Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1867-01-05
Liabilities in excess OF assets
S5,e22,O52 10
5,e12,04l AZ

growing out of it by authority OF acts OF
Assembly, have amounted to upwards Oh
five millions of dollars, which, added to the
actual payment of the Indebtedness OF the
State, and money in the Treasury for that
purpose, shows the revenues, above the
ordinary expenditures, to have amounted to
S10,612,000, which would all have been ap-
Piled to the payment of the debt of the
Commonwealth in the last six years. A |
careful attention to the revenues of the !
Commonwealth, with such just and prudent !
changes as may be required in the future,
and wise economy in expenditure, will, in |
my judgment, ensure the entire payment of |
the public debt, within the period of fifteen |
years.
The time fixed for the redemption of $685.
10s, ,626 "a of the Indebtedness of the Com
monwealth having expired, recommend
that provision be made for its redemption,
by making new loan for that purpose,
payable at such periods as the prospective
revenues will justify.
present, for your consideration, the
amendments to the Constitution of the
United States, proposed to the Legislatures
of the several States by resolution OF both
Houses of Congress, passed on the 10th day
of June last l was glad that it was posi-
BILE, without delaying the final adoption of
these amendments, to ascertain the opinion
of our people upon them, at the general
election, in October last
The right of prescribing the qualifications
of voters is exercised by the respective
States, under the Constitution Of 1889; three
fifths of the slaves were counted in ascer-
tanning the representative population of the
several States. The amendment to the con-
stitution abolished slavery in all the States
and Territories. Though it was formerly
otherwise in most, if not all, of the old
Southern States, yet for many years past
free Negroes have rot in any of these, been
permitted to vote. At present, therefore,
| the late slave States would be entitled to
count the whole of their former slave popu-
lation, as basis for representation, instead
of three. ffths thereof That is to say, they
would have in the existing ratio about
twenty more members of Congress than they
had before slavery was abolished, and the
free States would lose the same number,
making difference of about forty members
of Congress, or, say, one-sixth of the whole
body. In other words, the treason of the
rebellious States, the suppression of which
has cost US 30 many hundreds of thousands
of precious lives, and so many thousands OF
millions of treasure, would be rewarded by
giving them a vast increase of political
power. This absurdity, the second clause
of the proposed amendments, designs to
prevent, by the just, equal and moderate
provision, that in future, the representative
population Of each State shall be ascertain
ed by making proportionate deduction
from the whole population thereof, if its
laws exclude from the privilege of voting,
any male citizens, not criminals, of the age
of twenty-one years. / have yet to learn
that any plausible objection can be offered
to such provision.
The third clause of the proposed amend
ments excludes from Congress, and from the
College of Electors, and from all offices
civil and military, of the United States, ol
of any State, persons who, as functionaries
of the United States, or as Executive oi
Judicial officers of any State, have hereto
fore sworn to support the Constitution Of
the United States, and afterwards violated
!, their oath by engaging in rebellion against
the same, unless Congress, by vote of two
, thirds, shall have removed the disability o.
any such persons.
, The fourth clause affirms the validity o.
the debt of the United States, and prohibits
the assumption or payment of the rebe
i, debt, or of any claims for the loss or eman
, cipation of any slave
The fifth clause provides that Congress
, shall have power to enforce the provision
; of the other clauses by appropriate legisla
ton.
That these wise and moderate provision
will meet the hearty appreciation of thu
Legislature, cannot doubt. If proposed
by two-thirds Of each House of Congress
and ratified by three-fourths of the Legsla
lures of the States, the Constitution pro
q vides that they should stand as adopte'
amendments of that instrument.
l.. A question has been raised whether th
e States lately is rebellion, and net yet re
o stored to their privileges by Congress, ar
to be counted ON this vote-in other word:
whether those who have rebelled and bee
subdued shall be entitled to potentis
voice in the question of the guarantees t
y be required of them for future obedience t
the laws. So monstrous proposition il
|, it appears 10 me, not supported by the word
}, or spirit of the Constitution. The powe
t to suppress insurrection, includes the powe
o of making provision against its breakin
d out afresl. These States have made an vi
just war upon our Common Governmer
l. and their Sister States, and the power give
by the Constitution to make war on ou
part, includes the power to dictate, aftt
4 our success, the terms Of peace and restori
tion.
4 The power of Congress to guarantee
= every State Republican form of Cover
ment, would cover much more cogent a,
IS tion than has yet been had.
The duty imposed upon Congress, to pr
Il vide and maintain republican governmen
= for the States, is to be accepted in Il
brosdest meaning of the term. 1t is not
n mere formal or unnecessary provision. III
= power was conferred, and the duty enjoine
to preserve free institutions against all e.
croachments, or the more violent elemen
% of despotism and anarchy.
They are without lawful governments
they are without municipal law, and wit
out any claim to participate in the Cover
25 ment
90 On what principle of law or justice c,
90 the rebellious, States complain, If after tn
IS have rejected the fair and magnanimo
. terms upon which they are offered broth,
90 hood with us, and participation in all I
: blessings of our freedom, and they have
l6 fused, if the government, in the exercise
. it's powers, should enter anew upon the wo
of Reconstruction at the very foundatio
90 and then the necessity will be forced up
- | ua ta diacarI all diserimina atiou in fa vor