Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1866-07-04

Is ably foolish paradox that States under the COnst
d tempted secession, the Government had no power
l. 70 prevent them from so doing And again. dur.
ing the war, when 1t became manifest to the world
slavery preserved, Mr.. Lincoln was furiously de
nOunced as usurper, tyrant and iend, for his grea
conclusion we told by the authors Of these in
e famous sayings that vanquished rebels may. and
7 ought to. without condition, hindranee or delay
return to their plates of trust profit and power in
: the Government, inst as If nothing had happened
The right to protect itself against public or Sc
eret enemies and to punish or impose conditions
upon traitors, is essential principle in every
form of government, and without It no government
E can exist In our government the law has pre-
scribed death as the punishment for treason, but
l is true in government as in every thing else, thai
the greater includes the less. The Government
may commute the punishment of death 70 imprls-
onment. 1t may remit the imprisonment ana insist
emily upon the forfeiture of political and civil
rights; and it may leave to the traitor his civil
rights, depriving him only of certain political
rights, or il may forgive the crime in all its eOnse
quenees and restore him to full citizenship. as a
living monument Of pardoning grace, Every step
that has been taken in the work of reconsrue ton
| thus far has proceeded upon this principle. And
here 1 may be allowed to remark. that reeonstruc-
ton consists Of tive distinct things which are IN
many respects Independent of each other.
First-Ihe reorganization of the State Govern
ment, in the States lately in rebellion.
Congress Of the United States.
The hrst step was undertaken by President ohm
son, and whether properly or improperly, it is now
| hardly worth while to discuss, inasmuch as the
State Governments reconstructed upon his plan
| the Reconstruction Committee. does not. as un-
derstand it. contemplate their dissolution or re-
quire their modification beyond ratifylng the Con-
| stitutiOnal Amendment, and making their COnsti
tutions and laws conform to its provisions.
President johnson in his plan for reeonstructing
the State Governments treated the rebellious in
habltants Of those States having by their tTea-
son forfeited their political and civil rights, and
i he granted them permission to reorganlze State
| Governments only upon certain conditions, and
excluded from all participation certain classes Of
persons specially designated. unless they should
/ first receive a personal and specific pardon. He
provided that no one should participate in the
work OF reeonstruction without first having taken
an oath, the terms Of which he prescribed.
he then provided that the Governments which
might be reOrganized should not be reorganized un
til they had formally abolished slavery in their
several States, had ratified the amendment of the
Constitution of the United States (which forever
prohibited slavery within the States or Territories
had reRudiated their several war debts, nor until
they had by Law secured to the negroes within their
limits the rights to sue and be sued, and testify as
competent witnesses in the Courts The second
part of reconstruction, the admission of Senators
and Representatives from the redel States to seats
in Congress is matter over which the President |
has no control or jurisdiction. The Constitution
declares that each House shall be the Judge Of the
qualifications of its own members, and in this
spect one House has no control over the other. |
claiming to be admitted as q member has been /
properly elected; OF has been elected by people
who have a right to be represented in Congress or
be entitled to sit in their body as man and equal;
for if he be convicted felOn or traitor. who has
shed the blood of loyal men in efforts to destroy /
the Government. they have right to say they will
not give him fellowship.
But beyond and above these rights. which it may |
be said are special and technical there IS the broad
and comprehensive right essentially inherent in
all Governments, to protect itself against the ma
Iignity and future Vaccinations Of vanquished |
rebels. In this work Of reconstruction. so called
two leading purposes should be kept IN view:
l. That nothing shall be done to injure or des-
troy the general theory or scheme of Government
as bequeathed to US by our fathers. i
2. That such security be taken as cal be to pre-
prevent those who have been in rebellion, but are
restored to their political rights. from defeating
necessary legislation, or bringing about legislation
tn US accomplish in the Government what they had
failed to do by force Of arms. If 1t should be
deemed essential to the safety of the Goyernment
that Senators and representatives from the States
lately in rebellion should not be admitted to seats
in Congress until the representative power OF
not by uniting with reasonable faction in the
North control tn Government and perhaps destroy
it, Congress would have the right to exclude the
members from such States until such time as the
measure Of reduction had been accomplished, pro-
vided such measure of reduction IS not IN violation
ment and is within the essential powers Of Con-
gress In this case the measure of reduction
would be an amendment to the Constitution equal
izipg the Representation in Congress, and in the
election Of President and Vice President, by TAX
ing from the white people Of the southern States
and halt of negroes whom they deprive Of poIIt-
eal rights. This measure, so tar from violating the
theory or scheme Of the Government IS IN aeeor-
lance with it, because it gives to the same number
Of people in the North an equal power with a IKE
n lumber in the South. 1t depriyes the people of
no just right, because 1t leaves to them the enjoy
ment of the same power that is possessed BY an
equal number in the North, and surely they ought
not by reason or justice to ask for more. This
measure would be accomplished by an amendment
the Constitution, which is always IN order and
proper There is nothing revolutionary IN amend
,afety-yaiye, provided by ITSELF BY which reYoIu
lions are avoided by making the instrument con-
form to the changed conditions and circumstances
1f great nation. But If It be SAID that as soon as
The rebellion was concluded, the Senators and
Representatives Of the rebelliOus States had an {
immediate right, without CONDITION, 70 resume !
