Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1866-12-03

Hoa drenchieg the land IN hood aod. nfter
this ,errtele consest for nsuceai existence, -
reconstruct u on such enduring corner -stoas.
that pcstrrity should resiIze 90 the --latest syi-
Liable Of recorded time. that our Ss,iec heroes
But four months rsace we sef, ,sy- oap,,o,.
and yetAew crowded with events. TIE bloody
md wicked massacre "a New Orleans, the v~ry
week afser our adJournDent and the enuAof-
paiIisiinx the quit OF the merderers. and
charging i've grave responsthtlfty On tbs Oos-
efess OF the United SIsse<. toe two great Pn.-
soetfon Oon veatoas, one memorable Tor IA
hank acknowiedement thai those Who d.
nouofed Congress were really arm an arm ws,e
the men. who. trampiing on broken oatss, bad
eouEnt 20 destroy the nation . lffe, and the Other
nonoree y We psesenee Of the faithful Loyal
ists, who. Whea the storm OF treason swpp,
over their States, refused to bow the knee 20
BaAl; the expslsson from once Of thousand,
President, tovhon. more than any other
equal number Of men. the present Ad-
mfuisratsoa was ia0eoted Tor the power a
70 the principles pross.sed ~ m. suee sT
candidate for Vice President 80 the CANVASS OF
ie6<-the hundreds OF speeches Of the Presi-
dtst,ai tour throughout the land. and their
repuoiic,tion an millions Of ccPses OF all our
prsminent preeeee. bringing the iseaes 70 tn
hearthstone Of every voter-the m aguiacent
spouse OF the people, from ocean TO ocean. con
denntng the policy Of which they n I'd heard 81
much, and attestine their unsh sken con ndeacs
IN the Congress. vhtch had stood so faithful
ly. 20 fearlessiy, and 80 imm ovabiy. IN the
pathwsy OF duty and OF rieht-bow rapidly
have we been making history IN theee past
few months. Thank God, In this land, the
people are the only rulers. Every two year,,
they resume their sovereignty. and =, the
haliot-box-eiven 20 them by the Dead OF the
Revoiuttoo, they mage and unrnake Don
greesee-they approve OF condemn Admins
trations-they speak their wiii-they cs--a-6
and ongresses and Presidents must obey
We return. then. 20 these halle 90 carry out
ana enforce this decision OF the rulers % the
naton-the people. No man can misusd>r-
tied by them beyond all controversy.
That the work of reconstruction must b.
an the hands OF those who have been the
Trends, not the enemies, Of the nation; thai a.
must be based the granite OF LOYALTY sad
not the quicksabds OF disIoyalty; ana thai
those whose wicked leadership aud guilty r.
eoonsrX ,nto ,he hioo ons pranere peacefol
shall not be clothed with the power 20 legislats
Tor the widows and orpbans-tbe kijh soc
hn-of the men they have slain in they At
tempt 20 stay the nation itself
3 That the promise OF Abraham Laucoln, IN
his immortal proclamation, that the freedom
OF our enancipafed millions should be main
fainec, must be fulfilled both In letter anc
spirit and guaranteed beyond any power OF
abrIogment In our supreme law: forbiddfng
by any unfriendly State with the
privileges an INN iiee OF the liberty granted
by the whole nation 70 sii its people.
3 That no persons shall be disfranchised in
this Republic on account Of their race. and ye,
political power on those DISTINGUISHING them
=. That the national debt. the cost Of our ms
tonal existence, shall be forever sacred and
= at all debts or claims growing out OF the
belIion or the breaking OF letters that ended a..
shall be forever held illegal or VOID.
