The Montana post. [volume] (Virginia City, Montana Territory [i.e. Mont.]) 1864-1869, 1867-03-16
.sTHE CONSTITUTION,

The GGzefte of the 9th inst. in answer
,o the PosT's inquiry on the 2d: As
you have opposed every plan of recon
<rructiou offered by Congress. what is
vour plan !" replies: &" The Constitu-
ZION The Posi- accepts the plan. AS
lar n the Constitution is explicit, we
adhere tu il 10 the letter and spirit.
Beyond that-nd the Gdzsttc will not
deny that the complexities of the case
arr not fully provided for in direct
instructions-we propose TO take the
spirit and intent of that instrument as n
guide. And here it may be pertinent to
remark that this howling and cayilling
about '' constitutional rights = comes
with bad grace from persons who, for
1--WE bloody years endeavored 10 destroy
IL and the government, or a press that
now lends its most ardent support TO
those persons. and combatS with all its
might those who stood by il and for il.
let whom the shoe fits, wear it. The
act of secession the withdrawing of
allegiance: the suppression of United
States laws and courts; the establish
mcDt of .TorejgD goceTHmsHts in the sece-
ded States and armed opposition 10
United States otf1cers-destroyed the
torm Of government existing in each
separate State under the Constitution.
This none will deny. The right of the
government 10 suppress rebellion is con-
ecded The rebellion suppressed, the
legislators of Congress found this clause
Of the Constitution staring them in the
face" The United States shall guaran-
Tee To every State in this Union a repUb-
lican form of government" The Supreme
Court has decided that the term United
States here refers 10 Congress and the
President. The latteE did, under his
military authority, constitute govern
ments in thos States. and Congress has
decided them not republican forms of
government, because they were governed
Dy men who were not eligible In the
office, and the form existing was not in
accordance with the constitutional re-
quirements. When the Gazette consid-
ers that the Supreme Court has decided
SIS above. and that Congress carried them
over the Presidents veto it cannot,
unless it abandon past preeedents, doubt
the constitutional right of the House
and Senate to act in the premises. The
question then arose, what was a Tepub-
ican form Of government The sys-
tcIus of government. differing in each
State. have, before the rebellion, all been
virtually recognized as republican but
the question has always been seriously
doubted whether form of government
prescribing any particular class from
suffrage. who were loyal and guilty of
no crime. or where part of the people
were held in slavery to the rest, was in
reality republican. Slavery having been
abolished and the rights of citizenship
bestowed upon all races. So much had
been gained toward the point. Then
came the question OF suffrage. The act
%! secession rendered the State govern
@ents adopting il imperative under the
constitution Of the United States; but
were they even in actual force, they
would be subordinate 10 the Constitu-
lion. Supposing that a section OF a
State should rebel. and the people there
u distranehise themselves, Congress
could not consistently or constitu-
aonally, when IL had been conquer
ed, enfranchise that portion which
Lad rebelIed and disfranchise the other
which had remained loyal. The people