The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-09-17
1rha Republican Party and the Repre-
~ i.e,.set,oU of the Late Rebel states


a.. c,o,,s,,tutiou. from the fact that the late
Rebel States are not represented IN congress
Tbe;r statement of the case is, that here are
tan States to which the Constitution guaran-
toes two Senators each and Representatives
according to their population, in Congress-, and
which the Republican party persists wiltully
and illegally in excluding from their just par
ticipation in the Government.
Now, if this were true statement of the
case iIrall its bearings, we should be as loud
in our denunciation of the wrong thereby
done as are any of the Democrats. We hold
that each state is entitled to its two Senators
and TO les proper number of Representatives
in Congress- No possible party exigency could
lead us for moment to countenance the ex
clusion from Congress of Senators and Repre-
sor.at;vas entitled TO seats therein. We
should consider such an act as in the highest
degree dangerous and revolutionary.
But notoriously, the above statement of the
case, which we have put into the mouth of the
Democratic objector, is not the true one. 1t
suppresses material facts, which utterly change
the aspect of the question. 1t makes false as
sumptions, which inevitably lead to erroneous
conclusions.
The Constitution, in all that it says about
representation in Congress, goes upon the
suppostion that the State to be represented
has a valid and constitutional government,
through which it acts The two Senators
must be chosen by legal Legislature, properly
assembled. The Representatives must have
of oil
legal authority; and if chosen to fill vacancies,
it must have been by writs of election issued
by legal Governor. 1t will not do for lot
of people to get together irregularly, and call
themselves the estate" and then assume
to exercise its functions.
And now we come to the grand controlling
fact of this matter, namely, that the so-called
States lately in rebellion have no constitutional
State governments. They are, therefore, not
in competent condition to choose Senators
and Representatives in Congress. There are
no legal legislatures to elect Senators, no legal
Governors to issue writs Of elections. The au-
thorities which are now in existence there are
purely of a temporary and provisional char
acter, and in no sense constitute valid or con-
stitutional State governments.
But how did these States get into this ano-
malous conditionH The answer to this ques-
tion brings out another great fact, which our
Democratic friends are very careful, when dis
cussing this subject, to conceal-namely, the
fact of the Rebellion. The condition of the late
Rebel States is due to the fact that they wick
edly and causelessly rebelled against the Gov
ernment of the United States, and for four
long years endeavored to overthrow it by
force of arms. They were not forced out Of
the Union; they went out voluntarily. Theil
Senators and Representatives scornfully and
defantly left those halls which they nov
would fain enter again. During the war thei
State Governments lost all standing or validity
under the Constitution of the United States
Their officers, instead of being sworn to sup
port that Constitution, were sworn Il
support the Constitution of tn
Rebel Confederacy. The terms of ofIic
of the seeding Senators and Representative
expired by limitation as well as by their owl
resignation, and there was neither disposition
nor lawful authority in the Rebel State gov
ernments to fill their places. When the Rebt
Confederacy was finally overthrown by tn
triumph of our armies, the Rebel State gov
ernments were overthrown also.
Thus we see that, by no fault of the RI
publican party, by no arbitrary and unjuE
acts of exclusion on its part, the late Rebe
States find themselves without representatio
in Congress. Their condition is the fruit
their own wicked acts. They violated til
Constitution, and sought to overthrow it b
force of arms, and in the attempt they onl
succeeded in destroying their own standin
under that instrument as the possessors
lawful State governments. They could NJ
destroy the great Republic at whose life the
aimed their blows, but they did succeed i
destroying their own organized, corporate ez
istence as States.
1t only remains to add, that the policy
the Republican party is to enable the peopl
of these States to organize new State Cover
rnents, republican sin form, as required b
the Constitution, at the earliest practicab
moment. Indeed, the work is now in the fu
tide of successful operation under the Reool
struction acts of Congress. As soon as lawfl
Governments are established in these State
so that Senators and Representatives can
legally chosen, then the Republican party wi
be glad to admit them to their long-vacate
seats in Congress. Then the work of reool
struetion will be complete and then the uniO