The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1867-04-04

atty and republicansul. Indeed, if ther
are degrees in republican forms Of govern
: ment, their constitutions are more repub
Q !ican now than when they are states, fou
Of which were members when the orlgina
\ thirteen first became members of the Tn
r ion. Congress does not demand that
/ single provision Of their constitutions b
changed except such as oonfne suffrage t
the white population. 1t is apparent tha
these provisions do not conform to tn
standard of republicanism which congress
seeks to establish That there may be n,
mistake, it is only necessary that referenc
should be made to the original act, which
declares "Such Constitution shall provide
that the elective franchise shall be enjoy
cd by all such persons as have the qualifi
cations herein stated for the electors o
delegates" What class persons is here
, meant, clearly appears in the same section
that is to say, 1.-The male citizens Of said
State, twenty one years old and upward, c
whatever race or color, or previous ondi-
|, ton, who have been resident in said State
for one year previous to the day Of sucl
election"
Without these provisions no constitu.
tion which can be framed in any one of the
ten states will be of any avail with Con
gress. This, ther,. . is the test Of
what the constitution ~oi state of. this
Union must contain to make it republican
Measured by such G. standard, how few OF
the states now composing the Union have
republican constitutions II, in the ex-
ercis0 of the constitutional guarantee tnat
Congress shall secure to every state re-
publican form Of government Universal
suffrage for black as we'll as white as sine
quo non liz tie work DEMONSTRATION may
as well begin il Chic as il Virginia; in
Pennsylvania as in North Caroline When
| contemplate the millions Of our fellow
citizens Of the South, nth no alternative
left but to impose upon themselves this
fearful and untried experiment Of complete
negro entranchisemert, and Whitc Gisfran
chisement-it may be almost as complete
or submit indefinitely to the rigor of mar
tial law, without a single attribute Of free
men deprived of all the sacred glaran-
tees Of our Federal Constitution, and
threatened with even worse wrongs, if any
worse are possible, it seems to me their
condition is the most deplorable to which
any can be reduced. 1t is true that they
have been engaged in rebellion, and that
! their object being separation of the states
and dissolution Of the union, there was
an obligation resting upon every loya! cit
izen to treat them as enemies, and to wage
war against their cause Infexibly op-
posed to any movement imperiling the in-
tegrity Of the Government, | did not hes
itate to urge the adoption Of all measures
necessary for the suppression Of the insur-
rection.
After long and terrible struggle. the
efforts Of the government were triumph
antly successful, and the people of the
South, submitting to the stern arbitrament,
yielded forever the issues of the contest
Hostilities terminated soon after it became
my duty to assume the responsibilities of
the chief executive officer OF the repub-
lie. at once endeavored to repress and
control the passions which our civil strife
had engendered, and, no longer regarding
these erring millions as enemies, again
acknowledged them as our countrymen.-
The war had accomplished its object; the
nation was saved, and that seminal prin-
ciple Of mischief, which, from the birth of
the government had gradually but newt
ably brought on the rebellion. was totally
eradicated. Then, it seemed to me, was
the auspiciOus time to commence the work
of reconciliation; then, when the people
sought once more our friendship ard pro
lection, | considered it rly duty to meet
them in tie spirit of charity and forgive
ness. and to conquer them even more eff
fectually by the maenaninlity CT the ma
ton than by the force of its arms.
yet believe that if the policy of rec
oncilation then inaugurated, and which
contemplated an early restoration of these
people to their political rights, had receiv-
ed the support of congress, overy one of
these ten states, and all their people, would
at this moment be fast anchored in the
Union, and the great work which gave the
war all its sanction, and made it just and
holy, would have been accomplished
Then, over all the vast and fruitful region
of the South, peace and its blessings wo'd
have prevailed, while nov millions are de-
prived of rights guaranteed by the con-
stitution to every citizen, and after nearly
two years of legislation, find themselves
placed under an absolute military Gespot-
ism. "a military republic--a govern
ment formed or mock elections, and sup
ported only by the sword,' was, nearly
quarter Of century since, pronounced by
Webster, when speaking cf the South
American States, as ga movement indeed
but retrograde and disastrous move
ment, from the regular and old-fash
ioned monarchial systems"
And he added: "If men would enjoy
the blessings of republican government,
they must govern themselves by reason by
mutual counsel and consolation, by sense
and feeling of general interest, and by the
acquiescence OF the minority in the will
of the majority, properly expressed and
above all, the military must be kept, ac-
cording to the language of our bill of
rights, in strict subordination to the civil
authority. Wherever this lesson is not
both learned and practiced, there can be no
political freedom. Absurd, preposterous
is it, sccF and a satire on free forms of
constitutional liberty, for forms of govern
ment to be prescribed by military leaders,
and the right of suffrage to be exercised
at the point ofthe sword" | confidently
believe that time will come when these
states will occupy their true positions in
the Union.