The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-09-20

4
I we'll understood at the time. What
was this proposition? First, that the
| civil rights II shall not attempt to
quote the precise Language, but give
| the substanCe) of every man in the
| Union shall be guaranteed aud no law
1 shall be passed by State Infringing
/ them. Second, That the men who had
1 held Office under the General Govern
menL engaged in the rebellion should
/ not again hold office until the disability
/ be removed by atwo-thirds vote of Con-
/ gress. Third, That representation
/ should be based on the voting popuih-
| ton. Fourth, That the debt OF the
| United States should be paid and
that the rebel debt never should be
paid by the Government or by any
State. And fifth that Congress should
have power to enforce these provisions
This proposition was submitted 10 them
| and every rebel in the Southern States
not include ed in the disfranchisiDg act
itself, was authorized TO vote on that
| proposition and that act only disfranchis
ed those who had held office under the
| general Governmentandt taken the oatn
10 support its constitution and had yio-
lated that oath to go into the rebellion.
Every other rebel in the Southern
| States was authorized TO vote.
No sooner was this plan proposed by
| Congress than the Democrats opposed
it just as they had opposed every other
measure adopted by the Republican
| Congress during the rebellion for Its
overthrow. and urged the rebels of the
Southern States to reject II. They did
reject it, taking the advice of their
| Northern allies.
| This Government Is republican
Government and you cannot for any
| long time control any considerable por-
ton of your people by military power.
1t is contrary to the genius of your
| Government, and woutd ultimate in an
anarchy or military despOtisn. iHence
the imperative necessity of an early
restoration of the Union.
| The. rebels refused to reconstruct
when they were offered the privilege.
The Congress of the United States went
| to work to ascertain whether there
were not other persons that would re-
construct. They found large element
/ in the Southern States that during the
war had been driven from their homes
| to the mountain Businesses because
/ OF their devotion to the Union, and
had finally sought protection in the
| Northern States. At the close oil the
war they went back home and appeal
| ed to Congress not to agree onany plan
| of reconstruction that would dlstran-
! chise them or drive them again from
their homes. There was another large
| element in the Southern States that
was loyal to the flag, and that element
was black in skin. l appeal to any
soldier here and ask him whether
whit marching through Tennessee,
through Mississippi and Alabama, aud
| Georgia., North Carolina and South
| Carolina, and Virginia, he ever found
| a black man within the limits of those
States that was not loyal man.
! Whilst the white men of the Southern
/ States were al most invariably rebel the
black men of the Southern States were
invariably loyal.
The Congress of the United States
then in looking round for another ele-
ment than rebels 10 reconstruct the
Union resolved to allow the privilege
and the power to the loyal men OF the
Southern States without reference to
color; and passed the Sherman Dill,
known as the military reconstruction
bill. The Democratic party opposed
this reconstruction measure as they
had the other, and just AS they Will ell
| measures for the reconstruction of the
Il Southern States that will not place the
rebel element OF those States in power.
They say to us that we oppose every
measure for the reconstruction of the
Southern States that would not give
I the Republican party the power. we
say 10 them, you oppose every measure
for the reconstruction OF the Southern
States that would not give the rebels
the power; and ifthere is to be dis
criminatiUn in this measure, l want to
know which ought to have
the power to reconstruct these
States, the men loyal TO the
flag, or the men that were rebels2 The
people of Ohio endorsed this action of
Congress at their last election. -.
] Now the question comes up, by what
means can you effect the most speedy
restoration of these States to their
practical relation to the Union? How
can you effect a restoration through the
Democratic party? The Democratic
partyI Why, where has it IA local
habitation aDd a manner" 1t Is true
that in Kentucky, and Maryland, and
| Dslaware-States that We're prevented
from seeding from the Union only by
the strong power of the Federal Gov
ernment, whose young men went into
!he rebel army to fight against the nag
of your country and came back to vote
the Democratic ticket. The Demo-
| cratic party is power, and where that
party is In power the officers of the
rebel are in power. But outside OF
those States where in all this broad
land of ours has the Democra tic party
power to elect the chief magistrate of
State save in where by division of the
Republican party that opportunity is
afforded them2 In any other States of
this Union they have scarcely the pow
| er TO elect Il road supervisor. Ap.
plausel And yet they come up and
ask you to sustain the Democratic
/ party, in order that they may restore
| the UniouI Why, sir, before you
could elevate this party into power, If
you were all to turn CopperheHds to-
night, and in your slimy trails crawl
Into tie Democratic party, the Union
would be restored in all its parts. The
present Congress has two years TO serve,
and before that two years Is out every
State in the Union will be back TO its
practical position in theiUnion. What
have you TO gain.then by voting for this
Copperhead ticket on the score of re-
construction? And besides gaining
nothing in point of time, if it was in the
power Of that party, aided by the
| would be President of the United States,
(as the Democrats call the Congress of
\ the United States because the Southern
| States did not vote for 1t y what Kind Of
reconstruction would you get ityou did
get the Democratic party into powerf
! Whv virtually a reconstruction Of the
Union on rebel basis-no other. This
Government is said 10 be "A Republican
/ Government. What is "A Republican
| Government 1 aver that nowhere has
! there been SO terse definition of the
term Republicanism as that contained
/ in the memoFab BILE speech Of our)fallen
/ Chieftain, as he uttered it over the
graves of our braves at Gettysburg
when the cemetery was dedicated. He
says, "a Republican Government is a
| Government of the people, by the peo-
lple, and for the people," How tersel
.lThow clear! You cannot take a single
word from that definition without de
stroying its force. a Government
originated with the people, carried on
/ by the people, a Government whose
la VS. areaenacting for the beneht OF the
Ipeople-not part of the people,
I chosen few, but all the people, every
living soul within the Republic. atH
] MASuOnn STTEFRAaF