The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1867-01-12

4
now recognized, even by the South in ev.
cry State Constitution, declaring their or
dinances Of secession null and void, were
never out Of the Union. He had no bet
ter right as Commander-in-Chicf or as
President, 10 my humble judgement, to
require Of them conditions precedent than
Thhddeus Stevens, or Charles Sumner, or
BcDjapiip Wade. But it is needles to dis
cuss that question. The South accepted
these conditions, and Incorporated them
into their State Constitutions and now
after one year has passed, the President
has proclaimed that, whereas they have
submitted to the Constitution and obey
the laws, aad subjected themselves to all
the burdens Of government, they are enti-
tied 10 admission, 10 the exercise OF their
right Of representation in the Senate and
House Of Representatives., and-in the
Electoral College.
II ii said by some who concedc that
these States are in the Union as they al
ways were in the Union.--ther ordinan.
ces Of secession being null and yoid-that
they are entitled, therefore. to representa-
ton, but that it can be only in the persons
Of "loyal" men. | agree TO that, except
that | quarrel with the word. / never
heard il until 1861. It's not an American
word, not republican word, not Dem
ocratic word. 1t docs not belong TO a
free country. ftispcculiar to monarchsa and
moDarchies. to deRotc personal attachment
GdelIty 70 an individual or cTown head
It has no buisiness here. ltnevcr would
have been introduced. except by men who
we're attempting-as men are still attemp-
ting-to establish strong or monarchical
n government in this country. The true
old-iashioned word was patriotic. Thai
Is the word you are accustomed to hear
from the beginning Of your Iiyes-on the
I'D Of February, ON the Fourth Of July
aud wherever aud whenever any man ad-
dressed you appealing 20 your loye of
| country. Now, however, men use the
the word loyal" aud tell Us that in the
+ Senate aud House Of Representatives, az
in the electoral college, none but loyaI
) meu should be admitted to seats. Nov
. propose to take the definition Of loyalty
f as given by tie President. not by any Of
those smaller lights who undertake 10 In.
ierpret the Specification Of the word, and
| Comment upon the text laid down by the
r President | choose to 90 to the fountain
head, not To the muddy stream lower
| down. Let US see. In remarks to an in.
terview with n committee of the Legisla
! ture Of Virginia. 0n the 10th February
/ 1866, Dir. John Ii. Baldwin, Speaker oi
! House Of Delegates from Richmond, being
r chairman 0fthe delegation, Andrew John
: son, referring to This very question, said
! ''0n the cardinal principle of representa-
ton, to which your refer, | will make
single remark. That principle is inner
cut Ii constitutes one of the fundamen
= tai elements Of this government. Tn,
1 representatives of the States and Of thC
3 people should have the qualifications pre-
I scribed by the Constitution OF the United
= States"
There alone find the authority to de
| clare qualifications, and find, moreover
an oath prescribed; and for one, / deny
the right Of Congress, or any other au
: thority of the Federal government, TO su
4 peradd one syllable, or letter. to the oati
|. which our fathers set down in that instru
!. Inent; aud the Supreme Court; and stat,
!. it on the authority of General Frank Blai
q Us we'll as other authorities which nee,
# not aud will not name-has already deci
Q ded that only the oath prescribed by tn
4 Constitution is the oath which Congres
n can exact. The President continued il
y words which are strongly emphasized
:. t. These qualifications most uaguestiondbL
/. imply loyalty" Now again protesting
- against the use of that word as asubstitut
. for patriotism or attachment to the Con
!. stitution, as Jefferson called it, | say un
e questionably the President is right n
man can be attached to the Constitution
d and not have the loyal qualifications t
N entitle him TO u seat as Senator or Rep
Y resentative. During the war. men VIII
:. were in rebellion US il is called-men i
% armed hostility to the Federal authority
,. who rejected the Constitution and laws
r. could not have seat in the Senate 0
% House, or vote in the Electoral Colleg
,r because they were not loyal, not attache
9. to that Constitution. Therefore, the
ia could have been justly excluded. Hor
ID stands the case now? They have surrer
j dered, yielded obedience to the CostitT
n. tion and laws and are loyal, therefore, t.
W day. l mean loyal now, without refer
.. ercc to their past record Dc you g
,e back aud ask of one who would join
l. church, whether he was 8 sinner once an
~ aud if he had been sinner, do you there
ly fore deny him the right to unite wit
a your No; these questions are not asket
T. and so with regard to this matter of loya
as ty in Representatives and Senators, an
i. members Of the Electoral College. An
o. man who to-day is in favor of supportin
Mt the Constitution, who is for maintainin
ID the Union; for obeying the laws and sui
Q. hitting to the Federal authority-tha
Of man Is loyal in the proper term of tn
OF word. it indeed it be applicable in an
oe sense in Republican government.
t. Tile who comes as Representative,
IN says the President, having the quallic,
a tians prescribed by the Constitution :
Q. not by Congress-''to fit him to take
n. seat In either OF the deliberatiye bodis
- which constitute the national Legisl,
n. ture, must necessarily, according to til
X intehdment of the Constitution, be 10y,
4 man, willing to abide by, and devoted
:. the Union and the Constitution of th
,p States"
OF That is the only qualification of s'loya
he ty' that ever justly or properly W,
known in the land. / am aware that "
I,,l ha,Yo 10 ..n.. AZ