American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1867-05-01

| Dored Tor the Wlnd r.
/ will add one more. "And the asses did
stand in the high places, they snuffed UP
the wind like dragons."- Christ. Adrocate.
| -<e>-.@o-->-S--
Rip Van Wrinkle i'm the SUI
preme Court.
Unlike the antediluvian worthy who tho
when the deluge began that it was not GO
ing to be much of a shower after all, Messrs.
Sharkey and Walker, counsel for the State
of Mississippi, now that she deluge is over,
and the new heavens and the new earth be-
gin to appear, are of opinion that there has
| not been much of shower. They insist, with
the bewildered solemnity of Rip Van Win
kIe, that the war had but one Significance
and result-namely, that the loyal citizens
were physically stronger than the disloyal.
That point having been satisfactorily deter
mined, every thing returns to its previous
condition. In a word, say Messrs. Sharkey
and Walker, there has been "a little un>
pleasantness in the national family, but
now every thing is serene. -....
The petition of these gentlemen to the
Supreme Court sets forth, in great ampli-
tude Of phrase, that once a State always a
State that the United States have made an
irrevocabls compact" with the State of
Mississippi; that the State can not Secede,
and enn not be expelled; that>a military
despotism is unconstitutional and that the
Reeoastruction bill and all the proceedings
under it may as well be declared unconsti-
tutional first as last, Now, what other
question than this have the people of this
country been considering for two years past'
What did they decide at the last autumn
their civil government and their relation
with the Union can establish government
and resume that relation only upon such
conditions as the loyal citizens may deter>
mine2 The petition of Messrs. Sharkey
and Walker is grave request to the Sur
preme COURT to reverse the decision Of the
people at the polls. Do these gentlemen
suppose that the national will upon such a
question as reconstruction is to 10 set aside
by a majoritsbbf nine judgos2
The argument of the petition is fatal to
every politica measure of the lasttwo years.
1t demolishes the 'policy" of the President
as effectually as the action of Congress, and
the attempt to eyade this result is as feeble
as 1t is foolish. The petitioners say that,
Sin concurrence with the view of the Pres
ident," conventions were held and that
'the people assembled voluntarily, and not
by compulsion of the President. Now,
nothing is moro familiar to the country than
the action of the President and the grounds
upon which it was justified. In the order
appointing Mr.. Sharkey Provisional Gov
ernor the President recites that there is no
civil government in tho State of MiSsissippi
that the United States are bound to secure
a republican government to the State, and
that it shall be the duty Of Mr.. Sharkey to
prescribe rules for 'convening a convention"
which shall submit constitution to Con-
gre.s. But if the United States had made
an irreversible compact with Mississippi,
did it authorize the President to appoint a
Governor for the State, and to designate who
should be votersi If it did not, the argu-
ment for the petition is fata! to the Presi>
dents action.
This Mississippi petition is merely the
old fallacy which has been thoroughly ex-
posed and exploded. 1t is the expiring
gasp of the sophism which has been destroy
ed by the war, that the constitution is a
compact or treaty, and not o national bond
1t is the final struggle of the rebellion
which hopes to save by legal quibbles and
technicalities what it could not maintain by
arms. 1t is the desperate effort to undo in
a court the decision of war. 1t is a futile
plea against the right of the people Of the
United States to guarantee the peace of the
Union. The wiser people in the Southern
States see this as plainly as we, They re-
member that the Supreme Court has alrea>
dy tried to Withstand the current Of events
and has failed. They remember that Alex
ander II. Stephens retired from Congress
because the Dred Scott decision had secured
the victory of ''the South" And they have
seen Mr.. Stevens, tse Dred Scott deci sion,
and "the South mingled in common ruin.
Indeed, the soldiers at the south seen. 10 be
the only statesmen. They know that the
loyal people who won in the war would no
moro allow the Supreme Court to reverse
their victory than they have tho President
The Southern soldiers are deserting fctions
for facts. Like wise men, they leave to
such gentlemen as Mesrs. Sharkey and
Walker the task of winning the Court to say
that Congress has done wrong, while they
themselves earnestly try TO win the colored
vote and to control the future.
,Barnum may be pious man, buthe failed
TO make bis election sure.