The weekly standard. (Port Gibson, Miss.) 1865-1867, 1866-01-06
From the Metropolitan Record.
A Revolutionary Congress.

4
A Revolutionary Congress.
The position already assumed by
Congress In refusing admission to the
legally selected members from the
South, places that body in direct an
tagonism with the Constitution, the
very source from which they profess to
derive their authority. The war is
over, and the plea of necessity which
was urged to justify every violation Of
citizen rights, can no longer be main
tanned. The people of the South have
accepted the condition for which it
was waged by the North, and have
through their Conventions, their Leg
islatIires, and their Governors, init
mated their desire to return to the
Union. To this they have been COM
PEELED by force, it is true, but it isnow
no less their interest, as tits their only
means of escape from the outrages of
arbitrary rule. No matter what the
motive by which they are actuated, it
is certain that they earnestlywish to re-
sumo their former political relations
with the Northern States. If the Con-
stitution is the supreme law of the
land, and if fidelity to its principles
constitute true allegiance, then upon
what pretext are the properly elected
representa- les Of a portion Of the peo-
pie ezc1aded froma a participation IN the
enactment of the laws which are to
govern the eehoIe people, South as well
as North. Is only q par ,of the counl
tryto enjoy the prerogasive of legisla-
ting for all, in other words in this here
4ter to be Union of co-equa1 States,
or Union of States and subject PROV
inces. # the latter, then it is well for
the freemen of the North to under
stand, once for all, that their Governs
ment has been converted into militia
ry despotism and their servants have
become their masters.
In refusing admission to the South
ern representatives in Congress has be-
come a revolutionary body, for al
though it is empowered tojudge of the
qualifications of its own members, it is
not at liberty to exclude those who
present as their rightful claims to adj
mission the duly certified credentials
OF the Government of the States from
which they have come According to
our accepted theory Of Government
there should be no taxation without
representation. Now while DENYING
representation to the South has it been
proposed to exempt its people from
taxation? On the contrary are they
not more heavily taxed in proportion
to their means than any other portion
OF the country, and is it not proposed
to put tax of nine cents per pound
on cotton?
But Congress not only excludes the
Southern members; it also undertakes
to control the governments of the
South by interfering with matters
which belong exclusively to the States.
The radicals are evidently determined
that there shall be no such things as
Reserved Rights, and in their policy of
Capitalization they are endeayoring,
though we hope in vain. to break down
State limits. This refusal to admit the
Representatives of seven or eight mil |
lions of American citizens is a crime
against Self-Government, and everq
member Of Congress acho sustdins or ap-l
proues Of 1t violates has oath to support
the Constitution aohich guarantees to each
State Republican form Of goUernnent
We feel positive that it will be CON
demned by the people, and that the
Radicals viii thereby accomplish their
own political destruction. The masses
sustained the war because they were
told that it was waged solely for the
of the Republic and itshould
cease the moment that the result was
but let them discover that
The Union is sacrificed for the perpetu-
ation Of party power, and reaction
viii take place that viii put an end to
Ehe Radicals. The shrewdess of them
understand this, and they viii hardly
run the risk Of sacrificing their own