Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-10-04

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foughteur battles; it would havelbeen of
no avail. The doors OF Congress, would 4
have remained closed against him. Strange
spectacle this, to be presented by the de-
scendants of those who less than a century
ago hurled defiance at the British lion, and
waged seven years war, rather than sub
nit to a trifiing tax on tea or stamps, lev
led by a Parliament in which they were
denied ,. Representations" Thus e, matters
stood for another syear-nothing done
looking to restoration of the Union, save
the passage by Congress of a proposition
for an amendment to the Constitution of
the United States; to be submftted to the
ing changes in the apportionment of rep
resentation to the States. The effect OF this
amendment, If adopted, would be to COM
pei the. Southern States to confer the right
OF suffrage on the negroes, by State legis7
lation, or otherwise lose a proportionate
representation In Congress. 1t claimed no
right, however, to interfere on the part of
Congress- submitting entirely to the States,
and for, this purpose 1t was admitted the
Southern States were in the Union. With
this Congress adjourned. The elections
were carried on this amendment as if moth
ing further was to be done Or required to J
be done, and Congress returned, to- its
work, having secured more than a two
thirds maj jority, as at present c6nssituted3 2
Radical wing now, assumed the leadership
and made rapid progress In the new revo-
luton apparently about to be inaugurated.
Embofdened by success. and feeling secure,
they did not hesitate to declare, in unnlis-
taxable terms, the ultimdtuns they had now
determined upon; and the Conservative
portion of the party had to choose between
submission to the behests of these newly
installed leaders or fbe ostraeised from the
party: They chose to submit ito the hu-l
initiating position. Thus Radicalisni had
full sway. There no longer remained any
terror tor them in the Executive veto !;
they laughed it to scorn, and nothing now
was iD the way to thwart their will, or stay
their progress, save the respect they might
still be supposed to have for the Constitu-
ton; for the preservation OF which such
great sacrifices had been made. After long
delay Congress at length showed its hand
in the passage of the measures now called
the Reconstruction acts" in which, after
abandoning all pretence of restoring the
States to their normal relations to the
Union, with their rights, dignity and equal
ity unimpaired, under the Constitution,
Congress has thrown off the mask so long
and successfully worn, and proceeded as far
as congressional enactment will do it, to
reduce these States to a condition of con-
quered provinces, divided up into FIVE mill
itary districts, each to be governed by q
General of the army, clothed with supreme
authority. in all cases whatsoever and
backed by the whole military power OF the
Government. These acts not only place
the citizens of these States in state of
colonial vassallage, subjecting them to the
most odious form of governmental mere
military goyernment--but they actually
distranchise for the time being alargepor-
: tion of the white citizens OF these States, at
the same time, by express legislation, they
assume to confer the right of suffrage on
all the malenegro inhabitants over the aye
of twenty one years, thus completely Afri-
caniZing and placing the political power
thereof in the hands of the negroes lust
emerged from state of slavery. These
acts were vetoed by President johnson,
but passed by the Republican majority, in
both Houses, over his veto, and are now
being enforced inthe Southern States. In
will not trust myself in a areeapitulation
of the violations of private and constitu-
tional rights contained in these acts, but
will simply present an extract from an of
fetal report of high public officer of the
Government, relative to theT powers con-
ferred on the Generals charged with the
enforcement of these so-called Reconstruc-
tion, aets.a The Attorney General of the
United States, Mr.. Henry Stanbery. speak
ing of these acts, and the actions of the Of
ficers under them, says:
. sin another of these districts military
order commands the Governor of the State
to forbid the Resembling of the ,Legisla-
ture, and thus suspends the proper legisla-
ture of the State" In the same district ar,
order has been issued "t0 relieve the
Treasurer of the State from the duties,
bonds. books, papers, &C. appertainingI to
his Office" and to put an Assistant Quar-
Ttermaster of United States volunteers
9 in place of the removed treasurer; the Cltl'.
ties of which Quartermaster-treasu are
thus summed up: He is to make to the
headquarters OF the district :. the same re-
ports and returns required from the treas
urer, and a monthly statement of receipts
and expenditures he will pay all warrants
for salaries which may be, or become, due,
and legitimate expenditures for the sup
port of the penitentiary, State asylum, and
the support OF the provisional State Gov
ernment /; but no scrip or warrants for out
standing debts of other kind than those
specified will be paid without, special au-
thority from these headquarters. He will
deposit funds in the same manner as though
they were those of the United States"
'7 Again: SIN another of these districts a
body OF military edicts, issued in general
and special orders regularly numbered, and
in occasional circulars. have been promul-
gated, which already begin to assume the
dimensions of a code. These military or
ders modify the existing law in the RENEE
dies for the collection of debts, the enforce
ment of judgments and decress for the paw
ment of money, staying proceedings insti-
/ tuted, prohibiting, in certain cases, the
right t. bring suit, enjoining proceedings
onexecution for the term of twelve months
giving new liens in certain cases, establish
ing homestead exemptions, declaring what
shall be q legal tender, abolishing in GER
tain eases the remedy by foreign attach
ment, abolishing, ball. as heretofore au-
thorized, in cases er contrdctu,, but not in
'other cases known as actions e1 deIicto ,
and changing, in several particulars, the
existing laws as to the punishment OF
crimes, and directing that the crimes re-
ferred to shall be punished by imprison-
ment at hard labor for term not exceed
ing ten years nor less than two years, in
the discretion of the court having iu isdic-
tion thereof:, One of these general orders,
being number tenEof the series, contains no
less than seventeen sections embodying
the various changes and notifications
which have been recited.' The con-
Guiding paragraph of this order, No.IO is
in these words: ANY law or ordinance
heretofore in force in North Carolina or
South Carolina, inconsistent with tile pro-
visions of this general order are hereby sus-
pended and declared inoperative.' Thus an
nouncing not only power to suspend the
laws, but to declare them generally .inop-
erative, and assuming full powers of iegis-
lation by the military authority"
But again: t-n,G 7a'.3 300 Z !fis s1,si-G.- "a
This act, passed in a time of peace, when
all the courts, State and Federal, are in the
undisturbed exercise of their Jurisdiction,
authorizes, at the discretion of a military
officer, the seizure, trial and condemnation of the
citizen. The accused may be sentenced to
death, and the sentence may be executed, aoith-
out an indictment, eoithoat counsel, tvithout
jury. and aoithout a judge. A sentence which
tOrfrits all the property of the accused
needs no approval, If it affects the liberty
of the accused, it requires the approval of
the commanding general; and if it affects
his life, it requires the approval OF the Pres
ident. Military and Executive authority
/.