The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1867-09-27
BLOOMSBURY, PA, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 81, 1867.

and despOtic power on the military COM
manders. Great Heavens! Have they
not enough power already? The civil
government, the tenure of office, the
rules Of trade, the maintenance of order,
the administration OF justice, thd witt
of habeas corpus are subjected to their
Will. The State officers must obey them
or they will be removed. The courts
must render Judgment according to
their dictation, or they will be closed.
The SheriiIs must execute the penal lies
they prescribe, Or II file of soldiers will
take their places. And Congress meets
TO give them more power on the eve of
that very day when the colonies justifi-
ed their separation from the mother
country on the ground that the King
"had affected to tender the military
independent of, and superior to, the
civil power" Continued cheers. And
they commence their work by excllfd-
ing from Congress, without any good
reason, without Il decent preteYt of pal
liatiOn, the representatives from Ken
tucky. And why Is all this ruin wrUugt?
Is it to punish treason and make it obi
Gus? These are intelligent Hen--they
know human nature-thcy have read
history. They know that men will
rebel when they have causes Of disc0n-
tent. They know that neither imprs-
onment nor stripes nor exile nor death
restrain the people of Poland Or Hum
CORY or Ireland from rebellion. They
know that the fear of these punishnlcnts
will no more curb the efforts than ii will
qucnch the aspirations for freedom.
They know chat treason Is the protest
of liberty against tyranny. Loud APP
plause.l Is it to do justice to the negro
and to accord to him the enjoyment of
natural rights? II the negroes would as
suredly vote with the Democratic party
and thus restore it the power. would
these gentlemen be so phianthropic
and insist on negro suffrage ~ con
ditiOn of reconstruction (Cries of no,
not much Is suffrage natural right?
Where then is the authority to Withhold
it from the minor, from the woman,
from the alien? Life liberty, and the
pursuit of happiness are inalienable,and
they are accorded to women, and mi
nors, and aliens as well as men, and
courts are open 70 their security 10 all
alike. Does suffrage stand on the same
footing? The States have the power to
admit negroes to vote, and then they
are counted in the election of federal
officers. Why not argue the question
before that tribunal and thus accom-
tional manner? No gentlemen These
are not the purposes of this plan of re-
construction. 1t is to rcvo!utoniZe the.
government. 1t is to destroy the States.
1t is to build up great central govern
ment. These Republicans hate the
constitution-they hate limitations on
power. They hate to comply with
forms they cling to the idea of strong
centralized power. They want gov
erninent 50 framed that ii will feel the
least impulse of the will of the majority,
and so strong that it may instantly ex-
cuteit They prefer to confidc to the
absolute will of an unbrid!ed and irres-
ponsible majority the life, and liberty,
and property Of the citizen rather than
To the care and protection Of the States.
They think that because they control
the power of that majority now, they
will WELD it forever The forget thl.
ten years ago they invoked the States
to pass personal liberty bills to protect
them from the power ofthe federal gov
ernment. They forget that when pow
er is cOniidcd il i, used MS the passions
OF the times direct. They desire also To
introduce new political element into
our system, and to hand over the abso-
lutte control of six States Of the Union
the largest wca!thinesS, ,the,most produc-
| tive of the South, to the lately enfran-
chised negro. 1t is not a question OF
negro voting only. 1t is the absolute
surrender of these States the con-
troll and government of the negro. 1t
is the transfer OF political power to them.
| 1T is the substitution of their ignorance
and incapacity and incXperiencr and
| passions for the discipline and expert
ence Ofthe white man. 1t is the drgradu-
| ton Of the government 10 TIE level OF
these voters, and the destruction of the
value and purity of the ballot by con
icrring it so lavishly on all sides. II i
the eAasperatiOn and cmbittrring of the
spirit of races by subveriing their nor
NAL and accustomed positions and pli.
cling the intelligence and superiority OF
| the one under the control of the NUM-
bers of the other. In one word, the
whole system of reconstruction advoca-
ted BY the Republican party-the test
which they set up OF loyalty and intel
ligcnce-cOn>isting OF suffrage on the
negro in all the States, and the absO.
| lule transfer to him all the political pow.
er of six States. Is this wise? Is it
state-manlikc: Shall it be adopted .
| Will it restore peace and order and fra
ternal feeling, and stimulate industry
!
conduce TO that stability in legislation,
that harmony in society, that hopeful
ness of the future which are essential Il
Il prosperous community" | address
| you for the moment simply as Northern
mcn,as It Northern community. lcaV,
! ont OF view the feelings and wishes and
! Interests OF the people OF the South.
make no appeal 10 your sense of justict
or your i'iTtttrnal affection for men of our
| lineage and race. address the ques-
| tiOn To your immediate and personal
and material interests. VIII ii tend To
! increase the prosperity and happiness
Of this community: VIII Minnesota,
| will the North he made stronger or frecr
or more cOntented by pursuing To the
very end, this change of our govern
mental and political system: Cries of
"No, Nowl | have said this policy
subjects six States to the domination OF
| the negroes. They will have immcdi-
ately the right Of suffrage; they will
| have inevitably and necessarily the
| greater political privileges than you
confer upon women, upon your sons
who are twenty years of age, upon in
| telligenl and educated residents Of for
oign birth. They viii have a majority
OF voters. VIII the laws of the federal
government affecting this community
be more beneticent when they are sub
jected to the influence of such voters
Will the presence of fifty members OF
! the House and twelve Senators, elected
| by such constituencies, inspire you
| with more confidence in the wisdom Oi
the laws or the purity of the govern
ment: Nou are an agricultural people
Your products are bulky; they follow
naturally the channel of cheap freights
your best markets are on the bank and
at the mouth of the Mississippi river
your interests require that the commu
mites whom you feed should be rich
and prosperous and populous that then
policy should he peaceful, and stable
and wise-that their industry shoulc
be active-their civilization advanced
their laws effective. Your advantag,
is to be found, not only in selling io
money but in making exchange, fO
the products of their Industry. vii