Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-10-02
what, Will Won Les Ihe HEebcls
Rule?

what, VIII Won Les uho AkeDeAS
Rule?
AS an Offset to the argument that the
Southern States are entitled as States to
representation in Congress, Radicals ask,
with an air of indignation, what will
YOU let the Rebels Rulee" %
One important fact seems to be lost sight
Of on all hands. That is, that the South
has asked nothing-has not asked, and does
not now ask, to be represented In Congress.
Everything the South has done since she
abandoned her effort to get OUT of the
Union to establish an independent Govern
ment, she has done on being solicited to do
so, and for the purpose of, showing that
she was animated by a desire to dutifully
remain inthe Union. oa5 Jn H Oh
BY President JOHNSON the South was
told that by Rebellion she had been de-
priyed of all Civil Government. Did the
South murmur at this declaration? Not at
all. The President told the South that the
first step necessary to be taken In the res
toration of Civil Government TO them, was
for him to appoint Provisional Governors.
Without objection they accepted these Gov
ernors. The President asked Them to elect
delegates to Constitutional Convention,
for the purpose of adopting the constitu-
tional amendment forever abolishing slave
nv, renouncing secession and repudlatlng
the Rebel debt. This was all done with
out a murmur. 'A 'l9 sl.i..a.
The President then asked the South, as
| additional evidence of good faith, to elect
Senators and Representatives to the FEEDER
| al Congress. This she also did,. Up TO
| Washington she sent her Senators and Rep
resentatives when Congress assembled
Congress refused to pass upon their creden-
tials-refused to consider the States they
were elected to represent in the Union.-
| The Southern Senators and Representatives
then returned to their homes; but the South
does not complaln-does not manifest an
ger at being denied representation-does
not exhibit anxiety to be represented. And
had 1t not been that President JOHNSON
asked her to send Senators and Represent
atives to Congress, she would not have
done 30. Had she refused to respond to the
request of the President in this particular,
she would have rendered herself obnoxious
to the charge of contumacy.
The Philadelphia Convention of the l4th
of August was not a movement that orig
mated with the South. 1t had its origin
with Conservative Republicans. To that
Convention the South was invited 10
send her representative men for the pur-
pose of giving to the country faithful
statement of her feelings toward the Union
and the Federal Government. She could
not decline the Invitation without
subjecting herself to the charge Of
being indisposed to- accept in good
faith the issue of the war. At that
Convention her delegates were asked
to put into the form of resolutions and an
address what she mejitated in the future.
This they did without hesitation. To en-
during Union they pledged her. Secession
they renounced for all time; Slavery they
consigned to everlasting extinction; the
good treatment of the Freedmen they guar
anteed; their obligation to contribute to
the payment of the Federal debt they rec
ognized; theservices OF the Federal SOL
diers and Sailors they honored. ,ss
All these things the South has done, not
through arrogance or dictatorial spirit
not to get control of the Federal Govern
ment-not through desire to rule over the
Northern people; but because 1t was inti-
mated to her that something of this sort
was necessary to convince the people of
the adhering States that she would heLce-
forth do her duty cheerfully as good MEM
Der of the Union. . ,-.',.
If the Northern people will not accept
what the South has done-if her renunci-
alton Of Secession for the future and the
extirpation of Slavery-is not satisfactory,
and they shall insist that the South must
accept the Negroes as their rulers before
they can be allowed to resume the exercise
of their right OF, representation in the
Union--there is no existing evidence that
the South intends to concern herself spe-
cially about the matter. The indications
are unmistakable that SO long as the Fed
eral Government shall not resort to force
to cause her to make voters out Of the Ne
groes, she will go along quietly attending
to her home interests the best she can un-
der the poverty aud desolation that has
been inflicted upon her. She can stand
the disunien that is forced upon her by the
Radicals just as long as our people can
stand it. a .,.,,st.e..a .,l..