The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1866-11-16


~ '''e'l Te-admisSion in congress. what
II 'l,'' Tile President to appoint pro-
''',o''a! @o'erllorS. and call conventions.
ana tell them on wAat conditions etc etc
!''ey can return to the Union If there
Is soc' power. gentleman. in whom does
1t rest ! That is the question but il j.
one upon which | need not dwell at length
ior IL has been clearly expounded hv the
gentlemen who have preceded me. Whose
government is this? We have priled om
selves upon having a government which
was emphaticaly V the government of the
people, that this was government wher,
the power rested in the people themSelve,
ana congress In he representative of the
people. gifted with power by the people tC
make laws for them. The people elect
Their representatives to meet and make
Their laws for them and this assembly i.
the assembly Of the people, The congrcS.
OF the United States. forms and contri.
buteS the real law-making power of th,
peQpIe OF the United States. and if any
body has right to impose conditions up
on the representatives of the late rebellion.
states 1t Is the law making power of the
government and not the executive pow
cr.
Now whether it be true or not that these
states have ceased to be rcbelliouS. it /,
surcl y true that they did rebel. and that
their practical relations a. states toward
the general government mad ceased and
became annul!ed. This i the language OF
President johnson himself. that all civil
government in these states had been de-
Stroyed and that new civil Government
was TO be set up. Now, in what depart
m"nt OF the government did the power
rest TO do this! ! Whose business and duty
was 1t to restore these governments Wa.
1t the IaWmakin@ power of the govern
ment. or was 1t the cr,cmor of the law
I'll" man who holds the highest position
lii the United States Is appointed hv til,
people to carry out and do the will ol the
people, to execute their will merely. II
1t has always seemed to me that no posi-
bic question could arise upon this point
rs 10 III what portion OF the government
rested the reconstruction power There
does not seem to me to be room for /:
-in@lc reasonable doubt. AMI for Andrew
tomSon.thc executive officer OF the nation
to take this matter ont of the hands o
congress, AMI out of the hands Of the peo-
pie whom congress represents. l. nothiu.
short OF rank and downright u~urpatiu.
IN his part. When the rchrlIion was in.
auguralcd and until armed rebellion wa,
conquered AMI rebels vanqui~hed the exc
cutivc officer. tS commandrr-in-chirt. ha,
Il RIGHT. 4 perfect ri "ht. TO impose coEij
.;""s an th.. tn.. It the :u~rrvd rebellion
having ceased. the military power Is hrol,
en-, and the ilApo>in" of conditions res,
with the Legislative power OF the govern
mrnt-and not with the man who head,
the military power during a revolt. an,
no more business to undertake To e-tabli~I
u pri vlncial government III any one o
these states than had II was Il matter
tIIat belonged exclusively to congress an,
to that alone But we are rot disposed
to cavil with Mr.. Johnson upon that point
So far ;> he has imposed conditions upol
them. so far Is he required them to re
pudiate the rebel debt, we say amen
His work is so far complete. but in n,
manner ahriIgc> the power of congress
nor the rights or duty of congress. |
farther conditions are necessary in order
to make the union SAFE. and in oricr /,
secure to the loyal people of the govern
mcnt. the effects for which they hay,
carried on long and bloody war. it i
the duty of congress to see that these con
ditions are imposed. will take no NOR,
time, gentlemen. in discussing the pom
as to whose duty it was and is, 10 impo>'
conditions upon the rcbcliiouS states. |
has always seemed to me that there Wa
no question upon the subject, and no MAJ
who pretends to have any knowledge o
constitutional law. will say otherwise t'lar
that congress Is the power, and the onl,
power tor the purposes OF which | hav
spoken.
Are these conditions unjust to tn
south? Do they require any more thai
we. in Justice, have the RIGHT to dcman'
when they have rcbclled against the COY
crnment of the nation. When we hav
been required to suffer such an immen>
! loss of life, and burden the country wit
/ such an immense debt, and when - many
many homes throughout the land hav
been made dcSolatc. and mOurntul. an
sorrowtul. have we not Il RIGHT TO rcqulr
all that these constitutional amendment
do require OF them prior to their admission
into the Union Is ii any more than W
ought to require iii order TO insure tn
safety Of the loya! people ot the north
Let III look at these amendments for
very few moments in detail. The fir
amendment says:
"Ali persons born or naturalized III til
United States and subject TO the Jurlsdll
ton thereof. are citizens OF the Unite
States and of the state wherein they rcSl'it
! No state shall make or enforce any lay
which shall abridge the privileges or in
munities of citizens of the United States
nor shall any state deprive any person
life, liberty, OF property without due pre-
cess of law, nor deny to any person with
lis jurisdiction the equal protection OF til
laws
:. Now. more than ever before. is it in
portant to have an amendment to Il
.con-titu+Io.- of tho | nitpl St9tpS so th: