The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1866-01-25

s6sr,s to msiussiu il BY wsr, virsusliy
dissolved, for The time being, their polit.
leal rel.tioss with che Federsl Govern
iens, iussmueh % these unsushorised
lets viola,ed their eonssi, u,iosst obligs-
sions, snd, on their psrt, shs conditions
0pou which 1hey were crested snd admit.
ted as members Of the Union. The trea,
son of few iudividusls, or . mere local
insurrection, would not hsvs produced
thi result But when the people en-
ssasse rsnoupce ~ their constisusionsl
rights and delibsfasely sransftrrsd their
siieeisnce to = hostile sovereignty, tsking
shsisntire power ofths Ss.te with them,
Md 3levyiug wir to maintain their new
relations, it bscsme tressoo Oh their psrt,
ilvolviug BY the established rules .of
S1sioual conduct tho ~dsssruesibilisy Of
their politicA organisations, For IL IL
manifest thss, if,hess Stairs hsd sccotn-
plished their treatonsble designs, their
political separation would have been
complete. although their territorial bvun.
daries might have ren,ained as before -
But, btitg overcome by the superior
power OF the Union, they were forcibly
retsiued within its jurisdiction in the
attitude Of = conquered people Having
with treasonsbis intent violated the sol
emp covenant by which they were origi
nally organized as States and haviug for.
feited their rights under them, they are
now in no condition to claim the ben-fi,
of these covenants, hich can oply be
renewed by tho disposition Of the federal
government, ~ the innocent and injured
party, in the exercise of ito sovereign
power.
Having thus ascertained tho true con.
dition Of thess States, under the Consti.
tuition. the question - 70 whether they
have been out of the Union becomes
mere abstraction. In lrgsl contemplation
they certsinly were NOT; for sh their sc,s
in that direction, being in conflict with
tho Constitution, became null and void;
yet it 10 nevertheless equally clear, "a =
matter Of fact, that for period Of four
years the su.hority Of the Uuion was for.
cibly excluded from these States, aud
that, during that period, they were ou'
of their constitutional orbits. Had this
condition been maintsined, and their scp
aration permanently established, then
the proposition "thst they wsre ous-of the
Union would scifcely, have gbfsp, di,puts sd;
aud may ws not therefore with equal
propriety now admit that, for oil prseti
cal purposes, these States wero not 10
the Union while this abnormal condition
existd. ~ 80
To hold, ~ many 30, that tho fuuc-
tions Of these States we're merely sus
pended, no. destroyed BY rebellion. wo' d
result in the logical conclusion that their
former condition revived when the cause
ofthat suspension was removed; shd, il
they have not been destroyed, by wha,
right do VIC now intervene IN their If
fairs, and require their governments Il
be reformed before allowing them TO re-
sumo their civil and pbltical relations
with the Union? From what source does
the President derive righ,ful authority
to appoint Governors for these States.
cen sf.rring power to e|ec. delegates and
organize constitutional conventions, pre-.
scribiug the qualifications Of electors.
and, by compulsory directions, require
them to adopt certain measures and reject
other.? He could do mono Of these things
for Pennsylvania or Iowa, and he does
them for insurgent States only ~ the su
thorized agent of constitutional .ovtr-
eighty, end because their civil vitality
has been destroyed, and they have cessed
10 exist except a. geographical bounda-
ries within the Union, contsib;ng inhsb
itants deprived oforgsnized governments.
Upon this broad and conclusive theory
the work Of restorstion has 20 far procres
sed. 1t vas the landmsrk which guided
Abraham Lincoln ID his isbors, wherein
Ne was endorsed BY the Overwhelming
verdict Of the sAmericsn people. II Is
the grand md sliding principle in &c.
cord,uce With which the r,rugg,s was
maintsioed BY u, and the Union saved,
And l hesitste not ia saying that tt
abandon it now would be % insdlt t. the
memory Of the martyrs who have fallen 10
its defense, and . diehonorsbls surrender
to the enemies W have conquered.
If the view We have taken be not cor.
rect, then the Presidents has committed
.Aagr,nt violation Of the Constitution BY
arbitrarily invading ths sovereignty Of
these Ssasss,rin the sb.enes Of war and
consequens mili.sry necessity, fo- which
he should not only Be srrairned before
the tribunsl of public opinion, bu,
deserves the penalty Of impeachment. = =
At juoc.urs 90 frsughs1 with dsnre'
to the land, honest convictions rnay Be
6tly uttered. The boldsst advocate oi
strict construction will scarcely deny the
righ.fulsess Of the power claimed and
employed By the President, yet in tbs
exsting posture Of sffairs these obvious
reasons for iss sexercise sreafsr moro I'M
portant to the country ir the adjustmrn
Of the grave quastious: before ~ than th'
mere fact thst tho power itself has been