Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1867-03-01


By the proposed constitutional amend /
meut viii be allowed to vote or hold
Office. The section therefore subBtan- /
tally .enacts universal manhood suf- /
frage In rebel States, and at the some /
time prohibits the leading rebels from /
having anything to do with the work
of reconstruction.
The bill as thus amended, and a. it
stands above, was passed BY a vote of
125 to IS tn the House and 3 TO in
the Senate. The people viii heartily
endorse the measure, and il vii prob
ably meet the views of as large a num-
Der Of persons In Congress and Out Of
It as any plan Of reconstruction that
could have been devised.
The bill has three leading features
which deserve special attention. First
1t places the insuFectiOBary States IN
der military supervision. The wonder
Is that they were not kept under mili-
tary supervision from the close Of the
war until the present thine. The bit
ter fruits Of an opposite policy have
been reapsd IN the ascendeney of the
rebel element in the South, in the
consequent persecution Of the freed
men and loyal whites, in murderous
and brutal riots growing out of the
unrestrainsd spirit of rebellion, and
In the murder, as General BFisbin
states. Of fifteen hundred loyal men
since the close Of the war 1t is time
that such work should end and It can
only be ended by military interference.
Indeed it would never have been be-
gun but for the extreme folly of the
President IN Withdrawing nearly all
military force from eleven States not
one Of which has ever made any for
NAL remuneration of the act of rebel
lion and in which thousands of diseip-
lined rebel soldiers were turned loose
on mere parole to behave themselves.
The Southern States were practically
mere camps of paroled prisoners.
yet oil United States soldiers were
withdrawn from them, and without
gaurd or restraint these prisoners we're
permitted to choose officers out of
their own number, to adopt their own
regulators, and TO organize themselves
into States p But while the bill
places these States" back under the
military supervision which should
have been retained over them from
the beginning, It does not destroy the
existing State governments, although,
in view of theiE illegal origin and reb-
el composition, such a measure would
be perfectly justifiable, but simply de-
clares these. governments provisional,
and subject to the control of Congress.
Whenever those States are tired of
military government the bill preseribes
the method by which they may not on
ly escape it by organizing civil gov
ernmeBt, but also secure representa-
ton in Congress.
And this brings US to that part of
the bill which provides for the recon
struction of the rebel States aud which
constitutes its second prominent fea-
ture. The first step in the process is
the formation of constitution which
must conform to that Of the United
States The constitution must be
/ framed By convention chosen By all
/ the people Of the State excepting those
disfranohised BY the proposed eonsti-
tutioRal amendment, and must confer
the elective franchise upon all males
of proper age, without distinction of
color, excepting those disfranchised
for rebellion or other crime. The con-
stitutiou must be submitted to a vote
of the people, and ratified by a major
ify of those qualified for electors as
above stated. The constitution must
then be submitted for the approval and
examination of Congress, and if ap-
proved by that body State officers may
be elected under 1t.
But the work of reconstruction is
not finished here. The State must
first adopt the proposed Constitutional
amendment, and when it has so done
shall be entitled to representation in
]
Congress by such persons as can take
the prescribed oath. This is the third
prominent feature Of the bill. The
constitutional amendment is not laid
aside but is still adhered to, and such
provisions are added as the obstinacy
of the rebels, encouraged and aided
by the Democratic party, has rendered
necessary. The. rebels once had the
opportunity of restoration on the
terms of the amendment, and Tennes-
see was promptly admitted upon ac-
oeDting them. But the other insur-
gent States chose to contemptuously
reject those terms, thus imposing up
on Congress the necessity of institu-
ting measures for their government
while they may choose to continue this
obstinate course. Such measures this
bill proposes, while at the same time
it preseribes not only the same but ad-
ditional and severer conditions of res.
toratiOn.
Such is the history and the nature
of the bill, and tits one for which in
view Of the immense difficulties atten-
ding the business of reconstruction
Congress eminently deserves the
thanks of the country. Against
Southside Supreme Court which has
raised every available legal obstacle
against the executive department of the |
government which has used all its pow
er and influence TO add to the intrin-
sic difficulties of the situation against
the Democratic party which has done |
its utmost to encourage the rebels in |
pigheaded opposition to every just and |
fair plan for their restoration, and |
has egged them on in every possible |
step, not excepting armed resistance, I
to accomplish the defeat OF every plan
proposed against all these obstacles
n n