Aid the people also declared as their desire
ana VIII that Congress should enforce this de-
cIsion OF their by appropriate legislation
Free as these few but vital points were from
every confederation of revenge or malice, look
ing only ss they dad TO public justice AID pub
N Syo vnn eH.w
u was certainly 20 have been expected tha;i
there was IN the re gion where those who had
warred on the country so bitterly sui sor-
svsv, any returning love for the Union any
sorrow fer their crimes, these essential re
qnirements would have been assen;ed 10
promptly. or, IL not promptly, ~ least soon IS
But on the contrary, they are spurned ana
scornfully rejected by those who control pub
lie opinion and WELD political power in III
South; and the recent election OF most con-
spIc-ous secessionists In North Carolina Al
aoama, Arkansas. &e., with the hostile mes
sages OF their Governors. is their defiant reply.
,hey show that they insist on representation
IN Congress and the Electoral College. for All
the four millions Of their former slaves, thus
Ascending 10 enlarged and increased law-msk-
ing power in conseq uence Of the Rebellion
W hile, AZ the same time, they not only dis.ran-
chiss them and refuse then the rights and BRO
lection Of citizenship. but by drsgraceful and
oppressive laws, preten cling 70 regulate Labor
and 10 punish vaSrancy, reduce
Ihose whom the nation made free, 70 subser-
yiency and serfdou, bat little IL any better
Yet, while we cannot compel them 20 ap-
prove The Constitutional Amendment our duty
o the Nation, 20 Justice. 20 Liberty, aud 70
humanity, Is none the less. And, expo
nents OF the peoples will rs we are we cannot
avoid that duty. Indeed, we may see in II The
1nger Of Providence. Like our fathers, we
han we knew. In the earlier Stage of the
" AZ. how willingly would an overwhelming
majority Of the people have consented 20 per-
traitors had taken from our lips the bloody
,haiice OF civil war, which they com PEELED Us
@ Grain 70 its very dreEs. But God wiiled
And a. last, when every family
Iltar had been crimsoned win blood, and
very cemetery and church-yard crowded
rith patriot grsvee, the nation rose 70 q higher
.iane OF duty, and resolved in these Halls TINT
Then The storm cloud Of war passed away
ioSe smile shone on our banners. Victory
fter victory blessed our gallant armies, and
'ation 20 the Union and freedom 20 the slave
'ince then we have been earnestly struggling
or reconstruction on SEINE during and loyaI
ounoarion. STUN bin blocks have Impeded
ur progress and when, 80 last, q mild ana
nagnanImous proposition Is made, en- oodyInr
20 con fscaiion, no oauishnent no penalties OF
ne onendeo law. we are oar1ed BY hardening
4 heart against NJ as Inexplicaole as II seems
removable Does it not seem rs IL again the
,reator Is leading us in HIS way rather than our
Va n III ~ VIC uEu OOre u uOb u
pom ms that He again reQufres the Nation 20
onquer lite prejudIcek; thai as He, 80 far above
Is. has put all human beings under an equali-
J before the Divine Law, and called them all
His children, He demands thar shall ppt
II under sn equality before the human law,
o that every one IN the region, poisoned oy
ne influence Of slavery and the principles Of
reason. shall be clothed with all rights neces-
airy for the fullest and sprest self protection
gainst tyranny, outrage and wrong, and not
Ell defenceless ~ the mercy Of those. who 50
one exhibited no mercy 70 the Governnelt
hey sought TO destroy.
The question naturally arises, how car this
V done Surrounded by these able jurIsts ana
'atriotic statesmen, returning here, as they do,
rowned with an unparalleled popular inaorse-
nenf. n might not Be rirting 10 anticipate their
reuments on these vital themes N the session
ust opening. But when the Constitut,oa de-
laree in Its opening ss2tence, that AL legis-
aiive powers herein granted shall b vested
q . Congress OF the United Sates
rhen IL soiemnly en- Osns that " the United
states sAoyi guaranty to every STATE In
his Union republicsa form Of goyerament"-
nd when IL gives toCon gress full authority
10 make all laws which shall - neces-
airy and proper for carrying into execution all
,owers vested by tSAs Constitution N the Gov