Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1867-01-25

ticance as possible. and refuse TO co,ored
citizens Their rights, and would not vote
for tho admissions Of snch State, for l
should deem the Union better without her
than with her. In any event shall retain
to myself tire privilege Of judging in each
particular instance whether or not the
State applying shah be admitted to repre-
scH.aton.
am in no hurry about tive admission Of
any of them. 1t lctterthev should come
in gradually. They are homogeneous cle-
ments at best let them be absorbed by
degrees and assimililate with the other
States and thus DO the least possible harm
action here which shall bind the House to
admit all these States to representation
upon going through the formality of adopt
/ ing the constitutional amendment. They
might do it as the rebels took the oath i'll
Maryland. declaring it unconstitutional
and not binding in conscience or law.
! They might declare themselves unde: le
gal durcss and appeal to the Supreme
Court for such protection as majority OF
that body seems to be i'll the way of grant
ing to rebels. l beg the House to COM
nit itself to 10 such folly. Every tub on
its own bottom" Let us judge each State
by itself, and let us make up that judy
meat in the light of facts as they exist ut
the time we act.
| But there seems little PROBABILITY that any
Of tie rebel States will comply with the
terms and seek admission through such
channels. We shall adopt the amend
ment by means of three fourths of ,.ine 10y
al States and then .ine questions will come
back on us in full force, what shall be done
with the ten States not now represented
The fact that the Amendments have be-
come part of the Constitution by means Of
the action of the other States will max {
little difference in our action toward them
They should not he allowed to.comc bac k
into the Union under the implied protest
which the non-acccptance of the amend
ments by all of them would itself be.
) They went out on what they called eonsti-
tutional grounds. Let them come back
with no unsettled questions between us.
, Let then come like the new States of the
J West--in harmony in feeling and interest
with the States now comprising the Gov
ernments. The Union is c, rtainy strong
CT in all desirable elements as it now is
! than it would be with the other States in
it AS they used to be. We want 10 more
nominal union with them. Let us make
il clean thing of it, and settle every thing
, that is to be settled between us. We
: shall never have a better opportunity in
the whole tide Of time.
The third plan have mentioned is for
Congress to act al once ailrmatiycy, and
gather up the elements best fitted for the
purpose proceed to constitute State gov
/ eminent Which shall take the place of that
now in operation under the sanction of
the President
The present governments seem to have
been the offspring OF the military author
j.. itv of the Executive. l see by the news
papers that Judge Rullin, of North Caro-
lima, pronounccs the present government
ef the State illegel because the Presidents
authority over the States has ceased by
; the advent of peace, and also because the
, conventions were called by him for special
purposes, aud when these things he rcauir-
ed were done they Were frnctuS oNcio.
Neither rebels or loyal men OF even the
Democratic party indorse the Presidents
action.
1t is clear that the President has no au-
, thority to create a State. IT, as he says.
l. he found the rebel States "desti ute of all
civil government he should have appeal
: ed to the law making power to carry into
effect that great clause of the Constitution
t guarantyiug government to the States.
| And the governments so established
from loyal men in all those States, and We
5 are urged to interposc and protect the
property and persons OF citizens OF the
t United States not now safe or rathcI en-
= trely at the mercy OF the prevailing law
t lessness. The memorial of the loyal men
of those States exhibits state of things
+; which should call for the intervention Of
Congress il the statments are true,
t The reports Of officers in charge of the
departments in which those States are sit
uated confirms the statements. General
. Sheridan in his report to Generai Grant
t last month says:
But justice is not done. To give you
an instance OF this two soldiers were shot
ut Brenham, Texas, about two months
ago; they were unarmcd and offered no
+ provocaton. Their grand jury could find
no bill against their would assassins.
i but found bill against Brevet Major
Smith, seventeenth infantry. for bur lary,
= because he broke into the house of some
. citizen in his attempt to arrest these men
4h q
white man for the murder of free oman
g in Texas would be farce, and in making
: this statement make it because truth com.
: pels me. and tor no other reason.
Il Daring the last three months Indian
d deprcdati0ns have taken place OH the re-
: mote frontier. Their extent is not defined
Il AS vet, but they are not very alarming
$ am think that the Governor has to some
extent been Influenced by exaggerated re-
. ports gotten Up i'll some instances by from
+ tier people to get ,larket for their prod
0 uee and in other instances by army con-
: tractors to make money.
r Il have ordered two regiments of cayal-
t nv to the frontier and placed a regiment OF
= cavalry to the frontier and placed rcgi-
+ mient of iufanty at Austin, to be moved il
necessary.
a 1T is strange that over q white man
c killed hy Indians on an extensive from
= tier the greatest eXcltment will take place,
i but over the killing of many freedman in
n in the settlements nothing is done. | can
j not help but see this, and cannot help but
: tell it 10 my superlors 10 matter how un-
pleasant it may be to the authorities OF
c Texas.
: Ills statement Of the murder of soldiers
j. is parailelcd by that in South Carolina,
# where the murJerers of three soldiers OH
r the Savannah river in lSG5 go at large and
c no attempt ia made TO punish them. The
i court has decided that military commss-
!, ions have no authority and the civil author
a dies are indsposed.
- General Sickles gives better account