The Elk advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Elk Co., Pa.) 186?-1868, 1867-12-12
JOHN f. MOORE, Editor d Proprietor.

to repeal the Constitution which holds it
together, and that is power which does
not belong to any department of this
government or to all of them united.
This is so plain that it has been ac-
knowledged by all branches of the Fed
eral Government. The Executive, my
predecessor, as we'll as myself, and the
heads of all the departments have uni
formly acted upon the principle that the
Union is not only undissolved, but in
dissoluble. Congress submitted an am
endment to the Constitution to be rati-
fed by the Southern States, and accept.
ed their acts of ratification as necessary
and lawful exercise of their highest
function. IF they were not States, or
were States out of the Union, their con-
sent to a change in the fundamental law
of the Union would have been nugatory,
and Congress in asking it committed a
political absurdity.
The judiciary has also given the SOL
emn sanction of its authority to the same
view of the case. The Judges of the
Supreme Court have included the South
ern States in their circuits, and they are
constantly IN Jauc and elsewhere, exer-
cising jurisdiction which does not be-
long to them, unless those States are
States of the Union. If the Southern
States are component parts of the Union,
the Constitution is the law for them, i'm
plies the co.relative obligation on our
part to observe its limitations and exe>
cute guarantees. Without the Constitu'
ton we are nothing by, through and
under the Constitution we are what il
makes us.
We may doubt the wisdom of the law
we may not approve Of its provisions, but
we cannot violate it merely because II
seems 10 confne our powers within linn
its narrower than we could wish. 1t Is
not a question OF individual, or class, oil
sectional interests, much less of party
predominance, but of duty--of high anc
sacred duty, which we are all sworn t.
perform. If we can support the Consti
tuition with the cheerful aacrity Of
those who love and believe in it, W,
must give to it, at least, the fidelity o
public servants who act under solemn
obligations and commands which the,
dare not disregard The constitutions
duty is not the only one which require
the States to be restored there is ano
theI consideration, which, though of mi
nor importance, is yet Of great weight.
OBJECT OF THE LATE WAR.
On the 22d day of July, 1861, Con
gress declared by an almost unanimous
vote of both Houses, that the war shoul
be conducted solely for the purpose o
preserving the Union and maintaining
the supremacy of the Federal Constitu
tion and laws, withoutimpairing the dig
nifty, equality and rights of the States O
of individuals, and that when this wa
done the war should cease. l do nc
Say that this declaration is PERSONAL
binding on those who joined in maxim
it, any more than individual members
Congress are bound to pay public deb
created under law for which they vo
ed. But it was a solemn public otficit
pledge OF the national honor, and Car
, not imagine upon what grounds the re
pudiation of it is to be justified.
If it be said that we are not bound t
keep faith with rebels, let it be remen
bered, this promise was not made torch
} els only. Thousands of true men in tn
South were drawn to our standard by i
and hundreds of thousands in the Mort
gave their lives i'll the belief that
5 would be carried out. 1t was made o
the day after .he first great battle of tn
war had been fought and lost. All pa
| riotic and intelligent men then saw tn
necessity of giving such an assurance
and believed that withoutit the war wo'
} end in disaster to our cause. Havin
given that assurance in the extremity
our peril, the violation of it now in tt
/ day of our power, would be rude REM
t ing of that good faith which holds ii
c moral world together. Our countl
: would cease to have any claim upon tt
confidence Of men. 1t would make tt
war not Onl ly failure but fraud.
e Being sincerely convinced that the
D views are correct, l would be unfaithf
to my duty if I did not recommend II
repeal of the acts of Congress whic
, place ten Of the Southern States undo
the domination of military masters.
f calm reflection shall satisfy majority
$ your honorable bodies that the acts T
= ferred to are not only violation of Il
! national faith, but in direct conflict vii
a the Constitution, | dare not permit m
e self to doubt that you will Immediate
n strike them from the statute book
: demonstrate the unconstitutional ehara
o ter of those acts, need do no more th'
S refer to their general provisions.
1t must he seen at once that they a