The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1867-08-22

tAuho " hhN hAAANh W .hNN NttuAANAof
and to the MANNED, soldiors aud to
the widows aud orphans OF the war,
to be fulflied. by men who hato the
cause in which those obligations were
incurred. IL claims to be plan
which restores the Union without re.
quiring conditions, but in conccding
to the conquered rebels the repeal of
laws iupertsni 20 the nution's well.
fare, il grants conditions which they
demand, while it denies to the loyal
victors conditions which they deem
of priceless value.
In the meantime, President John
son having declared that the rcbell.
ion, in its revolutionary progress, had
deprived tho people of the rebel
States of all civil govsrnmont," pro.
coeded by military power to set up
provisional State Governments in
those States, aud to require them to
declare void all ordinances Of socos-
sion, to ropudiate the rebel dobt, and
to adopt the thirteenth amendment
.ofthc Constitution, proposed by the
Union party, abolishing slavery trho'.
out the United States. Tho Peeco
Democracy opposed all ceaditions.
and instinctively unscuud upon hu-
man rights, opposed the amendment
abollsh.ug slavery. The elections of
io65 settled that question against
them, and deprived them of New Jer-
sey, the last free state which adhered
to their fallen fortunes. 40,
Atthe session of Congress Of 1856
6, the President, finding that his So
called State Governments in the reb-
cl States-ereated by military power
alone, and without the sanction oftho
Legislative power oftho Government
had, accepted his coudilims, insistcd
that those States were fully restored
to their former proper relations with
the general Government, and that
they were again entitled to rcprcsen-
tation in the same manner with the
loyal States. This plan accorded
with the wishes of all unrepontant
rebels, and as n mnttor of course re-
ccived the support of their allies Of
the peace Democracy? fose 200 ?
The Union party, at the sacrifice oil
al of ahe po@or- aud patronage of the
Administration they had elected, firm,
ly opposed and Gnally defeated this
project They required, before the
complete restoration Of lh9 rcBsl
States, That The Fourteenth amend
meut of the Constitution should be
adopted, which was framed to secure
civil rights to the colored people
equal representation between the fre'
States and the former slave States
the disqualification for Office Of the
leading rebels, the payment Of th'
loyal obligations to creditors, tC
MANNED soldiers, and to widows au(
orphans, aud tho repudiation of thu
rebel debt, and Of claims, to paymcn
for slaves. On the adoption of thi
amendment turned the elections o
1866. After the amplost debate
before the people the Union part,
carried. the country in favor of tn
amendment, eletting more than'three
fourths of the members ofthc Hous
of Representatives. Z They also Sc
cured the adoption of the amend
ment in twenty-one out Of twenty
four States now represented Yhiq|
have acted upon it by an 'Gyerag
vote in the State Legislatures O
more than four to one.
! In striking contrast with this wa
the action of tho rebel States. Ten
pessee alone ratified the ,amendmcni
The othet tshlptpmpllg and asfant
p ly rejected it by an average majorit
= in their State Legislatures of MOI
. than fifty to one. Whom, therefor,
g the Thirty-ninth Congress met /
! the session of 1867, they found til
l work of reconstruction in those te
Status still uuuccomplishsd. no n
CONDITION or THE REBEL sTArEs4
DUTY OF THE NATION.
Now, in what condition were thos
! ten rebel States? In the first plac
all political power in those State
/, was in the hands of the rebels, an
for tho most part of loading and III
repontant rebels. Their Governor
their msmbers of0Ilogislatme, Ethei
!, Judges, their county and city officer
!, and their members or Congress, wit
: rare exceptions were rebels. Sue
! WAS their political-conditiod. y ~
What was their condition with n
spcct to the preservation of the o
der, the suppression of crime, and Il
redress ofprivate grievances? Aftc
the suppression of the rebellion ii
;, next plain duty of the Natiopal. Go'
= ernmont was to see thet the lives, Ill
= erty, and property Of all classes {
4 citizens we're secure, aud especially
: see that the loyalwhite and colorC
9 citizens who resided or who might S,
= journ ihathpse States did not suff,
: Injustice, oppression or outrage be
cause Of their loyalty. Loyal me
r without distinction of race or colo
. we're clearly entitled to the full mea
G ure Of protection usually found
; ciyilized countries, if in the nature {
: things it was possible for the natic
/ to furnish it.
), CONDITION OF THE soUFII-REPoR1
/ z y - a0F UNION GENERALS
+ u Inqpiring as to the condition
n things in the South, / waive the un
Il a. L..
: from the press and other unoffici
c sources from all parts Of the Sout
u and in reply exclusively on the of
: cial reports Of army officers like Grai
IT Thomas, Sheridan and Howard-olI
q GERS Of clear heads, of strong sens
N and Of spotless integrity, whose bt
d sihess il is to know the facts, and VII
fe all united in warning the nation thi
70 UEion men. either white or colore