The southern enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1854-1870, 1867-01-31
states Existing, or to be Made.

<>tt5<<>tt = - y lay Vt,>(Qtpetu OldteS are not
states On two grounds: 1st. That by
the,war, the States were abolished !. and
"a. That they have not been iegalIyre.l
conslructed. s. 8
The frst ground -lhas the war abol-'
ishs,i The States I'VE have the asse,t,or
20 the e0ntrary by Abraham Lin<6ln:
the President Of the UEi,ed States, and
fthe unifotm and -unvaty,tR declaration
/ Of the Congress of the United States,
From President Lincoln's first PROCLAIM.
ation calling for troops, to his last. he
announced that there was an .tnSurreo.
tioa in the Southern States, which he
was bound to suppress. He never re-
cognized the right of secession. IT the
Southern States ,hadsa right 10 secede
from the Union of the United States,
there could be no "insurrec,ion ~. with.
in them, against the United Staies.-
They were independent States, righlfal
Fly controlling their own destinies and
people, over whom the Government Of
the Uuited States had no authority.
The United States might make war up
on them, as any people may, with,
or without good cause, on any other
people but there could be no " insur,
reclion unless, indeed, there was re.
sistance'to TO the authority of the, States,
by any portion of The people of the
States. But in that event, the "insur.
rec&ion" would be against the Southern
States by portion Of their people, not
against the United States. In this view,
as the Southern States took nolhior
from The United States, but simply un.
dertook 10 govern themselves separately
by secession, a logical conclusion might
he drawn, that the war against them
was a wropg-in incepliou-in conIin.
uance, and now, in any acts or preten-
sious of control. But President Lin
coin, by denying that a State could
Prighiiuily secede from the Union, avoid
ed all these consequences. lie insisted
upon IL, that the Southern States were
sill in the Union Of the United States,
under the Constitution of ihe United
States and that, lher, fore, the resist
ance 10 the Constitution and laws Of The
United States, in the Southern States,
by virtue Of their secession, was moth
ing but" insurrection." And as by The
Constitution of the Uniied States, the
Government: OF the United States was
authorized to TO suppress instructions"
in the States, he only obeyed the man.
dates of the Conslii alton, in stli,ing TO
put insurreciion down iu the Southern
States, in order that they may be liber
ated from The disturbances it produced =,
and be competent and free TO discharge
their obligations, and participate in the
benefits the Union and the Constitution
Of the United States conferred. These
we're President Lincoln's positions 10
Justification of the war. They all 90
upon the presumption that secession
was It nulity as a right, and merely cre-
ated an insurrection; and that the
Southern States were States within the
Union, and under the Constitution o,
the United States. and had not changed
and could-not change By secession these
States, as States Of the United States. I
Did Congress support apd ratify these
views Of President Lincoln Every
Act of.Congress TO carry on the war
affirmed thenI The very first: act to
raise troops TO carry on the war, recites
tha. an insurreciion !" exists in The
Southern States, which the Government
of the United States is bound 10 sup
press. The Southern States are called
"'insnrrec,ionary States" and BY resolu.
tons passed unanimously by both
branches of Congress, they distinctly re-
pudiale any design of suhjugation, and
aim only at restoration of The Southern
States, liberated from "insurreclion to
the rights and privileges of the Union
Of the Uniled States. ...s>..
President Johnson has acted upon the
principles avowed, from the opening o.
the war 10 its close, 'by President Lin,
coin and the Congress Of the United
States. AS it was Presiden; Lincoln.
prerogative and duty under the Consti
tuition, as the Executive Of the United
States, 10 declare that iusurrection
existed against the authority aud Gov.
ernment ofthe United Stated-so il
was President j obnson's prerogalive and
>, duty to announce when the insured
tion " was suppressed. This, Presiden
johnson has done. His proclamation
declaring that the insusreclion ha'
been suppressed, did not. in the sIightes
degree, affect the States Of the Southern
States, Ii did not restore them to tn,