East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1866-08-23

Jeha,fof emo department OF thegenoral
Government. 1t has been proclaimed
by Congress that, in addition to th2 !
powers conferred upon il 10y the Con-
,titution, the Federal Government
nav now claim over the States, the
territory and the people involved in the
the rights Of war-the
right Of conquest and confscation, the
light to abrcgate all existing govern
ments, institutions and laws, and to
81. Iieot the territory conquered and its
TO such laws, regulations
and doprivations as the Legislative de-
partmeut of the Government may see
e. to impose. Under this broad and
sweeping claim that clause of the
Constitution which provides that ono
State shall without its consent be de-
priyed of its equal suffrage in the SEN
ate Of the United States" has been
annulled, and ton States have been
refused, and are still refused, repre-
altogether in both branches
OF the Federal Congress. And the
Congress, in which only part of the
States and Of the people Of the Union
arc represented, has asserted the
right thus to exclude the rest from
representation, and from all share in
making their own laws or choosing
their own rulers until they shall COM
ply with such conditions and perform
such acts as this Congress thus COM
posed, may itself prescribe. That
right has not only been asserted, but
it has been exercised, and is practic
ally enforced at the present time. Nor
does it find any support in the theory
that the States thus excluded are in
rebellion against the Government, and
are therefore lrecludcd from sharing
its authority. They are not thus in
rebellion. They are one and all in
an attitude Of loyalty toward the Gov
eminent, and of sworn allegiance to
tie Constitution Of the United States.
In no one of them is there the slight
est indication of resistance to this au-
thority, or the slightest protest against
It's just and binding obligation. This
condition Of renewed loyalty has been
officially recognized by s,lnmn pro-
clamation of the Executive Depart
mont. The laws of the United States
have been extended by Congress over
ali these States and the people there
of. Federal Courts have been REQ
pened, and Federal taxes imposed and
levied. And in every respect, ex-
cept that they are denied representa-
ton in Congress and the Electoral Col
lage, the States once in the rebellion
axe recognized as holding the same
position, as owing the same obligations
and subject to the same duties as the
other States Of our common Union.
1t seems to us, in the exercise OF
the calmost and most candid julg-
ment we can bring to the subject, that
such claim, so enforced, involves as
fatal an overthrow of the authority OF
the Constitution, and as complete a
destruction of the Government and
Union, as that which was sought to
be effected by the States and people
in armed instruction against them
both. 1t cannot escape observation
that tho power thus asserted to exclude
certain States from representation, is
made TO rest wholly in the VIII and
aireetion of tha .Cqnoroas 4 at asserts
it. 1t is not made to depend upon any
specified conditions or circumstances
nor to be subject TO any rules or reg.
ulations whatever.
The right asserted and exercised is
absolute, without qualification or re-
stric;ion, not confined to States in re-
bellion, nor to States that have rebel
led it is the right of any Congress in
formal possession of Legislative author
IT., to exclude any State or States,
and any portion of tho peoplo thereof
at any time, from representation in
Congress and in Electoral College, at
its own discretion and until they shall
perform such acts and comply with
such conditions as it may dictate. OBJ
viously, the reasons for such exclusion,
being wholly within the discretion OF
Congress, may change as the
Congress itself shall change. One
Congress may exclude State from
all share in the Government for one
reason; and; that reason removed, the
next GongSses may sSslaS de It s for an
on one ground to-day, and another
may be excluded on the opposite
ground to morrow. Northern ascend.
ency may exclude Soutorn States from
one Congress jie ascendency OF
Western or of Southern interests, OF
Of both combined, may exclude the
Northern or the Eastern States from
the next. improbable as such usur-
pations may seem, the establishment
of the principle now asserted and act
cd upon by Congress will render thom
by no means impossible. The char
acter, indeed the very exis ence OF
Congress and the Union, is thus made
dependent solely and entirely upon
tho party and sectional oxigenoies or
forbcarnnces Of the hour.
We need not stop to show that such
action not only finds no warrant in the
Constitution, lat is at war with every
principle Of our Government, and with
the existence of free institutions 1t
is, indeed, tho identical practice which
has rendered Ruthless all attempts
hitherto to establish and maintain free
governments in Mexico and the States
of South America. Party necessities
assert them selves as superior to the
fundamental law, which is set aside in
reckless obedience TO their behests.-
Stability, whether in the exercise of
power, in the administration of gov
ornment, or in the enjoyment of rights,
becomes impossible; and the conflicts
of party, which, under constitutional
governments, are tho conditions and
means of political progress, are mcrg-
al II. II