, 1866-04-18
RECONSTRUCTION.
Status OF the Insursent States.
I've Plans OF Recona1ruckioN Refoto
CGbgreAa-One Of them to be Adopted.
Editorial Co1respcndence.1

CtDgreAa-One OF them to be Adopted.
lEd''ortsl correspendence.l
WASHINGTON, April IL 1856.
The passage of the Civil Rights Bill laid
The foundations deep and strong for the
rche1ne Of reconstruction. All men are now
equal before the Law, In their civil rights. 1t
cnlJ remains for Congress to secure to all
their political rights. And the people must
not become impatient Large deliberative
lodics move slowly, and this matter Of read
mitting eleven insurgent states to partici-
patton in the Government, Is a delicate and
deeply important at1air Of State.
There Is q confusion Of Ideas in relation to
that they are In the Onion, aud were never
out. Others, that they went out, and are not
yet In. Some believe In the State suicide
doctrine, md others In the indestructibilfty
Of States. If the States are now In the Union
what mere do they want! The Coppesheads
are c]amoring In one breath for their adm1s.,
Sion into the Union, and In the next denounce
the Republicans for keeping them out of It!
Let US see It VIC can't find some other ex-
preston that more nearly describes the actual
condition Of the lately insurgent States. Cal.
iiornin is IN the Union, bnt Mexico Is out.
Before the Mexican war California was out Of
the Union. Since then she is In. So is Texas
and New Aexico-both formerly Mexican
Territories. All parts Of North America
under the Jurisdiction Of this Government
nre In the uniou.- All territory subject to
the Constitution aud laws OF the United
States is in the Union. The eleven rebel States
are under hnt not in the Government. The
jurisdiction Of the United States embraces
them, though they are not Dow allowed to
part]cipatein ID National legislation. The loyal
States arc in the Government. Tint is, they
are participating In LEGISLATION, making aud
enforcing laws and regulations for the whole
Union. The difference, then. between the
status Of the rebel and loyal States Is simply
the hitter are in the Government, while they
are both in the Union and both bound by the
lnws. The difference is precisely TINT which
now exists between the political rights Of
white and colored man in Chicago. They
saaa, eas 'eh eth ss s:1s'; but they the %sss
man can role while the black man is
not allowed to vote. 50 Of the Statcs. The
loyal States hare vote In the affairs Of Gov
ernment, but the disloyal States canpot vote,
having forfeited that right BY reason Of their
question before Congress Is, on what condl.
tioEs shall the conquered States be let suto
| the t;oixInmenff On what terms shall they
hereafter be permitted 10 vote and partIci-
Eatc In national atinirss
From this view oi the case 1t, will be SecA
that all the States, Southern as well as North
eru-ex-rcbcl us well as stcadfast loyal, arc IN
the Union; but the fnsurgeut States are un-
der the Government of the Union, while the
loyal States arc in the Government. In other
words, thcy can rote while the rebel States
can't role
A multitude Of plans and projects Of recon-
strlc,lon are before Congress- Some in the
form OF Constitutional Amendments, others in
the shape of enabling acts, and third class
provide for reconstruction In joint resolu-
tions.
sire intercourse with members, therc are two
propositions which meet with most favor, and
the strong probabilities are, that one OF the
other OF them will finally be adopted by Con-
gress and submitted 10 the States for ratifica-
lion. The 'sJohnson policy ofreconstruc.
few Copperleads sid a little contemplate
squad Of bought up apostates from the Kepub-
| 1icsu party, who arc held In equal scor1l and
contempt by all honest men, Of whatever
party.
| are known Us Stewart plan, and Owens plan.
The former, presented By Senator Stewart, Of
| Nevada, reads us follows:
Rfsotrtu, Dc, That the following article bo pro-
Foe, 10 hc Legislatures Of the several States as
lates. Nhich, when satf.d ny thrcefprsths of aain
Legislatures, khali be valid to all tnfeuls and pur
potes As part Of eaid Consultation, viz:
l ARTICLE
l SECTION !. AL determinations among The people
canse Of Face, color ~ prev1ons condition Of eer-
aase, sie plohib,ted: bnt ihs s,aies nay sselsp.
| persons BOW roters from restrictions on sufrage
he,tai.es impoted.
ton Of war against the Union. and claims for
compsnsalioo for tlarcs em1nctpa1ed. arc void aed
shali no, he assumed nor paid BY any s.ats Or the
,Rt,ospai, Ths whenever my one Of the e,eren
States hose ants werr atelJ in ipsufEecop,
ey 60 .as ,S,
ss existed in such stssc in 1861 shall have ta'ncd
The ioreroing amendments to The Cons utntiou Of
summon and .aws tn conformity tne1ewith, ,hen,
and in that case. such state ataIl b recognized ~
nss.ng ia1y s9a yaldly resumed i, fos1ne. ,ela-
sentauves rhal he ADMITTED ln.o the two houees Of
,he National le,sklatuFe, aud \ general amnesty
.Sa 70 he ss1 a w 1s ssSsa
disabilities to which ihey nsy hsys become Liable
by tea on Of shclr connection with said tnsurscc
| tion.
