The day book. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1857-1867, 1866-05-03
THE MOUNTAIN ANDTHE MOUSE.

the so-called committee ON reconstruction
has given to the world the result of its labors.
Composed Of fifteen members of the Con-
gress now sitting at the Capitol, aud selected.
as we may suppose, on account Of their SUI
perlor wisdom and statesmanlike qualifca-
tons, it must naturally be looked on as the
exponent of the wishes and feelings rs we'll
as the measure Of intellect and political capa-
city of the representatives Of the North.
Such being the case, the world might have
expected, from them, resolutions combining
craftsmanship and generosity, such as would
have tended to re-unite our distracted country,
to heal the wounds inflicted in four years
war, to lessen animosties and re-establish
mutual confidence between the two sections.
One Of the principles for which the people
of the North contended, was, that no State
had right to secede, and to maintain that
principle they fought and conquered The
South, beaten by overwhelming numbers,
succumbed, and frankly owning their inabili-
ty to leave the Union against the will of the
North, agreed to the abolition of slavery in
all the States and tbs reputation of all debts
contracted for war purposes. They expressed
their desire and readiness to resume their sus-
pended relations with other States and to sup
port and abide by the Constitution. But
what does this committee say to them You
put yourselves out of the Union, and out Of
the Union you shall stay, unless You agree
to such terms as shall guarantee to our party
the supremacy of power and the retention of
the fat Offices of Government thereunto apper-
tanning
These men pretend that they have dropped
the question of equality Of political rights
for their pet negro, because they have put off
the evil day for ten years; but, although this
association is not immediate in its effects it
none the less undertakes to control the inter-
nal and domestic concerns of the States con-
trary to both the spirit and the letter of the
Constitution. Again, the different Southern
States are so to amend their laws that no one,
who has given voluntary aid OF comfort to
the rebellion, shall be allowed to vote for
members of Congress, until 1870. They will
graciously allow these rebels to vote in their
own State for their own, acknowledgements,
and by thus killing off the votes OF ninety
five out of every one hundred, they could, of
course, control the elections, and would,
doubtless, welcome to the Halls of Congress
set of men bound to support them and their
party and misrepresent the States they came
from.
What can these men have seen in the
Southern people, to make them think for one
moment that they would submit to such deg
radiation, or that they could not see through
such shallow devices Of what benefit could
such representation be to us To accede to
such terms would justly make us objects of
contempt and laughing stock to the rest Of
the world. These resolutions, 80 deficient in
real craftsmanship, 80 unfit to bring about re-
conciled and true Union, areevidently another
dodge of the fanatical party now holding
the reins of power in Congress, whereby they
hope to prop up and strengthen themselves,
and thus be enabled to retain the emoluments
Of Office and crafty their malice and hatred
Of the South
Fhe pages of history, even in the barbar-
GUS times, cannot show an example where a
conquered people have been more ruthlessly
and pertinaciously trampled on than we have
been by those calling themselves our brothers.
Even Attila, the scourge of God, who in his
onward course spared none, ceased TO perse-
cute when his enemies were conquered; aud
the Normans, after the conquest never crush
ed the Saxons as the mad 2ealots of the North
seek to crush the heroic people of the South
No if we cannot be properly represented
now, if we cannot manage and order the do
nestic affairs Of our States ourselves, if the
rights guaranteed to us by the Constitution be
denied us, let us not become puppets in the
hands Of our enemies, Let lis oppose pa
tient and passive resistance to their acts of
tyranny let that noble courage and endurance
SO we'll proved in the late struggle stand us in
better sense and feeling Of the President and
the majority Of the people of the North will
soon prevail, and that the next election will
deprive the unconscionabie partizaus of place
and power to injure and insult any more
Even should these resolutions Of this COM
uittee pass both houses in the same way as
the civil rights Bill, and become ''so-called"
amendments to the constitution, we cal con-
sole ourselves with the knowlege that all such
amendments are Illegal and unconstitutional,
lnasmuch as thjrtenn States not having any
representatives, there could not be two
third vote of the whole States given. Such
bill as the reconstruction committee report,
can only emanate from the brains of Mono
maniacs or persistent enemies. still greedy for
IL. L..