Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1867-07-24

but, say you, gentlemen, You are exercising
tyranny over those States What Just said
by the gentleman Mr. Wood who also opposes
this bill That the President OF the United States
appointed civil governors over those Statesl The
gentleman ought TO have gone further TO make
the record perfect, and said that the President
had not only appointed governors over those States
but prescribed the terms aud conditions upon
which the whole people Of those States should re-
construct the shattered fabric of their State insti
tutions do not stop nov to discuss the question
Of the Presidents power thus TO govern any part
of this country. did say once in my place here
that the President had not any more authority to
do that than the Gar of Russia when the rebellion
was overthrown. But, sir there was occasion for
doing something within the limits Of those States
for the establishment of law and order II any gen
teman doubts this, | will be obliged TO him II he
will express the grounds Of bis doubt.
] repeat it, there was necessity for something
being done, and the question is by whom should
it be done? 'f6t legal governments of those ten
States bad been totally dsorganized and destroy
ed through the instrnmentility of this traitorous
conspiracy There is not man, sir, within the
hearing OF my voice who has any respect for the
oath under which he is bound here as a represen-
tatiye of the people, but will say that from the wa
ters othe Potomac % the waters Of the Rio Grande
within the limits Of those ten nsurgeut States
there was not existing at the time when Lee sur.
rendered TO Grant single State organization that
had the right 70 legislate on any subject whatever.
And why, sir? Because the Constitution of YOUR
country on its face absolutely forbade it Why
Because the Constitution declares As condition
precedent to any Legislation in any State Of this
Union that every legislative, executive and judi
oial officer therein shall be bound by oath to sup
port the Constitution of the United States. an
that every State shall have government republic
can In form and not inconsistent with the Cousti-
tuition of the United States aud the laws and trea
ties made in pursuance thereof.
There not on the day of the surrender in
one of those States single State officer bound by
an oath to support the Constitution Of the United
States; on the contrary every officer therein had
taken an oath to overthrow that Constitution. |
do not stop to talk about the rights of disorgan-
lied States and disorganized too by reason Of
their own treason. The simple fact was and is,
and no sensible man in America can deny it, the
people Of those States by their treason had sue
ceeded in overturnng aud aunhatng their pre-
existing State Governments and were simply dis
organized communities within the general iirisdc-
ton Of the United States and subject to the laws
of the United States. Something had to be done
10 restore them, Ia this work OF restoration the
nation had first to be consulted. Before restora-
ton, and preparatory thereto, security, irrepeala
bic security for the future was to be taken by the
nation-the freemen Of organized constitutional
States who had crushed rebellion and maintained
through their organized loyal States American ma
uonality. American nationality never existed
otherwise, and while your Constitution stand;
never can exist otherwise than through organized
:, republican constitutional States OF the Union
Every Representative upon every side of this
House, has thus declared under the obligation o.
his OATH that the national will is exclusively de-
clared by the Representatives from organized
States in Congress assembled Who is there here
to say that any but loyal organized States within
this Union can rghtflly elect Congress and leg
slate under the Constitution for the people o
every State and Territory? There is no other
power that can make national laws uuder the Con
sttution, either for the organized or the dsorgan
lied States, for all legislative power granted By
the Constitution is vested in Congress. This Con
greSs Of the Constitution submitted to the people
of he organized States amendment of the Con
sttuion as the basis of restoration and future Sc
clrity. The loyal people have acted upon the
amendment so submitted have ratified it, and de
manded its acceptance by the several disorganzet
States a condition of their restoration to polit
cal power.
By this action the people have decided, in fac
and in law that the provisions of the pending bil
and Of the acts to which it is supplementary, whct
but provide the means for the acceptance of the
constitutional amendment aud the reorganization
Of republican governments in conformity therewitl
in the late insurgent States shall be carried into
effect. Let it be borne in mind that the peopl,
Of twenty-one of the tweny-seven States repre-
sented here have soemnly ratified the tourteentl
Article of amendment to your Constitution, whicl
declares upon its very fore front that all person.
born in this country, irrespective of color,
are citizens of the Republic, and that no State
this Union shall make or enforce any law wbic
shall abrdge the privileges or mmuni;ies of citi
: zens of the United States; nor shall any State de
= prve any person of life liberty property with
+ out due process of laws nor deny to any Persol
t ~Nh'h It's urlsle'ion 'ne equai pro.ecllon o. .n
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