The Portland daily press., 1867-06-07

Tho ro,, Of the Fortieth Congress shows, in |
the House, 144 Republicans to As Democrats;
in the Senate, AZ Republicans to 10 Democrats.
With such majority the Repubhcan party ID
for the present invested with absolute power
over the policy of the country. The minority |
even when reinforced by the Presidential Veto'
is poweress. Under these circumstances de-
liberate and authentic declaration OF the pur-
poses of the majority might well DC reg'rddep
as document OF public interest. Sucn
declaration has been made, but our neighbor
of rhe Arqus has not laid it before his readers.
Select passages he has published, with and Tor
the sake of invidious comment, but the entire
document though short, is withheld. The
Aryus has not even published the few brief
paragraphs of the address to the People of
the South" which we reproduce below:
We then earnestly invite and implore the
people of the South, of all classes-frst to ac-
cent the plan of universal suffrage as the basis
of political, educational and industrial pros
perity and power. The black man win soon
prove that he is more to the State as citizen
than he was as slave. The laberer, whether
black or white, with education and culture,
will elevate and enrich the community which
in his Ignorance he dishonored aHd burdenea'
Secondly, upon the basis OF universal SUI
their efforts to the establishment ana nialhts
nance of "a system of public schools Tor the cd
ucation of the children of all classes. A..
Finally, public policy shouid s.i,nuia'e ,r r,e
laboring people to become landholders. The
owners of large estates should divide and sub
divide their lands, and sell them at reasonable
rates to those who need them ara can improve
them. In the South there is land enough for
ALI and all who desire should be permitted to
Obtain homes. This is q common right which
cannot be denied with safety to society.
Tn these measures of justice we expect and
shall welcome the aid of many who formerly
were shareholders, and participated in the re-
bellion. ... i...-.. ...
BY the acts herewith presented it will be
seen that Congress reserves to itself the full
and unrestricted right of Judgment whenever
State presents itself for admission into the
Union. The right will be exercised fairly and
generously. But yet, in the interest of peace
and loyalty, certain conditions and presidents
are laid down in laws. These must be met.
but beyond these conditions Congress must be
satisfied also that the people of the proposed
States are, and likely to be, loyal to the
Union, by decisive and trustworthy majorities; ;
that the institutions are framed upon the basis
of equality, and that they will from year to
year, and from age to age, contribute to the
peace, progress and prosperity of the States
and OF the country -. lg 1s-5.JI
If the people of the States lately in rebell-
ion shall cheerfully and in good faith reorgan-
ice their governments upon the principles of
remain no causes of difference between vari-
Gus sections of country.
These paragraphs embody the whole creed of
the Republican party. If the Argus is about
to substitute argument for assertion, we insist
that it is bound to publish at least this brief
exposition of the real intent of its political
opponents, and discuss it as a whole. Instead
of so doing, our neighbor has hitherto select
ed the third of these articles of faith, omitted
the declaration that public policy should
stimulate the laboring people to become land
holders" taken up the subordinate statement
that Owners of large estates should divide and
subdivide their lands" and unfairly connect
ing Herewith the saving clause by which Con
gress reserves to itself the riaht to reject a
merely formal compliance with the claws pass
ed" has not hesitated to speak of this docu-
ment, unpublished in its columns) as contain
ing an "unmistakable threat and justification
of confscation." When the attention of the
Argus is called to the declaration that, IF the
people of the States lately in rebellion shall
cheerfully and in good faith reorganize their
government upon the principles of the laos
passed by Congress, there will then remain no
causes of difference between the various Sec
that claws passed" must be construed to mean
"laws already passed" an admission which en-
tirely overthrows the aaterence which the Ar
gus had previously sought to establish by
means which are at least questionable. How
then does the Argus escape from its dilemma?
Its inference is shown to be contradicted by an
explicit declaration in the same document
Will our neighbor assert that an inference is
entitled to greater weight than a direct asser
ton? or will he abandon his Legitimate infer
ence altogether? Here is what he says:
.. Can any one have faith in, and rest his safety
upon, the thrice broken promises of this per
jured party?
That will not do, sir! You accused the Re-
publican party of proposing no definite and
absolute terms of Cancellation and restora.
ton" You confess now that "the Southern
people are told in this Address that they may
come in upon the principles of the laws passed
by Congress- which must be construed to
mean the laws already passed" And you de-
fend yourself by saying that in your opinion
the authors of the Address are lyingl Is moi
that rather contemplate shuttle? Suppose,
for the sake Of the argument, that the rep
resentatiyes of the people in Congress are all
as you intimate, liars! Are the people also
liars? Must not these men respect the wishes
of their constituents, or make way for others
who will? And can any Northern man believe
that the majority of the Northern people,
while in all honesty and sincerity desiring to
see the suffrage universal, education free to
ALL and every laborer owning his own home,
will seek even these honorable ends by dishon.
orable means? The plighted faith of the Re.
publican party will not be broken. If the
people of the South meet fairly the condition S
laid down in the laws, their States will be re-
stored to their former relations to the Federal
government IF they try to evade those condi-
tons, they must expect to take the conse-
quences of evasion. '' 81.