The Plymouth weekly Democrat., 1867-07-25


Confederate debt and abolishing slavery
throughout the States. The States adopt-
ed it, and yet the Union was not restored.
Congress proposed the Constitutional
amendment Of 1866, whereby the States
were to be made to purchase peace and
power by the surrender of all control over
the right Of suffrage, and all objection to
the Civil Rights Bill.
And before these terms were fairly un-
derstood, Congress proposed another plan ;
and to see that the work was well done the
new Congress met on the 4th of March ::
and to I'LL up any crevice which time might
open through which one single ray of pom
ular light might shine in upon the people.
meets again In extra session on the Fourth
of July.
This plan abolShes the State Govern
ments. 1t subjects the people to mere
military despotism. 1t gives the right of
suffrage to the eniranchiscd negroes and
takes it away from the white man. 1t de-
grades the State governments from their
equality in the Union, and from their DO
stion as protectors of the rights of their
citizens. ltsubgerts and destroys the Com
stitutiOn Of the United States. and then
holds out to the people the hope that if
they will cheerfuly acquicsce in these
things, if they will not only patiently sub
NIT. but if they will with alacrity and zeal
and gratitude, appear to be happy TO sub
init to them, then-unless Congress chang
es Its mind-unless another plan shall be
suggested unless the coniscation Of Mr..
Stevens shall be thought a fitting reward
for superserviccabc loyalty-they may be
permitted to let negroes elect and admin
lister State government over them, and
choose members who shall he admitted to
seats in the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives. [Cheers
And this is not all. The States thus
held in military despotism, thus compelled
by tyranny. as relentless as cverapplied the
rack or turned the screw, to change their
own Constitutions, are then to be used to
amend the Constitution of the United
States, and to impose upon you in Mime
sofa, and yon in Wisconsin, and Us in Ohio,
government which we do not approve
Three-lourths Of the States alone can
amend the Constitution Of the United
States. Twenty-six States drive ten out
of the Unipn. y majority of the
twenty SIX harrass and oppress the ten un-
til they will consent to change their Con
stitutions and admit negro suffrage, sur
render all reserved powers and yield i'm
pllclt obedience to their will. They will
then admit them into the Union, and use
their concurrent votes to change the Fed
eral Constitution so rs to introduce negro
suffrage and Federal Inference in all the
States.
Do state this too strongly?
Congress meets now in extra session.
at great trouble to its members and vast
expense to the peoplc-and for what? For
the single, simple, avowed purpose of con
ferring more absolute and despotic power
on the military commanders. Great Heav-
ems Have they not power enough already?
The civil government, the tenure of Office,
the rules of trade, the maintenance of or
der, the administration of justice, the writ
Of habeas corpus, are subjected to their
will. The State officers must obey them
or they will be removed. The courts must
render judgment according to their dicta-
ton or they will be closed The sheriff
must execute the penalties they prescribe
or file Of soldiers will take their places.
And Congress meets on the eve of that
very day when the colonies justified their
separation from the mother country ON the
ground that the King had affected to rem
der the military independent of, and su-
pcrlor to, the civil power. [Continued
cheers
And they commence their work by ex-
Guiding from Congress, without any good
reason, without a decent pretcxt of palla-
ton, the Representatives from Kentucky
And why is all this ruin wrought? Is
it to punish treason and make it odious?
These are intelligent men-they know
human nature--they have read history
They know that men will rebel when they
have causes for discomfort They know
that either imprisonment nor stripes, nor
exile nor death restrain the people Of Po-
land or Hungary or Ireland from rebellion
They know that the fear of these punish
meuts will no more curb the efforts than it
will curb the aspirations for frcedom.-
They know that treason is the protest Of
liberty against tyranny
Is it to Go justice to the negro and to
accord to him the enjoyment of natural
rights?
If the negroes would assuredly vote
with the Democratic party and thus restore
1T to power, would these gentlemen be so
philanthropic and insist on negro suffrage
as condition Of reconstruction? TCrieS
of "No, no, not much y Is suffrage a
natural right? Where then is the author
ity to withhold it from the minor. from
the woman, from the alien? Life, liberty,
and the pursuit of happiness are alienable
rights, and they are accorded to women. mi
nors and aliens as well as men, and courts
are open Tor their security to all alike
Does suffrage stand on the same footing !?
The States have the power to admit ne
groes to vote, and then they are counted
in the election of Federal officers. Why
not argue the question before that tribunal
and thus accomplish the purpose, if at ALL
III constitutional manner?
No, gentlemen These arc not the pur
poses of this plan of reconstruction. Il is
to. revolutionize the Government. 1t is to
destroy the States. 1t is to build up a
great central government. These Repub-
licans hate the Constitution. They hate
limitations on power They hate to COM
ply with forms. They cling to the idea of
a strong cenralizeG power. They want
the government so framed that it will feel
the least impulse of the will of the ma
ity, and so strong that II may instantly