Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1867-12-13

knowiedged by all branches or the Fed
( erai Government. TIE Executive.
/ my pre'ecasor as velIas myself, and
4 the heads of ail she departments. have
uniformly acted uDua the prinCinla
( that the IHian is uotoBiv undi solved,
! ouj iudIs-olublc. Congress submitted an
amendment Of the Constitution 10 be
f ratified by tae Southern States, and ac-
{ cepted their a- RS 0f ratification rs q wee
essary and lawful exercise Of their high
+ est function. Ifthcy gvere uot States.
/ or were States, cut 81 tbe tBiou, their
consent 10 change in tia fund mental
/ law cf the Union would have feea nu-
E gat0FE and CcuCrlS iu asEI2tg il c0ta-
mitleda political ity. The Ju-
dietary Gas also @iyen rhe solemn sane
1 tioH 81 lis authority to tine sane view
/ Qf tie case. The Judges Of the SI-
/ preme Court have included the South
ern States 10 their circuits, ard they
4 exercising Jurisdiction which does not
/ belong 10 them, unless those States are
States OF the Union, II the Southern
States arc competent parts Of the Union.
the Constitution IS the supreme iaw for
them, aS il Is for al tne other States.
They are bound 70 oOev IS, and 80 are
We The right 0fJhe Federal Govern
ment, which Is clear and unquestiuua-
. bile, to enforce the Constitution uDoD
them, implies the correIative obligation
on our part 20 observe It's Limitations
and execute It's guarantees. Without
the Constitution weare nothing. BY.
through and under the C0nsli tuition E-e
are what ID makes Is. We may doubt
the wisdom OF the law We may not ap-
prove Cf its provisions, b8t we cannot
violate il merely because ii seems to
cou6ne our powers within limits mar
rover than we could wish. II IS not @
question of individual or class or sec
tional interest. mHch less Of party pre-
dominance, but Of duty. Of high and
sacred duty, which We are all sworn To
perform.
If we cannot support the Constitution
with the cheerful alaeFiEy Of these who
love and believe in i, we must give 10
il az least the fidelity oi public servants
who act under solemn obligations and
commands which they dare not di=-e-
gard. The constitutional duty is not
the only one which requires the States
70 be restored. There isanotharcou-
Grafton, which, though OF minor inn
portGnee- IS vet Of great weight. oa
the --l day Of July. s5I, Congress de-
clared, by an almost unanimous vote
Of both Houses, that the war saauld be
conducted solelv for she purpose Of
preserving the Union and maintaining
the supremacy Of the Federal Cous-I-
tuition and laws, WiIh9uc jIlEairiRz
The dignity, equality and rights 0l the
States. or Of individuals, and that
when this was done. the war should
cease. / do not say that riIiS dec.ara-
ton Is personally biEdiHE8H those who
Joined in making it any more shan in
uIEs3ual members of Congress are per-
7ola.lg bound To pay a ua8lic dsht eEe-
ared under law for which tray voted.
But il was . solemn ughtie official
pledge gEthe national honor and lean
not Imagine HEuH what grounds the
fFFLuias-aA OF l- i> ~ Pc --s-- -----.ts II -
be remembered that this promise was
not made To Rebels only Thousands
TO our standard by u, and hundreds Of
lives Ia iLe belief tgat g WgG41 gs ear
rie4 OUT i was u-aEi uL Ele Ezr NJ
Ter the first great battle % the Wlgr bad
been fought ana lasl. All patriotic
and intelligent Ueu then saw Taa me-
ees-5tT 1l giving such a.l assurance. and
believed. thar without ]. 5He War asld
end ia disaster tg our cause. Having
given thai assurance iu the extremity
of Our peril, The Ejglatiau ui il neW la
the davgf our power. would be g rude
reldlug 0f thar ga0d fa5th which holds
the moral world together. orr e-.sE r.
Wguld cease TO have anr claim anaa
the confidence Of men, ID would make
the war not Cuiva failure 3Ut fraud.
Being sincerely convinced that these
views ara correct, ] Wgaid be uBHIt1-
ful TO nay duty If / did nol recommend
the repeal 8f the acts gl Congress which
place ten Of the Soatber1 states nader
Jle domination ot military masters
II calm reelection shah satisfy z maj orr
IS 81 y0ur honorable bodies that the
acts referred to are not Cuig 8 violation
Of the national faith ul- Ia direct con-
Hiet with the Constitution. / dare not
permit myself ~ dDG1t tha- yCU WlH
Immediately strike them from the stat
ute book. To demonstrate the unc18-
stituti01ai character Gf those acts /
need do no more thtu refer 90 EAair
general provisions. lt must ise seen at
once that they are n1t aulhorjZz3 10
dictate what alterations stai3 tta made
iu the Constitutions ut the several
states, To control the elections o. State
+ Legislators and state uIieers, members
af congress. ard electors pf President
aud : Ice President, by arbitrarily de-
clariuE who shall vote and who shah
be excluded from tlias Elrs El4eze, 10
dissolve state LegiSlaturl- ST prevent
them from assembling; u dismiss
( judges and other civil l-getiaglaE-es n
the State, and appoint staer>, HiElell
regard 70 state laws, 20 organize
and operate al! the political. THaciia-
+ cry Of the States 20 regulate Inc Whole
administration ot tHelr domestic aGt
local affairs according CD -he mere Viii
Of strange and iTra-F Fal=.9e ag@Dcs
sent among them for that purpose
these are powers not granted ~ the
Federal Government gr 10 amy one Of
. its branches. Not being granted. we
& violate them in the face of positive
iuteTdict, for the Constitution l8rDies
! u do whateyer il dos not aI3irn33-
lively authorize either hv express
words or by clear implication. II Jha
authority We desire 60 use tl1a8 Bot
come 20 Us through She lpls.5 51ul-8E E-e
can exercise i Only By u-ITIE alton and
uSurpatiDu j. the most dangerous %
political crimes 81 lilat crime, she
enemies e1 free government Ia dsi =
have worked ont their designs
pul5lie liberty and private riga. lE
leads dire.rIy and Immediately 60 E.e
establishments 0f absolute r2sas flr
uudeicZated power is alga ulli.lla -s-
ana Trained. I4.H @@ - tsl-
gress in question aEe not only
tLguaUie Ior their assam l.-5eu "a -1-
Erllte3 power, lHt many - ftis pro-
visions are iu ceutlic- @5Ch ts direct
r.r..f- stzr.r.- fra eEla f.H