The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1866-01-22

ni' Tvs possiDhty IN point of fact. as n
notnmg could be done that Is not right
Stoutiy did we declare that the States in "a.
beilion had not gone out of the Union, all the
while we were sending three million armed
men to tring them back. Between the tbeo.
ry that the rebel States were still in the I'm.
+ ion, and the stubborn fact that, for most prac-
tical purposes. they were very far out indeed.
nrrnberless complications arose. Northern
rebels were not slow to discover our plight, or
to set themselves with might and main to
: weave tighter the web Of our entanglements.
Men, wen meaning In the main, but with
sohesning on the brain which they took to be
tne constitution Of the United States. but
2 Wnicn was really only soft spot, found them
selves wound up as tight, and tied "a fast \,
the meshes OF their own and other naonla,o
casuisticai sophistries, as ever was noisy hl,a-
bottle In a spiders net. Sumner pronosad ),
cut sheer through the Gordian knot viii, ~.
doctrine 'f state-suicide, but we would ~,
let him do thing so fanatical, which wouL..
moreover have taken the argument ont of
half the mouths in the land. When any mat
ter came up for settlement, and could not be
deferred, we decided 1t sometimes according
to the pleasant theory, and sometimes accord
ing to the unpleasant fact Thus the prece-
dents becoming diverse and even antagonistic,
| confusion grew worse confounded. Now at
length several neat euphuisms have been stud
led up, and are happily coming into genera
use, supplying as they do the place of ideas, or
at least decently Disgusting the want of them;
figures of speech, which, standing for moth
ing inparticular, cannot be successfully con-
troyerted. The case of the rebel States we
have at last MISUNDERSTANDING for the time
all question of location, whether in or QUITS
not one Of death, but suspended animation
The demons going out of these Magdalen sis
tiers Of ours have rent them sore, and left them
lying as dead, but yet only in swoon. Skill
full physicians have discovered faint fiutterings
about the heart at the mention within hear
ing of such words as emancipation, manhood
suffrage and the like. The CLASSY eyes have
| even seemed to recognize the difference be-
tween such colors as black and white, or the
green of the Treasury note, and the dingy
| gray or dull red of the deflnct Confederate is
| sue. The palsied hands have been noticed to
clutch feebly at the woody head OF the servant
chafng them, and the whole carcass has dis
played extraordinary animation at mention of
vacant Office or empty berth in Uncle Sans
great hostelry. What with warm baths, mus
tard plasters, and little military galvanism.
soon restored to their normal condition. And
this is as far as we have got.
Shall we not by and by discover that our
present war of words is one of words merely,
rather than conflict of ideas? May we not,
by and by, perceive that whether the rebel
States are in the Union or not, is question
that can never be settled absolutely, but must
be answered yea or nay according to the con-
struction put upon 1.-THE meaning intended
in it? II it be asked whether public crimin-
al is still member Of society in the sense of
enjoying its ordinary blessings, and sharing Its
ordinary privileges, every body answers nos
| it in the sense of being still amenable to Its
laws, and subject to their penalties, everybody
| answers yes. If 1t be asked Ii an unlawful
act Is valid in the sense of dispensing or doing
away with the violated law, we answer, In that
sense it Is null and void but II the meaning
be, is it valid in the sense Of subjecting the Of
fender to all pains, penalties, and disabilities
prescribed for his offence, we reply, In that
sense 1t Is very valid indeed.
/ Now may we not judge and decide concern
ing several public criminals called, together
with the ground on which they live, State,
and concerning their unlawful acts against
the authority and peace Of the country, In q
| manner somewhat similar? May not rebel
lious State be in the Union, in the sense ofbe-
ing still subjectto the Constitution. and the
laws, and be nevertheless disqualified by its
misdeels and malignant disposition for share
in the government? May 1t not, as to being
governed, remain in the Union, while as to
governing it may be at least temporarily ont
1 oft? Has not this question been unequivo-
cally and emphatically answered In the affirm
4 ative by almost every act of the President, and
Of Congress for many months past? Have
not men Of the most different theories been
compelled In practice to adopt this view of the
case. As some other questions, which could
! never have been unanimously settled by any
amount of discussion, have been finally laid
to rest by the erents of the last few years, may
i we not accept concerning this one also ths
conclusions of their stern, irresistible logic?
To concede so much as has been indicated,
Is to concede all any body need ask for. If
the rebellious States are so deprived of their
rights, powers, and privileges as States, that
they cannot themselves regain them, but can
only receive them at the hands of the Feder-
al Government, then 1t matters very little what
i name may be given to their present condition,
or to the process of their enfranchisement.
, If you concede so much as has been indicated
then whether you pronounce the rebellious
States in the Union or not, their functions
suspended or destroyed, their restoration tc
: their normal condition q resuscitation or q
t resurrection, is merely matter of words and
{ names. If the country Is to restore the dis
loyal, it becomes of necessity the judge of the
$ times, means and methods to be used. If the
extreme copperhead doctrine be true, tha
States in rebellion have only to cease armed
. hostility to the government and to the coun
try to be fully restored to all their ancient privi
! leges and powers, then nobody has any rish
: to reconstruet them at all; but If the countr,
" y and government have any right to rsconstruc
!. them, they probably have Alright TO reconstruct
# them ,cell--so well that the tranquility of the
Republic and the rights of all its people shal
d be secured-so well that once doing the wora
e will be sufficient for al time. But these an
i grave themes, more suitable for heavy Leaders
e than a possipping letter. Doubtless 1t is higl
1t time to change the subject
le In the Senate ON Tuesday, the 10th inst
te Mr.. Davis, of Kentucky, delivered his justl
of celebrated speech. 1t seemed to have been re
ID yised since it was last submitted to the honor
D bIe body Of which Mr. D. Ia a member II wa