Charles City intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Floyd County, Iowa) 1864-1866, 1866-03-01
adttstuarS tbs Course Of GmsHs takes its datap.''
CHARLES CITY, FLOYD COUNTY, IOWA, THURSDAY MARCH l.

| you now. When the difficult work of
reconstruction is to be done, they will
follow the earnest men who have
brought them safely through the night
now the morning is breaking. Call
them radicals, call them revolutionists,
denounce the reconstruction committee
ordered by Congress as you denoun-
ced Lincoln, johnson, Grant, and the
mercenary soldiery" that scared your
i rebel friends and rested like night
mares upon your coppcrhead slumbers,
and yet the nation will come up to the
great work, Congress will do it's whole
duty unawed by fear, unseduced by ia
vor. The people will sustain that Con-
gross in taking all the time necessary
to reconstruct our Union on the foun-
dations of immutable justice and equi-
ty to all classes and races under this
broad flag, and woe to him, high or
low, that stands in the way of it.
But answer you that the Constitu-
tion does not provide for it's own de.
struction it was not SO framed as to
exclude all things that were needed
for its own perpetuity. 1t provides
for putting down rebellion, for the pun.
ishment of treason, for securing repub-
lican governments to the States for
rules and regulations to govern the
Territories and other property of the
United States for raising armies and
navies, and for the common defense
These are the grand objects of the
Constitution anything necessary to
be done to carry out these objects is
constitutional 1t is constitutional to
I do all things necessary to preserve the
Constitution and the nation which it
founded. ,....-.
! 1t was constitutional to put down
the rebellion SO it is constitutional to
do all to prevent return of rebellion
to provide for the future security of
the nation. rrs. ~.
You cannot invoke precedents in
history to control our action /; the sit
uation is new. As there never was
such framework of government
such people, such rebellion, such
traitors to deal with--we have conse-
| quently no guides in the past to illu-
mine our pathway in the future. We
must do what is necessary, relying up.
on our own judgment and sense of du-
ty to complete the work begun in the
field for say 10 you we are still
combating our old enemy in another
form. .s......
/ Again, the rights we now claim to
exercise spring from the war power
which is inherent in all Governments.
When civil governments fail to secure
obedience to the Constitution and laws,
resort is had to the military power,
and military governments are estab-
lished such as Tennessee possessed un-
der Governor (now President) John
son, and other States have had during
the rebellion and, since the disloyal
: armies were overthrown, the war pow
er has still been exercised, and its ex-
ercise is still needed in those States.
The President has insisted that they
should ratify the constitutional amend
ment, give the freedman standing in
court as witness and party, and that
they should repudiate the rebel debt
before he would remit them to their
| civil rights, or advise the reception oi
their members by Congress. How can
this extraordinary executive power be
justified except upon the principles
have adverted to?
The only question remaining is
when are these former rebels to be adj
mitted to share in the Government |
That will depend much upon their 10y.
atty and the ability they manifest to
take loyal part in the Government
Thirty years the rebellion was hatch
ing. Have all its teachings gone in
nine months Four years it fought
, with a desperation worthy of a better
, cause. Are its resentments, its pride
, forgotten? The same ministers thai
preached treason, the same presses
that proclaimed it, now lead the people
, and control their opinions.
|, Ii must be remembered that these
, people are now on their good behavior
Everything that is, printed, said, ol
: done is with reference TO their getting
, back into the Government as soon o.
) possible, and SO the cloven foot is hid
den as much as possible. ..
|, But truth will assert itself, in spite
! of all these precautions facts croE
) out proving beyond all doubt their con
: tinued disloyalty.
Shouts are given for Lee in the loya
! Legislature of Virginia. A former
member of the rebel congress, once ;
E Speaker of this House, whose lips arr
!, stepped in violated constitutional oaths
! is elected Governor Of South Carolina
!, Loyal Alabama has rebel general TO
Governor
J. Whipped, but not conquered. ,Jaekso
q tMss.) Flee Trader.
1.-The title Of rebel Is proud one. Pc
, ters5stg Va Daily Meas.
C "Ihe southern people have not been guilt
Y of any crime: they have only failed" says
! leading southern divine.
!. I'VE have right to elect our military he
y roes to office. Ought we to give up our chez
a ished notions OF policy to swallow plum
n -Maeoa (Ga.) Journal.
a 1--WE vote for the late confederate soldier
!. because they represent the valor, honor, an
J intelligence of the people. TIE South Cdros'
u man. 5t
J, The Richmond Republic thus illus
= trates the southern idea of loyalty
. "The other day two young men were talk
: ing on street in city. They were divin
: deeply into fundamental principles. One G
y them asked the other what loyalty was. Idea
l. have been SO unsettled about what it rcall
r. consists in that an answer did not come YER
: readily to the respondent. After some delbe
= ration and an anxious puzzled expression Q
:. countenance, the others face suddenly bright
j. ened up. Why, says he. III tell You ex
y actly what il is it is swearing to lie. Di
E or did not this young man. in the candid In,
pulse of youth, speak the popular sentiment
II or describe in a few wor,ls the sort Of loyalt
n which is manifested around us!"
y See what the Memphis Argus sal,
of Union men during the rebellion:
\ "The Daily Memphis Argus of Decembe
= ., 1851. contained a paragraph headed HAM
/ EN- and comnencing--
&c =. Hang 'em yes. hang them every one
Every East Pennesseean, every TennesseeaI
;, found reereant to the will and interest of tn