Robt IT Dn1c Owen, Of Iuaiana. l have not q
copy Of 1t before me, but 10 substance It Ia As
follows. II provides for nm amendment to
TIE Constitution consisting Of - sections,
viz: -....,.
Of the United sta'es bccap<e Of 1ace color Or Pre-
s7ous condition, in respect 10 their cs1l rGhts, ara
hrseal:er prohibited.
noaIe adu, c1tzeEs Of twentyone ycaEs os agc, he-
epeeriye Of age or color, thal be endowed win tht
right OF tnflngr nj nil e!e1tont, Fedefa1 ~ vel a.
S,nsc.
SIG 5. Representation In Conercss. and electors
for i1eslden' and Vice President until the 9Th q
adnlt dizrnt ent,tled 10 e1crase the r,eht Of tuf
aee BY the ia"s ofthc respective >tatss; tnt afe1
ttat period representation shall bs bakcd On The
SEC. l. Obligations end liabilities incurred In aid
of N: u1ectton OF tcbeon, and claims for compeu
SALON o. seeount .! en,anc1paaon Of slaves. AZ
s.Essolt1d By be Stnafe and Hor,e Of R<prx1enka
nmtttd Tint whenever ~ one Of the eleven states
,hrouch it, Les1tiatue, having been int .uhorred
20 10 do By popular vote OF ~ present tlec1nrs Il
so,e under the lawt thereof ~ they c.ted In 1850
.hsu haye ratified the feserotug aneudnente 70 the
onttstntfon OF The nted 3tAIes, and hall have
nod,6ed i,s Comet tilu1ion md laws in conformity
betewtn, then. IN thaI case. euch ststc 'hsl1 be
crgc14ed ~ having fnly and va1fdtJ resumed it,
chosen rtpreseata,,ses shall a. admitted into ,he
two llouasA Of tho National Lcc,eIature; Fyorldrd
That tneh senators and AepFefentatives shall poe.
t1on and laws Of the Cnlsea siate.."
The attentive reader will perceive that
there Is marked difference between those
two policies Of reconstruction. The frat
(stcwart's) provides that there should be NJ
Determinations among the people because Of
right of suffrage. Each State is left free TO
attach whatever qualifications it pleases to
the night Of voting, whether of intelligence OF
property, or both; bnt 1t must mike no dis
elimination in favor Of one or against another
class Of citizens; they must all be allowed to
10 he The t1rHar1 of ]fcu tf0NF
II the lcadfng and writing test shall be re.
gufred Of the black man. 1t must also be re-
4uired OF the white man except that this
provision shall not work disffnncnisement ot
any person DOW entitled to vote. It is not to
be retroactive, but prospective. The amend.
mcnt, II adopted, applies to all the States,
North as we'll as South.
The enabling act attached provides that
whenever any of the ex-rebel States shall
have ratified those amendments and modified
Herewith, it eba1l be admitted into full par.
ticipation In the Government, and universal
amnesty shall lie granted 10 all rebels from
Jet: Davis down. There Is very serious op.
position 10 Congress 10 the universal amnesty
clause. Many members declare TINT they
will never consent to letting any rebel who
held scat in Congress and seeded In 1861
resume his seat In the National Legislature.
It Is probable TINT Senator Stewart will mod.
ify this part OF his proposition to meet the
views OF members, opposed TO tcadmittiug
absconding members, who went out to en-:
gage In rebellion.
Tue other -Owen's-propos to allow
the States to withhold tho suffrage from the
coiored citizens for ten yearn, but after thh,
period they shall all be voters, the same a.
the whites are now. But In the interim, those
States which deny to them the right of suf
iragc shall have their electoral vote and thefl
representation In Congress reduced to The
white basis. When 1t is objected, that ter
years withholding the suffrage from the col
ored men Is too long pcriod,l Is replied thai
it Is LETT discretionary with the States 10 con