The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1868-10-22

people, TO acquire new tefi1UOfl, W
build a new Union, to create new
States. They went forth to restore
every one of these States, and every
one of their citizens, to their former
relations. What they meant to do
was to restore the Union, not to des-
troy the States, not to deprive them OF
representations, not to put them and
their people outside of the Constitu-
ton, not to disfranchise the white
race and enfranchise the black race,
not to make the white man a. slave
and the negro a master. These white
soldiers were not unfaithful to the
dignity and superiority of their race.
What they meant was that these eleven
States should be. governed by the
white man, mot by the negro. The. Ohio
soldier did not fight to give the ballot
to the negro and take it from white
men. He did not mean to vote Against
negro suffrage in Ohio iandytight for
it in Virginia. Not one of our soldiers
went into this war to carry out the
Radical idea that Congress has the
right to establish negro suffrage in a
State under the constitutional duty to
guarantee to each State a republican
government. Not one of them was
SO blind as not to see that if a State
which denies the ballot to the negro
has not a republican form of. govern
ment, then Ohio is not republican and
Congress has the same rightto impose
negro suffrage upon Ohio as upon
Virginia. 9fe.. -slii.oitaa $50 I'D
When the Rebellion was put down
and peace was restored, what was re-
gu ired to put these revolted States in
their proper relations to the Union
Nothing more than the voluntary ac-
ton Of their people. Their Censtitu-
tons, which had been changed during
the rebellion to conform to their ordi-
nances of secession, required amend
ment. To me nothing is clearer than
that these amendments could be made
by the people of those States, whether
in Congress or out of Congress. -Four
of these States did SO act upon their
own volition. The seven others were
aided in the work by Executive au-
thority, initiated by Mr.. Lincoln and
followed out by Mr.. johnson. Thus
acting they repealed their ordinances
of secession, amended their Constitu-
tions, and elected Senators and Rep
resentatives to represent them as
States and citizens of States in the
Congress of the Union. What more
could be asked of the Southern peo-
pie 2 They laid down their asms they
repudiated their war debt incurred by
the war they abolished slavery. Was
ever acquiescencer in the result of a
war more thorough andcomple? = VI
This was the state of things when
a Republican Congress assembled in
December, 1865; only one thing re-
mained to finish the great work of re-
construction, and that was the .ad-
mission of the Southern Representa-
tives. They were not admitted-and
wherefore not? The Constitutions
they had framed were not acceptable
to the Radical party in one particular,
and in one particular alone, and that
was that they did not confer the right
of suffrage on the blacks. That was
the SINE qatG non, and in some. way.
right or wrong, that must be accom-
plished. If no way under the Con-
stitution could be found, they in
tended to make way outside the
Constitution. They began, however
under the Constitution, by proposing
an amendment, to be submitted to al
States for adoption, and this was to
change the basis of representation as
fixed by the Constitution, SO as to ex-
clude the non-voting population from
that basis If the proposed amend
ment had contained no other proyis.
ion than this, it is probable that the
Southern States would have adopted
it: but it was coupled with. another
odious feature, abhorrent to all hon
orable Southern men, which disfran
chised certain classes in the Soutl
who had engaged in the. rebellion. 1
required these Southern people wht
had engaged in rebellion to degrade
and punish their neighbors and friends
who were no more guilty than them
selves. This they would not do, ant
who can blame them? a2'' hhS ~7'i;f
MILITARY RECONSTRUCTION ACTS.
With the failure of this amendment
the constitutional way was abandoned
and then at last, in the spring of 1851
the Republican Congress, called tn
Thirty-ninth, in the last days of it
last session, found new way outsid
the Constitution, and passed over th
veto of the President the first of tn
series of acts known as the Militar
Reconstruction Acts. The first sectioi
declared that no legal State Govern
ment existed in ten of the Southe1-
States, and to secure to them the bless
J ings of a legal Government, the frs
| step taken was to place them under
: military despotism. -'if'.s'' y
They were divided into five militar
J districts. Five military commander
with sufficient force to compel obt
l dience, were set over them. The
S were subjected to martial law, to tri'
D by military commissions, denied tt
] habeas corpus, the privileges of bal
: the trial by jury. Out of this teriibl
condition, these white American. cit
e zens were left but one hope of escap
: and that was to SO amend their Coz
Il stitutions as to disfranchise thousant
: of their fellow-citizens, and to graz
l. universal suffrage to the blacks .''
e The provisions of the Reconstru
d ton Acts were so cunningly arrange