The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-01-26
APPEAL FROM LOYAL suUTHERNERS
APInin statement Of Facts.


gress aud the people:-
Whereas the President Of the United STATES mas
undertaken without any apthoy Un r% taos ~ oT
suRurate civil governments in tine former SIaJes OF
lexas Florida, North Carolina, Geo, gla, AlaDama,
Mississippi, and south Carolina, Mn,Go SEaSes @ OF vi
Territories after the mliitary surrender were eS-
cluslyely subject to the law making pOUeI Oi tue |
United STATES; and whereas the PRESIDENT, Dy !
direct and persI stent usurpatlOn OF pretended !
Hower has by various acts and declarations, denied
ihe power Of Congress to interfere with his usurpa'
snbo,rdiDston 10 the will of the Executive the
supreme political authority OF the nation, II has
Therefore become in the opinion and judgment OF
the Association of Southern Loyallsls now assem-.
bled at Washington, matter of lmperious political
and national necessity for the Government OF toe
United States to settle at once and forever, this
conflicting claim OF power between the executive
and Legislative departments OF the 10yeTnment.
This Association maintain that the President, after
repeated assertions by Congress to It's exclusive
power and in opposition to the expressed will OF the
ioyal peope OF the nation at the ba0t-boX still per-
sIsts in a cOntumacY that IL allowed to prevail will
virtually unhinge the governmental framework OF
the United States under the Constitution,
The attempt to hold in subordinaton, and to keep
under the ban of disability, the Union element and
20 hold II in suDjecton 10 toe Rebel element, Is
political crime that can find no apology or excuse.
lt suicidal to the he of the nation as 1t is unjust
and wicked IN purpose Thar portion OF the southern
D eople who have voun taiily aDUred their allegiance
TO the Government of the United States, and as the
highest evidence of abjurauon revlled and de.
nOunced and made war against 1t, and which had
thus become the of the Constitution aud the
Union, have been the people almost exclusively
favored by Andrew johnson He has assisted to
restore them to temporary power under pretended
State organizations. He has diligently worked and
cO.Operated to assist them in the exclusion OF the
Union people of South from all participation
political power. He has made the support OF his
usurpaton the test of MS tavortism and encourage
ment, whilst opposition to 1T has drawn from him
an exhibition OF malicious animOslty such only as
would characterize the acts OF depraved tyrant
1t needs only to look at the murders and assassi
nations OF Union men and freedmen in the South to
mark the atrocity OF Andrew johnson. As Com
mandeI .in-Chief OF the Army and Navy, with full
power to enforce protection he has purpO .elV
unued to avoid the discharge OF this highest of all
duties. Whilst the loyal people of the nation have
been continuously distressed by the numberless
cr1es coming up from the detenseess and helpless,
the Executive, acting the part OF depTayed parti-
umes of evidence before him, to the effect that his
usurplng policy and the encouragement OF the
| Rebel forces under 1t has reammated them into
murderOus activity, he has still persisted. Rebuked
by the voice and verdict OF an indignant people, he
still persists In his atroclous policy OF giving the
| control OF the South TO Rebel, as unrepentant of
their past crimes as the loyal people of the United
! States are determined to establish and maintain
1t is maintained by this Association, by Congress,
and by the loyal people of the United Stat S, that
! Congress alone has the power, ana the excu i've
| power, to establish, MAINTAIN, and secure under
laws to be enacted, protective republican govern
tain that no progress is possible to be made as long
as Andrew johnson shall be permitted to stand on
his usurpation, defy the power OF Congress- and
needless OF the execution OF the laws designed to
afford protection. The law-makine and executive
power the nauon must be brought into harmony;
and until this conjunction transpres no settlement
OF our difficulties can even be commenced. The con-
|
| sable. We know OF no other way than that the
Executive, who disregaros the legitimate jurisdic
ton OF the awmaking power, as well as the verdict
! of The people, should be displaced The law of
necessity which dictates the preservation OF pro-
| tecuYe republican government under the COnstitu-
! tIon IS the highest OF al public considerations.
