The Greene County Republican. [volume] (Waynesburg, Pa.) 185?-1867, 1867-04-24
RIP VAN WINKLE IN THE SUPREME
COURT

COUkI
UNLIKE the antediluvian worthy who
thought when the deluge began that it
was not going TO be much OF a shower
alter all, Me,srs, Sharkey and Walker,
counsel for the State OF Mississippi, now
that the deuge is over, and the new
heavens and the new earth begin to ap>
pear, are of opinion that there has not
been much Of shower. They insist,
with the bewildered solemnity OF Rip
Van Winkle, that the war had but one
significance and result--namely, that the
loya. citizens were physically stronger
than the disloyal. That point having
been satisfactorily determined, every
thing returns to its previous condition,
In wold say Messrs. Sharkey and
Walker there has b,en n little unpleas-
antne,s' in lha national family, but now
every Thing is serene.
Thu petition of these gentlemen to the
Supreme Court sets forth, il great ans
pl,uAe Of phrase, that 'once State
always State that the United State
have made an 'irrevosahle compac, with
til, State Il Mississippi that the Safe
can not NJ code, AID can not be expelled;
that a m lltary desnutism is II" Consltl>
tional and that the Reconstruction bill
and all the proceedings under it may as
well be declared unconstitutional ii 81 as
last. Now, what other question than
this have tht people Of his country been
considering tor two years pas ! What
did they decide at the last autumn elec>
ton but that States which nave destroy
ed their clvl! government and Their rela.
ton with the Uni II can establish Il gov>
erulnent and resume that relation only
upon such conditions AZ the loyal cili.
zehs may determine Tho PETITION Of
Mes>rs ShaIkry and Walker Is a grave
request to the Supreme Court to reverse
the decision OF the people at the polls
DO these gentlemen suppose that the
national will upon such question Il re-
construction i, to be set aside by ma
jor.ty OF nine ju ges!
The argunent Of he petition is fatal
to every political measure OF the last two
years. 1t demoli,hes the 'polcy' OF the
President a. etfectua!ly a. the action OF
Congress. n d the a,te npt to evade this
rrsuIt is os feeble as 1t Is foolish The
petitioners say tht. in concurrence
with the view OF the President convpn-
tons were held, and that the eopIe as.
semne,l v, luntarlly. aud not by coupui-
sion OF the President Now u",hi' = i,
more familiar to the country than he
action OF the President and the grounds
upon which it was justified. In Il e or
der appointing Mr.. Sharkey Provisional
Governor the l'r,slen recltes hat there
is no civil government in the State Of
Mis>sSlppi that the United States are
bound TO secure republican governs
mrnl to the State, and that 1t shall be
the duty Of Mr. Sharkey to prescribe
Iuics tor 'con> Cninp convention which
shall submit constitution to Congress
But if the United States had made an
irreversiblc compact with Mississippi,
did it authorize the President to appoint
a Governor tor the Stale. and to desig
nate who should be voters? II it did
not, the argument OF the petition is fatal
to the Presidents action.
This Mississippi petition is merely the
old tallacy which has been thoroughly
exposed and exploded 1t is the expir.
ing gasp of the sophsm which has been
destroyed by the war, that the Cons itu-
ton is compact or treaty, and not a
national bond. 1t is the final Struggle
OF the rebellion. which hopes to save by
legal quibbles and technicallties what it
conld not maintain by arms, 1t i. the
desperate effort to undo IN court the
decision Off war. 1t is futile plea
against the right of the people of the
United States to guarantee the peace OF
the Union. The wiser people in the
Southern States see this as plainly as we.
They remember that the Supreme Court
has already tried TO withstand the cur.
rent of events, and has failed. Thew
remember that Alexander IL Stephens
retired from Congress because the Dred
Scott decision had secured the victory
of The South And they have seen Mr.
Stephens, the Dred Scott decision, and
the So TIL mingled in common ruin.
Indeed, the soldiers at the South seen
to be The only statesmen. They know
that the loyal people who won In the
war would no more allow the Supreme
Court to reverse their victory than they
have allowed the President. The South.
ern soldiers are deselting fctions for
facts. Likewise men, they leaye to such
eertleman as Messrs. Sharkey and
Walker the task ct winning the Court to
say that Congress has done wrong,while
they themselves earnestly try to win the
coored vote and to control the future -
Ha'pcr's Weky
a.