dissolution of the Union, have been con-
tending at the same time against the con-
solidation of power here. Cries Of good.
think the consolidation of power here is
equally dangerous with the separation of the
States TCheers. The one would weaken
US, and might run into anarchy, while the
other would concentrate and run into mon
archy. [Cheers, and cries of Can't do it'll
Oh, but there is an idea abroad that one man
can be despot-that one man can be a
usurper; but that hundred or two hundred
men cannot. Mr. Jefferson, the Apostle of
Liberty, tells US, so does common sense, that
| tyranny and despotism can be exercised by
many more vigorously and more tyrannical-
| ly than by one.
What power has your President to be a
tyrant9 What can he do2 What can he
originate Why, they say he exercises the
veto power Laughter. What is the veto
powera A voice, ITO put down the mig
ger" Laughter.
Who's your President? p Several voices
ANDY Johnson.~ Is he not elected by the
people through the electoral college2 The
President is nothing more than the tribute
of the people His Office is tribunitial in its
character In olden times when tribunes
were first elected in the Roman republic,
they stood at the door of the Roman Senate.
which was then encroaching on the popular
rights and putting the heel of power on the
necks of the people, The people chose a
tribune and placed him at the door of the