1t IS further maintained by this association, that
the course OF the President, IN connection with his
usurpation has been as deleterious in results as 1t
was illegal IN its inception. We charge that the
Executive has desgnedly and corruptly encouraged
| and invited to the support OF his usurpauOn the
| Rebel element OF the South and the apOogists OF
treason in the North, whilst he has reVed and
attempted 70 subvert the Union element in both
tions, ard wlckcdly persisted In the attempt 10
place the Union element Of the country IN political
subOrdi1atlon to the aVOwed enemies OF the United
We further maintain, that there are eight millions
out of the twelve millions of people the late slave
States as loyal to the Government OF the United
States and the benencent principles OF the Conslu
ton as any eight milnOns IN the North The records
of the War Department disclose the fact that these
eight millions, under all the dlscouragements OF
tneIr situation, have furnished more than the nun
dred thousand soldiers TO The Union army. 1t is
needless TO discuss he thousand ways IN which TINS
Union element of the South has assisted the Govern
ment aud the soGler OF the Government IN the late
struggle. 1t remains for us to pronounce that
Andrew Johnson, armed with executive power, ana
bent on pressing his usurpations as tinaliy, has
moi only oIsreeaId ded all claims of Union men, but
welded such power for purposes more atrocious
than ever exhibited before by nnv person pretend.
ing to hOlo the reins of government.
Whilst we Indignantly MAINTAIN that Andrew
Johns on is and should be held responsible lor the
murders and assassinations, as well as the general
abuse OF Union men and freedmen in the South we
are painfully constrained TO believe that the con
tinuatiOn of this course has been too much en-
couIaged by the 1orbearing policy OF Congress That
body has duty to perform in vindcatlng Its claim
to power, as much so as in the performance OF any
other duty. To is confded the high power amongst
other powers to restrain and constIain every othe
department OF the Government to act within the
sphere of its jurisdiction. Ii was armed with the
pow er Otimpeachment and made polItlcally supreme
ior this very purpose. 1t Is bound by its official
to discharge tins duty veil as all Others Paintu
the task may be- and distressing to the sensibIte
of our people necessity imposes on Congress the re
quirements OF MAINTAINING atiirmativelY, and by al
, | Constitutional means, its political prerogattves.
Protective republican government, we maintain
is the common birthrlght of the American people
All questions on this subject were foreclosed on thu
| adoption of the Constitution. Under that claus
| which proVidesithat "the United states shall guar
antee to every State in this Union republican torn
| of government" there is q duty imposed of Verl
comprehensive character This clause of the suprem
law deals with States as states, with territories a
as well as states IN territorial condition. II EN-
| braces q war power Us well as political power.
deals with all forces in contumacy with the pIOteC
tive features of the Constitution. II is the auxar
power cOnhded to Congress in the adoption OF al
means necessary and proper to maintain and pre-
serve the recognl zed rights OF citizenship. When
is considered that in connection with this the mill
tary power OF the nation including the President a
COMMUNICATIVE was deslgnedlY made subOI
Enov that the trainers of the Constitution desgne
10 make the Congressional tribunal OF States pract
caly supreme at least so Tar as regards the rIgt
and power OF enforcing the principle of protection
The American people will never consent to allON
this power in their representatives to be usurped
| displaced by the Executive Will. nor will they cou
pIaceptly allow their representatives to suDmit I
| anV suCh usurpaliOn on any pretenses whatsoever
THIS Association again repeat and again urge tbs
the power and the will of the loyal people Of tn
| nation speaking through their loyal representa-
tIves must be indicated. Without this there ca
be no settlement between the loyal and contumi
cious forces now maintaining antagonsms that al
irreconcllable. We know as well as we can moral
know anything, that while CONGRESS stands hrml
all and Justice to ALL" that body will be sussine
On the foregoing declarations we, the members