Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1866-03-02

State He was further required Ia nrs-
scribe such rules and regulations as might
be necessary for cOnvening the oonveu-
ton, composed Of delegates to be chosen
by that portion of the people Of that
State who were loyal to the Government
of the United States And none were 10
| be permitted to vote or to be eligible to q
seat In the convention, only those who
had taken the oath prescribed In the am
| nesty proclamation of that date, and pos
sessed the qualifications of a voter by
! the constitution aud laws in force in
that State on the Goth day Of May 1861,
| the date Of the so-called ordinance Of
/ secession. ..
Ofcourse, Mr.. Chairman, there are ir-
! regularIties in this plan that a technical
/ lawyer who has devoted himself for a
| lifetime to the quiobbles of his profession
would be likely to criticise and eeusure.
The practical statesman, however, in
great emergency is required to rise above
the narrow views Of the profession --
There is a law of necessity, anterior to
lll written constitutions and written laws,
that in the cOnvulsiOns Of society must
md often does regulate and govern the
conduct Of those In authority. Upon
the suppression of the rebellion, so far as
civil government was concerned, chaotic
confusion reigned in the so-called coDted
crate States. The pretended ordinances
of secession and all athority and acts un-
der them being a usurp1tIOn, We're null
and void The constitution and laws in
force at the time of their adoption, inca
pable ofapnihilation by force OF. violence,
mad lost their vitality in the absence Of
the proper machinery of the Government
to execute and administer them.
A restoration of order and civil govern
meut out Of the chaos and confusion that
prevailed in those States, would necessa-
rily encounter technical irTegularity,
whether conducted by the legislative or
the executive department of the Govern
ment
Let us nov ook for a moment at the
condition Of affairs at the time Mr.. J ohm
son entered upon the discharge of his
official duties. The war was substantially
ended Lee had surrendered his army to
General Grant, and the remaining militia
~ force of the southern cOutedeTacy was
rapidly melting away. The Constitution
al amendment abolishing slavery had been
proposed by Congress, but whether its
ratification by the necessary number of
States to secure it's adoption could be OBJ
tained was a question, to say the least,
that excited the fears as well as the hopes
of the loyal men of the country. The
emancipation proclamation was a military
measure wv hat its effects would be in
some sections of the rebel States, IN abol-
ishing slavery where the relation Of mas
ter and slave had not been severed by
military force. when the war was over, and
the local and municipal law sustaining
chat relation restored, was a question on
which even President Lincoln seemed to
have his doubts. Secretary Seward, IN
his Auburu speech before the presiden-
tial election, In allusiOn to this question,
said it would be one for the decision Of
the legislative councils and the judicial
tribunals of the country.
This monster crime against humanity
had shocked the moral sense of the world
and deluged a nation In blood. In view
Of the desolatiOn and sacrifices 1t had
caused, all good men felt that the only
safe and sure guarantee for our future
safety and peace was to make irreVOoable
the destruction Of this sum Of all villain
les With this cause Of the war removed,
the great mass Of Union men believed the
two sections Of the country, like kin
dred drops of water would mIngle into
one" The President at once took a firm
aud manly position. lie said 70 the
South, lie the most emphatic and author
itatiye manner, IN the work Of recOnatrUc-
tion you must acknowledge and recog-
uize the fact that a state Of war has freed
vour slaves. In this bold, humane, and
patriotic position he never faltered, and
to-day we are a nation Offreemeu. No
slave breathes our air; THE moment his
feet press our soil his limbs swell beyond
the measure of his chains, and he stands
regenerated, and dinisenthrall-
ed by the genius of universal emancipa
ton" This, Mr. Chairman, is one Of the
fruits or that irregularitys The rebel
States during the war had contracted uu-
told millions Of Indebtedness, which the
President required them, by an amend
ment to their constitutions, to repudlate.
AnOtheg technical irregularity. A re-
peal Of the ordinances of secession was
another.
These are the fruits Of tbet irreguIari-
~. 1t would have been just as easy for
the President to have said to those States
Take your constitutions and laws IN
force at the time ofthe adoption Of the So
called ordinances of secession, and re-
construct civil governments upon their
Drinciples aud in accordance with their
provisions 1t would have been GER
tainly technically more regular, but by
such "a proceeding unamuestled rebels
would have been restored to the posses
sion Of the local governments, i he poll
CIV Of the President seemed to be to inter
fere as little as possible with their for
mer system of government, and 90 the
same time secure the necessary guaran-
tees for future pace. The proceeding
of the baroQs of England at Runnymede
In the thirteenth century, ia eEtOrting
from King John the Great Charter, the
Foundation Of English liberty, IN a tech
meal point Of view was certainly one Of
preat irrerularity. Their defense was,
great occasion forced upon them tho ne
cessity fer such proceeding for their safe
nv. and that event forms the greatest,
epoch Ia English history, and its lntu-.
snce upoa the happiness Of mankind will
be felt down to the last syllable Of re-
corded time.
In considering the policy of the Presi-
dent it must be remembered that 10 all
the rebel States civil governments have
been established and the provisional gov
ernments have been Withdrawn, except In
the State of Texas A large military esg
tablishment and the Freedmens Bureau
are still retained TO enforce obedience to
the law as Well as protection to freedmen.
How long it may be necessary to conln-
ue military garrisOus and the Freedmen
Bureau Ina those States time, an essential
element In all roformatious, can alone de-
terniue As soon as the Government
can Be relieved of their expense, IN safe
tv to the country, am in favor OF their
withdrawal. butin this matter my policy
is Ito make haste slowly" And for the
time being. at least, 1 am opposed 20
their withdrawal.