The Daily empire. (Dayton, Ohio) 1865-1867, 1866-08-22
BY TELEGRAPH.
Soldiers, and Sailors National
Z nrn Convention. -. u.

WAsHINGTos, August q.
10 the soldiers and sallors who served in
the army and navy Of the United States
during the late rebellioni
hipnrsuance Of a resolution II a meeting
of soldiers now or lately in the Union army,
held In this city last evening, we invite
policy Of the President and the principles
announced by the National Union COnven-
tion at PhiladelphlG b. assemble at Cleve-
land on the 18th day Of September next for
consultation on the niomeutogs issues now
convulsing our country. We need not avow
TO you at length the Importance Of the issues,
nor our duty to take part In their settle
nIent. After five years of fierce and de-
structive war, In which our arms were
|gloriously triumphant. the Union for which
we fought Is still practically unrestOred.
Why Is thlsp We struggled 10 maintain
the rightful supremacy Of the General
Government. to conquer all who In arms
disputed its authority, aud to make every
rebelliOus citizen yield to Its laws,
We held throughout the war that the
Union is indissoluble, and Its power, as ex-
pounded by its courts, supreme; that no
State can Of its own motion withdraw, or
at the will of its sister States be excluded,
and that the duty Of each State to maintain
the Union, and its right to take part In the
Governments are ulike absolute. Every
object OF the wa, ever recognized by or
known to the army and navy. has been
thoroughly achieved! The Southern peo-
pie, decimated, impoverished and subducd,
have for more than year past abandoned
the rebellion, and now unly ask that the
Union for which we fought may be reeog-
nized as existing, and that they may be
dealt with as the Constitution and laws
prescribe. In their aDxiety to restore the
Union and bring harmony TO It's councils,
they have gone beyond n mere silent sub
mission to its laws. Through their dele
gltes at the National Union Convention.
they solemnly renOunced the doctrines Of
nnlliilcatiOn and secession, from which the
war arose; repudiated the rebel debt, and
declared Of sacred obligation the National
debt; proclaimed the fifth OF. the nation
pledged to the continuance Of bUuuties and
pensions to loyal soldiers and, sailors, and
their families; declared slavery forever
abolished, and the freedmen entitled to
equal protection Of the law in. persOil and
property with their former masters.
Their platform Is notUnly one uf emphat-
iq loyalty, but is, moreover, most liberal in
spirit on all The great issues growing out
OF the war. The character of the men who
represented the Southern States in that
Convention, precludes us from belieYiog
this enunciation OF principles TO I've insin-
cere. They sent TO 1t their foremost states
men-men who, like Reeves, Graham, Orr,
Harrison. Sharkey. Houston. Brockenbor-
ongh, Hunt. Manning and Stephens, were
known throughout the land before the war
as men of the highest character and iBflil-
ehce. Among the five hundred delegates
from the South, there was not voice or
vote dissenting from the resolutions adopt
ed by the convention. If the best of the
Southern people are ever to be believed, we
must accept these solemn declarations to
be sincere. WedO accept them as conclu-
sive evidence that O great majority of the
Southern people, sick of war and anarchy,
and longing for a restoration of free gov
eminent. are ready to bear true allegiance
to the Constitution and laws of the Union.
we are, therefore, Ubwilling TO see the
Southern people held longer in vassalagc.
They are our cOuntrymen, citizens OF The
United States, who have incarred penalties.
but who have rights.
Those who willnllly participated In the
rebellion, and are unpnFtloned, arc subject
TO the penalties prescribed for treason ;but,
though individuals may be tried, convicted
and punished, communities can not, nor
can the States and their people. without a
plain violation of the Constitution, be de- |
MED the right of representation, through
men personally qualified. In the councils of
the nation. The intention of Congress
seems to be to deprive them Of representa-
ton Just so long as it suits the purpose of
the Radical party Many assert tbat it will
concede the right whenever the Constitu-
tional Amendment shall have been adop-
ted, and the prescribed number OF States
shall have ratified it; but 1t is quite certain
that the amendment will not be ratified by
three-quarters of the States, and, therefore.
that it will not be adopted. some, perhaps
many, of the Northern States will reject It
ahd we can not expect its legal ratification
by any of the lately insurrectionary States.
If there were no other reasons why the
Southern States will reject IT, 1t Is enough !
that 1t proposes 70 disfranchise nearly all
the men in the South who have Influence
oyer the masses Of the people. II none |
were TO be disiranchised except officers of
the rebel army. we still should not expect
the South to adopt 1t, for large majority |
of men In the lately insurrectionary States. |
through compulsion or choice, served In |
the rebel armies and their votes alone |
would overwhelmingly defeat IL. eWOuld
Union soldiers, to recover political privi- |
leges, disfranchise their leaders, whom |
they love and revere for their heroic yir- |
tues! How, then, can we expect Southern |
soldiers to dls1ranchise and degrade their |
old cOmmandeTsY As there Is mo possi-
bllity that the amendment will be ratified |
by three-fOurths OF the States. the plan of
restoration which Congress appears to have
on Is at best inlpracticable.
That proposed by the President and ap-i
proved by the National Convention is feasi- I
Die, and, we believe, safe, We have no fear
hat the South can overthrow the Federal
Government, or even disturb Its career of
power and glory. They will be the last of
.he States 70 rebel, and II they shall again
rise in Instruction. the loyal people can and
will subdue, and. ifneed be, destroy them.
The Government has asserted its power for
and the devastation and
misery OF the South proclaim 10 this gene
ration, at least, the crime aud the terrible
penalties of treason. Relloldlug their woes
lnd contrasting their weakness and our
we could afionl 10 show the con-
ideHce and courage of magnaAimity. We
night well let our YanqIished opponents
Lrise, and, like James Fitzjames at Cailsn-
ogle Ford, stauneh their wounds and for
rive their treason. But NE are mot asked
o he magnanimous, but only consistent
md Just. W. ElN 4tEn TrE tF II
This we cannot refuse. without viola
ion of the Cunstitutiou-o of our country and
risk of It's utter overthrow. We seek and
viii have no association In political action
With men North or South. who are not
and In our opinion sincerely
althhli 70 the Constitutional principles for
which we fought; but If men who have
aught or practieed treason now openly re-