The union Democrat., 1867-10-19
10.
The Wtckedness and Absurdity OF Radi-
calism.

[ calism.
The radical leaders, in their attempt to
justify their repsal of the Constitution as to-
ten state OF the Union, are compelled to adopt
/ the theory of the Southern secessionists
They started out with the idea that the ordi.
nances ct secession passed by the Southern
States were null aud void from the beginning
that no State had right to withdraw from
tue Union under any circumstances-tha
'nelr resistance TO the authority of the Unit.
e! States was treason, aud that war was wag.
ea seieiy with view TO re.estahlish the su.
nfemasy oi the Constitution and restore the
snloh 70 lss former status. This was the idea
during the whole conflict and. consequently.
the Southern States were repeatedly recoc
nlzed as States in the Union by all the depart.
ments Of the Government, up to the surren
der of Lee and Johnson. Immediately. how.
ever, after their grand consummation these
same men turned round and recognised the
TACT that the Southern States were out of the
Union all the ume-that secession was an &C.
eomp!ished fact, and, of course, that il was
right resulting from the nature of the federal
compact lake, by way Of illustration, the
following from the Marysville appeal:
! " The E.eaminer knows very we'll that tbe
rebels, under the laws of nations, have no
rights under the Constitution. We know.
and the Eroln'ner is very willing to admit.
that the relations Of the late Confederate
States to the Federal Union are very peculiar.
The Govarnment fought for supremacy. not
to satisfy thu rebels that one Southerner was
not equal to three Northerners. We will ex.
erclse the power gained hy war-prudently,
we hope-tll the ex.States are equal in ths
Union and under the Constitution.
enforce the Constitution and to maintain the
rights OF all the States, was an atrocious and
lntamousraid on innocent unotfending people.
Unless secession was right and made the
Confederate States foreign to us, the laws of
nations had nothing whatever to do with the
matter. If the South is considered as 40
much conquered territory, and her people as
foreigners, what absurdity to call them reb
els What preposterous qualification to pre-.
tend to try Davis forstreason We might as
we'll have tried Gen. Nallcj 10 and Don Andreas
Plco and Pablo de la Guerro for treason in re.
sisting the conquest of California. We cheer.
fully admit that "the relations of the lata
Confederate States to the Federal Union are
vesy peculiar-yea. exceedingly peculiar-so
peculiar that, outside of the records of tyrnr.
ny, usurpation and oppression they have no
parallel, and scarcely one there. Ten States
of the Union pinned prone to the earth with
bayonets-heavy taxation exaeted of their
people without represen tation- epauletted
Governors exercising over person and proper
ty the powers of the most absolute despots-
the liberties Of the whites subordinated to the
future rule of ignorant, demoralized, and nor.
maliy savage negroes-confusion worse con.
founded in all their judicature and legislation
in short, every right valuable to freemen
NIT irpOrnA by I'll
profligate and perjured league of usurpers at
Washington. who call themselves the Con.
gress of the United States We would saw
that such a condition of things is rather pc.
cu,iar.
But, says the appeal. "the Government
fought for supremacy" Supremacy of what?
OF mere brute force? To show that 80 MANY
Northern men with oil the appliances of war
in superabundance, could finally worry out
and exhaust so many Southern men? If that
was the kind of supremacy sought for then il
did not rise to the dignity of prize fight.
for there equality is supposed to exist in the
combatants. But we supposed, as the Con.
greSs in the outset unanimouly declared. that
the war was not for conquest and suhiuga.
ton, but for the supremacy of the Constitu.
tion. Now, however, the radicals say the
Constitution has nothing to do with it-thas
il is a dead letter in these States-that their
people, whether "loyal" or "disloyal."
have no rights under it-that the war for the
Union was lie-that all the blood and treas.
ure that has been pourd out like water was
to destroy, not keep together, the Union, and
that the only possible way to accomplish a
reunion of the States is to put the feet of the
negroes on the necks Of the whites and re.
quire the former to vote the radical ticket.
TO such absurd and revolving conclusions are
the adherents of the Rump tyrants driven in
advocating their policy of reconstruction.