The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1866-08-16

mitted to Congress upon the same terms
as the other States. Congress holds
that the Legislative and the Executive
department. of the Government is the
rightful judge of the situation, and
that the public safety requires another
condition as the necessary complement
of those already accepted, and opposes
admitting any late insurgent State to
an equal share in the Government un-
Til it adopts the amendment proper.
tionlng representation to voters, and
excluding from Congress certain con
spicuous offenders. The object of this
amendment is of vital Importance. To
state it is TO prove it, for it proposes
merely that no State which has Iricd
to destroy the Government shall, as Il
result OF its abortive effort, gain in
creased power in the Government.
There is no difference in principle
between the President and Congress,
although there is that difference be.
tween him and the Democratic party
which denies the right 10 impose any
conditions whatever But the Presi-
dent has done it. 1t was the necessity
of the case, and he could not help it,
Ri ther South Carolina had a right to
demand to resume her old share in the
Government without accepting the f.
Emancipation Amendment, or revoking
her act of secession, or repudiating her
rebel debt, or sbo has no right to de.
fnand it until she has satisfied any 9TH
er condition which the Government
may require for the same purpose of
security to the Union. The President,
indeed claims that his conditions are
the only constitutional terms that can
be asked. But that is merely his o.
Ipinion. Nobody denies that every
State enjoying equal rights in the I'm
ion is entitled to representation. But
the very issue is, when and upon what
terms State which has failed in con
spiracy to destroy the Union may
safely resume its equality of rights
within it. The President insists that
his terms are sufficient security. Con
gress insists that something more is
necessary to make them secure. The
country will decide between them.
We believe that Congress will be
overwhelmingly supported; we do not
doubt that the country feels its propo
sition to be wiser, and knows that the
aseendency OF the Democratic party
would be an incalcuable disaster. 1t
is neither extravagant, nor unfriendly,
nor dangerous, nor impolitlc, to insist
that no State engaged in the late rebel
lion shall resume its national relations,
until care is taken that it shall OF
have gained political power by the re-
belion. If any such State refuse to
accede to proposition so intrinsically
Just and so unprecedentcdly moderate,
can it fairly accuse the loyal Union
men of the country Of wickedly eXclu-
ding it from Congress, and dangerous
ly delaying reunion? The almost uni.
versal testimony Of the best witnesses
of the condition of the late insurgent
section--the tone of its leading and
popular journals and addresscs--thc
evidence of conspicuous. rebel leaders
before Congress their frank, private
avowals and conduct, and the result of
local elections, allshow that the hos
tility to the Union, in which the South
crn citizens of this generation were
bred, has not-and it is not surprising
that it has not-been torn out of them
by terrible war which has devastat-
cd their homes and ruined their pro-
pcrties. Justice, policy, humanity,
every wise and generous considera.
ton, demand that they be not, there,
fore, harshly repelled and denied
fellowship in the Union. But the same
conclusive reasons certainly rcquirc
that they shall not have gained in
creased power in the Union. They
and their purposes and policy are not
new to the country They are devot-
ed, willy, audacious. A great party
stands ready to act with them They
are, indeed, for the moment PROSTATE,
but they are not poworless; and as the
Union takes them into its bosom again
to renew their life, it is not unkind
nor unwise lift seeks to guard against
its sting Hdrper'S Weekly. q
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