e the Constitution be adopted to guard against tu-
.ure rebellioEs or the consequences OF the one I
tors from the rebel States, added to the present S
number of Democratic members, would constitute {
considerably more than one-thlrd OF tnat BODY. !
Ind would efeetually prevent the adoption OF any
amendment and would thus secure to the South |
States, perhaps for all time. the gross and wick
ID inequality of representation which they now I
possess If it shall be said that upon the eOnclu-
ion Of rebellion, rebels shall have the right to e
un from the battlefield. or tron the hoor Of a
United States in time to prevent the adoption OF I
ny amendments to the Constitution which have o
een rendered necessary BY the changed condition {
f the country, or the enactment of such laws as e
re required to preserve the future peace OF the
Ountry. it is but to repeat IN another form that
ebelliOn is no Offense. and that the Government v
as no right to protect itself from destruction by
egislatiOn or arms. ... H-. | d
III when the Government was trying to borrow h
honey to prosecute the war; it had been nouneed
hat as soon the war was over, the question OF le
laking appropriations to pay the interest il
n the money borrowed. would be referred 81
the votes Of rebel Congressmen, ask how a
iuch money could have bean bOrrOHedf IT, il
heniwe were calling Tor volunteers to NIL up the
)yal armies it had been proclaimed that the hrst "a
feet of putting down the rebellion would be TO
II up the Congress with rebel members, who I,
Ould have a rightsto vote on all questions grow y
lg out of the war, on all questions of reconstrue-
on, bOunties, pensions and military honors ask y
oE many volunteers could have been obtained? y y
on cannot be discouraged treason made odious y y
ydLty encouraged. and patriotism REGARDED, u -
hen rebellion has been suppressed re9es are Gq-
itted 10 make Ldrs for the loyal and administer he 81
Jdirs Of GOveraRleiB they hare Just jailed to de-
Tine position am combating is abhorrent to the q
)mmOn sense of every man, and violate OF every a.
rinople ofjustiee, and yet it is that upon which q
lie Democratic leaders Of Indiana have planted ne ne
do battle against the country. / am for amend II
x the Constitution so to as equaliZe the rep -
.sentation. for three reasons: -
l. Because it is measure of absolute justicein in y
ressive and inIolerahle. -
2. Because it would SO reduce the power in the 4;
OYernment Of those who have been in rebellion, ~
at they could not, BY uniting with dlSloyal ~
motion in the North, work mischief and dishonor ~
Nw
g. Because it would present to the people of the Is
)uthern States indueement to confer political :.
ghts in due time, upon large negro population Vi
their midst. which otherwise they might not IL
neede Tor many generations. lte
DEMOCRATIC PURPOSES AND POLICY. Pss
And now let US inquire what measures the Dem in
ratio party are for atrmatively. 1t is and has IN
zen opposed to what ever the Union party is in of
vor Of but has also positive and Affirmative de
,icy which it is important that the people should m
1dersand. The great and leading measure of its on
,Iicy Is the immediate and unconditional admis- n
IN Of a full representation in both Houses of set
,ncress from the rebel States that the test oath na
al be repealed; that there shall be no punish vi
snts. that there shall be no political or civil =
sabiiities imposed upon any man who has been m,
@aged in the rebellion; that there shall be no ne
oendment to the Constitution to make it conform tn
the changed circumstances of the nation; that tal
ere shall be nolegklation to prevent the recur- n
nee of future rebellion; but that Union men and III
bes Union soldiers and rebel soldiers shall be IN
Il upon a perfect equality before -de law. an Is
AT no honOrs or rewards shall be extended to the so
which are not equally bestowed upon the other bii
proOf of this last position, let refer you to ba
notorious fact that in their speeches and news wa
pers they bestOW brilliant and glowing pan ST,
yrics upon the genius and virtue of General Lee an
4 are signfcanntly silent about Grant, Sherman eu
a Sh eridan. They weep eoplously over the The
smory of StoneWau jackson, and have not thi
~ n shed for the untimey death Of Lyon. kear rai
y Mcpherson and Hackleman. They mourn pr
a., he .auffe Of /