Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-07-19
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Vol. XXXIV.. A1So

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and its administration beneficials is that
the powers Of the Government are all
granted, and therefore arelimited --thatthe
States have equal rights and equal duties,
ARE equals in their relations to the Federal
IGovernment, and equals as sovereign self
governing States; and yet wei see ten
States not only deprived of all voice i'm
the government OF the Union, but depriK-
ed of all powers of self-government, and
kders. VI ~ s2AS ? slEAV 6AlI. : .AA4A
And we are told this is an incident and
consequence of the war ! Let US see.
The war, r,came'upon us-I will not trace
its causes, nor mark its progress-avowedly
PIC was "a wal, on the one side to withdraw
fromsthe Union; on the other side; to main
tain 10. I'M ri iLiacoln,a Mr. Seward, Con-
Egress'a firped .it.1is Armed force,Y said Mf.
LINCOLN, 8 had disturbed the practical rela-
lions of the States. to the Federal Govern
Lment. That force, must be met and over
come, and then theses- relations WILL be
RESTORED r n = !. Let members of the Senate
and of the House return and be welcome to
occupy the seats which they lett vacant
said Mr.. Seward, q The rights and dignity
and equality OF. the States shall remain pn-
kinnpaired,o - said the resolutions of Congress.
ta' It0Would, perhaps, be TOO much to expect
that In the midst of such a war passion
should always be restrained by reason, and
"
Constitutional limits. Certain it is, many
illegal acts were Committed. The rights of
individuals were trampled on-the rights
OF the States were disregarded. But these
eacts were strenuously defended as being
legal. or, at least, as being necessary. They
were alleged to beincidental to a, condition
of war, and would cease when the war
ceased. And if any OF you ventured to
suggest that this was not, the teaching of
history, you were delicately called copper
head, disleyal; audsthe idea that the object
or effect of the war would be tochange the
Constitution or system of government, was
loudly and constantly denied. . i9s.7eas
The war came to an end-the armies of
the Confederates We're defeated, The armed
force was met and overcome. Sherman and
Johnston met In North Carolina. Their
truce dispersed the forces of the Confeder-
ates. and left in full operation the laws of
the Federal Government over all of the Sc
Eceded States. This was the logical conclu-
fsion of the war. No plan of reconstruction,
no amendments to the Constitution were
needed. This broke down every barrier to
the legitimate exercise of Federal authori-
ty. - This restored the Union. This rein
stated the practical relations of the States.
But itgwas instantly rejected. Then the
President developed his plan of reconstruc-
ton. 1t consisted of an amendment of the
State Constitutions repudiating the Con-
federate debt, and abolishing slavery
throughout the States. The States adopted
it, and yet the Union was not restored.
Congress proposed the Constitutional
amendment of 1866, whereby the States
were to be made to purchase peace and
power by the surrender of all control over
the right of suffrage, and all objection to
the Civil Rights bill. 3HiA
on And before these terms were fairly un-
derstood, Congress propounded another
plan; and to see that the work was well
done the new Congress met in extra session
on the 4th of March; and to fill up any
rcrevice which time might open through
which one single ray of popular light might
shine in upon. the people, meets again in
extra session on the Fourth of July.
This plan -abolishes the State Govern
ments- 1t subjects the people to mere mil
itary despotism. 1t gives the right of suf-
frage to the enfranchised negroes, and takes
it away from the white man, 1t degrades
the State Governments from their equality
in the Union, and from their position as
protectors of the rights of their citizens
1t stibverts and destroys the Constitution of
the United States. and then holds out to the
people the hope that if they will cheerfully
Faeqaiesce in these things if they will not
only patiently submit, but if they will with
alacrfty and zeal, and gratitude, appear to
be happyto submit to them, then-unless
Congress changes its mind-unless another
plan shall be uggested-unless the confis-
cation of Mr.. Stevens shall be thought fit
ting reward for superserviceable loyalty
they may be permitted toilet negroes elect
and administer a State Government over
them, and choose members shall be ad-
nitted to seats In the Senate and House Of
Representatives. [Cheers.l I bsa .1sisza "a
And this is not all. The States thus held
in military despotism, thus compelled by
tyranny, as relentless as ever applied the
rack or turned the screw, to change their
own Constitutions, are then to be used to
amend the Constitution of the United
States, and to impose upon you in Minue-
sotas and you in Wisconsin, and US in Ohio,
government which we do not approve.
Three-fourths of the States alone. can
amend the Constitution of the United
States. -Twenty-siX States drive ten out of
the Union.1 A majority of the twenty-six
harass and oppress the ten until they will
consent to change their Constitution, adj
nit negro suffrage, surrender all reserved
powers, and yield implicit obedience to
their will. They will then admit them to
the Union, and use their concurrent votes
to change the Federal Constitution, so as to
introduce negro suffrage and Federal inter-
ference in all the States. o. -,7H. 1oifa72
Do state this too strongly? s---1i 81
Congress meets now in extra session-at
great trouble to its members, and vast ex-
pense to the people-and for what? For
the single, simple, avOwed purpose of com
ferring more absolute and despotic power
on the military commanders. Great Heav-
ems Have they not enough power already?
The civil Government the tenure of office,
the rules of trade the maintenance of or
der, the administration of,justice, the writ
of hdbeds corpus-are subjected to their will.
The State officers must obey them or they
will be removed. The courts must render
Judgment according to their dictation, or
they will be closed. The sheriffs must ex-
ecute the penalties they prescribe, or file
of soldiers will take their places. And
Congress meets to give them more power
on the eve of that very day when the colo
nies Justified their separation from the
mother country on the ground chat the
King had affected to render the military
independent Of and superior to, the civil
power" Continued cheers $500. I'D.
| And they commence their work by ex-
cluding from Congress, without any good
reason, without a decent pretext of palli-
cation, the Representatives from Kentucky.
| And why is all this ruin wrought? Is it
to punish treason and make it odious?
These are intelligent men-they know
human nature-they have read history.
They know that men will rebel when they
have causes of discomfort. They know
that neither imprisonment nor stripes, nor
exile nor death, restrain the people of Po-
land or Hungary or Ireland from rebellion.
They know that tho fear of these punish
ments will no more curb the efforts than it
will quench the aspirations for freedom.
They know that treason is the protest OF
liberty against tyranny. Loud applause.
Is it to do justice to the negro and to ac-
cord to him the enjoyment of natural
;. rights?
l. If the negroes would assuredly vote with
the Democratic party and thus restore it tO
power, would these gentlemen he so phil
anthropic and insist on negro suffrage as a
condition of reconstruction? lCries ol
,.No, no, not much!''l Is suffrage natu-
raj right? Where, then, is the authority
to withhold it from the minor, from the
women, from the alien? Life, liberty and
the pursuit of happiness are inalienable