Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1867-01-17

manded. w hen upon the surrender
of Lees army, General Grant gave alb
solution to the Confederate officers
and soldiers. upon the sole condition
of not again bearing arms against
the Republic, the nation acquiesced
in his conduct almost without 4 muir
muir, and when all the rebel forces
laid down their arms, and the war
was at an end, the misfortunes of the
South, the fallen and PROSTATE con
ditiOn of the people, inspired in the
North feelings amounting almost to
compassion and forgiveness. AT
that time the South declared full sub
mission, asked for lenient terms, but
claimed no rights and dictated no
conditions. But since then the tenn
per of her people seems to have un.
dergone a radical change They
have passed from submission to de-
fiance, and the mercy which was ex-
tended to them has been requited in
bloody prosecutions upon the Union
men and negro population in theil
midst Their course has had it,
natural and inevitable effect upon the
public mind of the North which is
rapidly passing from mercy and for
givelfess to the stern demands OF
justice and the exaction of the pen
alties for treason. The logic of
events, against which the arguments
of the statesman weigh not, moulds
the public mind and sweeps it on
rapidly from conclusion to conclu-
sion. The impossible of yesterday
is the possible of to-day, and the
radicalism of to day becomes the
conservatism of tomorrow.
The patriotic and loyal members
of Congress who voted for the win
ter Davis" bill in 1864, would stand
aghast before it as 4 scheme ofrecon-
suction in 1866. 1t was then thought
the wisest thing to be done, but we
can now see i'm tie light oftwO year S
experience how fatal it would have
been to the nation. 1t was manifest
from the beginning that no scheme
of reconstruction could be or ought
to be accepted by the people of the
North. which did not involve tie
equalization of representation in
Congress and the electoral college.
The people of the North could not
consent, honorably to themselves.
nor without disregard to the princi-
pies of Republican government, that
those lately in rebellion should re-
turn to their places i'll the Govern
ment, and retain. in perpetuity, the
right to represent 100000 of color
eel people whom they deprive of all
political rights. which would give to
them after 1870 at least thirty votes
i'm the electoral college and in the
House of Representatives. Should
the Southern States be permitted to
return without the rcctilication of
this great wrong, it would constitute
a source of constantly increasing dis
satisfaction in the North. would be
regarded Us an intolcrable burden,
and would dangerously threaten the
future peace of the country.
] have received from the Secretary
of State Of the United States. an Of
fetal copy Ola joint resolution pass
ed by Congress at the late session,
two-thirtls of each house cohcurring
proposing to the States al amend
ment to the Constitution of the Uni
ted States, which | herewith submit
for your consideration.
The first clause of the Amendment
establishes the great fact that all per
sons born in the United SteteS. are
subject TO the jurisdiction thereof.
are citizens of the United States. and
that no State shall abridge the priyi-
leges or immunitics of citizens Of the
United States, or deprive any reson
of life, liberty or property, without
due process of law, or deny to any
person within its jurisdiction the
equal protection of the laws.
The second clause establishes
Ofrepresentation in the low
er house of Congress. and in the
electoral college, by excluding from
the basis of representation any race
or class ofpeople who are deprived
of the right ct sliIrgae, and thus takes
away from all the States the right
TO have representation for the color
ed people in their midst, unless they
first give to them the right of suffrage.
1t proceeds upon the principle that
white people do not have their politi-
cal rights enlarged by reason of hav-
ing in their midst coloIed pOpula-
ton whom they deprive of all politi
cal rights: upon the principle that
people who are not good enough to
have representation for themselves
are not good enough to give it to
others: upon the principle that peo-
pie who are not qualified to vote
are not qualified to dupli-
cate the voting power of Others.
The third clause declares ineligible
to any National or State office any
person who having once taken an
official oath to support the Constitu-
ton of the United States afterwards
committed perjury by going into the
This will tend to make
treason odious By excluding from
office the perjured politicians and
political paupers who brought on the
war.
The fourth clause declares the
of the public debt; forever
Forbids the assumption or payment
Of the rebel debt, and prohibits the
payment of any claim for the loss
Or emancipation of slaves. The four
clauses constitute one amendment.
which was submitted to the people
Of Indiana for their approval or re-
ection at the late election.