The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-03-04

convict men Of treason and other crimes BY lssi..
patent ana fair one
4 of,sn became Necessary for Psrlismsht To- &C.
The fathers Of our country determined that snch
oowsr from Congress, and thus forbade It's exer.
~ a.. So sai b IN q
tsindsr; 1t Is. therefore. impossible for any per-
csedins Of any sort. Nsvsrt6siess here is bill
s o vague
to be scarcely ineligible, and found TO be true
upon no credible evidence. Not one OF the nine
sentatives OF the doomed parties were excluded
from all participation In the trial The conviction
Is to be followed by the most ignominious punish
li-franchises them by hundreds OF thousands, and
degrades them all---ven those who are admitted to
os guilt from the rank Of freemen to the con
The purpose and object OF the bill--the general
intent which pervades II from beginning 70 snd.
he State governments, and TO compel them by
orce 10 the adoption OF organic laws and regnla.
lions which they are unwilling to accept II ieit
themselves. The neg oes have not asked Tor the
have no idea what u means. This bill not only
veil a. the whites, to a,s Il In psrsic ular way If
hey do not form sConstitution with prescribed ar
ficies I'm IL, and afterwards elect Legislature
which will act upon certain measures In pre-
scribed way neither blacks nor whites IN be re-
ievsd IRON the slavery which the bill Imposes
| upon them. without psusing here to consider the
policy or impolicy Of AfrIcsnizing the southern
lart of our territory. would simply Ask the alien
Ion Of Consress to that msniIest' well anSwR am
aw which declares that the Federal Government
has no jurisdiction. authority or power 70 rsgSS
4 suffrage ont of the hands OF the white people
and into the hands of the negroes Is an arbitrary
collation. Of this principle.
This bill imposes martial law at once, and its
nperatons win begin so soon as the General and
his troops can be put In pace The dread aiterna-
tive between its harsh rule and plianee with the
terms Of this measure Is not suspended, nor are
the people afforded any time for free deliberation.
rhe bin says to them, take martial law first, tier
deliberate And when they have done all that
this measure requires them 70 do other conditions
and contlDgene les, over which they have no con
relieved from martial law. Another Congress
must first approve the Constitutions made in con
formity with the will OF this Congress, ana must
declare these States entitled TO representation IN
both Houses. The whole question thus remains
open and unsettled, and must again occupy the at
tention OF Congress- and in the mean time the sgi-
all portions Of the people.
The bill also denies the legality Of the Govern.
mpnts of ten OF the States which participated In
The ratification of the amendment to the Federal
Constitution abolishing slavery forever with the
the Uacs pa h sssanp
ton Of the bill be correct their concurrence can
not be considered as having been legally given,
consent Of three fourths Of the states-the requi-
site number has not been consttutionally obtain
ed to the ratification Of that amendment. thus
fore the amendment was officially declared to have
become a part Of the Constitution;
That the measure proposed by this bill does vio-
late the Constitution in the particulars mentioned,
and in many other ways which forbear to emu,
only remains to consider whether the injuuctions
of that instrument ought to be obeyed or not;
think they ought to be obeyed for reasons which
In the FIRST place, II is the only system OF free 60
vernment which we can hope to have as nation
When it ceases 70 be the rule OF our conduct, we
may perhaps take our choice between complete
anarchy, consolidated despotism, and total dis
solution Of the Union: but national liberty regu-
II is the best frame Of government the world
ever saw. No other is or can be so we'll adapted
to the seu HABITS b or Mss 81 Of he est e
pirs with unspeakable blessings Of local self-go-
demonstrating central power to defend the
the States as the guardians of industrial rights,
is "the sheet-auchor OF our safety abroad and
our peace at home" II was ordained Ito form
mestic tranquility, promote the general welfare,
provide for the common defence and secure the
rityi These great ends have been attained here
toiore, and will be again, by faithful obedience
TO it but they are certain to be lost If We treat
with disregard its sacred obligations.
Ii was to punish the gross crime OF defying. the
Constitution, and to vindicate its supreme author.
.ty, that we arried on bloody war o. four years
sacrificed a million OF lives and expended billions
o treasure to enforce Constitution which Ia not
worthy Of respect and preservation
Those who advocated the right of secession al
legged in their own justif cation that We had no
regard for law, and that their rights OF property,
liie and liberty would not be safe under the Con
stitution as administered by us. If we now verify
their assertion, we prove that they were In truth
and in fact fighting for their liberty and instead
of hiram leaders
name oil traitors against righteous and legal 60
vernment, we elevate them In history to the rank
of ssI sacri fcing PATRIOTS consecrate them tn the
adj miraiion Of the world, and place them by the
side of Washington, Hampden and Sydney. No,
punish them as they should be punished, accord.
ing TO law, and taxa upon ourselves no share OF
the odium which they should bear alone.
Its a part of our public history which can never
he forgotten that both Houses Of Congress in July
1851 declared, in the form OF solemn resolution,
hat the war was and should be carried on for no
Constitution and laws and that when this was
yielded by the parties In rebellion, the contest
should cease with the sogstnionad rsntS OF .ns
luton was adopted and sent forth TO the world
unanimously by the Senate, and with only two
dissenting voices in the House; ltwas accepted by
the friends OF the Union in the South ss wei as
in the North, as expressing honestly and truly the
o6se Of the war ho hhs sscians o. AZ her yes
and their fortunes to the cause. To repud ate 1t
now by refusing the States and to the individuals
laws Of the Union wonld secure to them is a
reach of our plighted honor for which | can
imagine no excuse, and TO which cannot Volun-
,arily become party.
The evils which spring from the unsettled state
of our Government will be acknowledged by al
mercisl intercourse is iInpedsd, ctlHal Is In
constant peril public securities fiuctuate In value
De ce itself is not secure, and the sense OF moral
and political duty is impaired. To avert these ca
iAmites from our country It IS imperatlveiy re-
oulryd that should imm-d lately decid- upon
some course Of administration which can be steal
tasty adhered TO. I am thoroughly convinced
hat sny settlement, or compromise, or plan Of &C
ton which is ssten with the prin cples OF the
Con.t ltuton I'll not only be unayaiIlng, out mis-
chievous; that 1t will but multiply tne present
the length and bread h OF The land Is the best OF
all compromises Besides. our duty does not, In my
udyment, leays us choice between that aud any
oihsr believe that ii contains the remedy that
is SO much needed, and that If the CO. or innate
branches Of the Government would mite upon 1ts
provisions they would be found broad enoug aud
strong enough to sustain in lime OF peace the ma
ton which they bore safely through the ordeal Of
gu sranties Of that instrument are those wnich
declare that leach State shall have At least
in the Senate Each House is made the judge
Of the elections, returns, and quail locations of lis
of two thirds expeI a member" Thus. as here
tofore urged, in the admission OF senator's and
can be no just ground of apprehension that per-
sons who are disloyal will be clothed WITH the
powers OF legislation for this could not hap
pen when the Constitution and the laws are EN-:
forced by vigilant and faithful Congress
"When a senator or representative presents his
certificate of election, he may at once be admitted
or rejected or should there be any question 20 to
Investigation to the appropriate committee. II ad-
mi.ed to seat II must be upon evidence satisfac-
tory to the House OF which he thus becomes .
member that he possesses the requisite constitu-
tional and legal qualifications. Ii refused admis-
sion as a member for want of due allegiance TO the
Government, and returned TO his constituents, they
United States will be allowed = voice i'm the
legislative councils Of the nation, and the
political power and moral influence OF Con-
gress are thus effectively ererted in the In