New-York tribune., 1868-10-14
THE HON. WIN. WHITING ON RECONSTR UC-
TION.

RosroY. Oct 13-The Hon. VIM. Whiting,
late Solicitor Of the War Department, delivered an eab
crate address before the Grant Club OF Brookine 10
night on the legality aud validity Of the Reconstruction
acts Of Congress The following the summing up para
graph OF tho argument
The authority OF Congress 10 establish our system OF
laws the act for goverenlng leDel- anu
restoring them. ON conditions, to their iorher
r.ghfs AZ have shown you is supported ana demon
stred as wise aud warrantaDie Use Ol tne war p 10
az our Government That authority may also pe oi ~ ~ -
Art ", Sec 4, OF the Constitution Whleh u Ia
"The United States shall guarantee 10 every 2'aI III ~ & @
Inion republican form OF government and sbal pro.
teet each OF them aes' 80 me- eSve when The legislature
cannot be convened against domestic violence. -,
The inhabitants of the southern part ol the mon
IN - m their own act destroyed their former state Gov
errmrns. aud having erected Other local anu g'ncIn
Governments hostile 10 ours' having ensageu n CIV,
Wor oud having been recognized by US ~ beiigereht
pubc enemies and having been conquered apN w o"Smo
CoVerlments established there except sueh as WIZ
hostile and had refused allegiance ana .up'son ] 70 re
Iuion and were therefore Illegal and VOID IL beeame
necessary either 90 hold tile enemy as cOuercu Pra
pie under military rule OF to allow those VINO %g,S Min u,
view ultimate restoration Of peace ana return 70
their former position IN th9 Chon the fnrl5a
ton Of loyal Governments, republican tn.;, t,,.
and ana 'Icn r.au,rei before they could be recog
ulfed AZ states n the Union aud, moreover taxing o
Inc general feeling OF hostility to the North
bb peryaied tic leading and influential class as well
AZ ',o ~ H., Los nuon The friends Of the Union the
~ % ~, the Erhe states and 10 oppre.s the colored
"a % ivs among them and 10 resist laws of the
United sates has enacted series OF Laws ior
governing aud restoring the people OF tho keDe Sas
usually called reconstruction acts bnt more properly
called amnesty and restoration acts Inc man pur'
pose " all these acts may be described larry aih pre-
ciscy IN the language OF the preamble 10 our tohs.u
ZION VIZ 10 establish justice. 90 insure domestic iran
nulfy 10 provide the common defense, TO promote
,be general welfare, and secure the blessings OF DcV
10 ourseycr nnd our pOrleflty tohsluetinB tio ul9
red condition Of the hostile population over when
this guaranty Is TO be enfoctdL1 pop1iaon s i
do its duty IN forming republican loyni
,o The Mon aud III tO become part OF ~ otherwise he
guaranty cannot De executor anu e ~ - -
snte Governments cannot be formed or sustained ufSs
their friends are clothed with political power auu trr
enemies deprived Of fltahd coh-luoIlnk ns', uf ~ ~
process Of restoration, law ana order must pe
aud he aud liberty possible must ge oe Co'
gress by the guarantee clause to pass
prosllrnt To- see that they are faithfully enforced
snch fellow w-citizeus, the foundations on when inc
recodsiructon acts based. Congress has been as
iI "a II usurping powers which belong to the Execu'
tive aud 10 the Judlcaly HOW Ialse arc nuyh ~
tons Qcbels CopprTbeads ana ad ~ thew conn
far forgotten what Is due 10 nu ~ ~ '9 .L %
tr as 10 the candidates Tor once III te heo.l
rfy have retchoed the charge that these acts are u
Constitutional Why do they not meet ana answer tno
positions have takeni ,, ,,, ,,,o.
hnt no Democratic lawyer or Judge or statesman KNOWN
10 me has succeeded III any assault upon the
fortress Of constitutional law Dy WHICH 'neSo Pos'o"S
arT Ss Rssonstructon laws embody the Will OF the loyal
, Yrons neople That they Will be faithful to all
thr pledges the living and the dead falthiu 10 the
al Union or the SOuin, WHO hdio
"d and carnage 10 serve their country faithful TO the
dnrk browed patriots by whose daring our sacred nag
vas held auft m the glOomes hours OF the war faithful
to the rights OF mau and those divine principles OF
iu,tice liberty. and equal rights without WHEN az hu
man government ~ but cgalzed crime Ihe saclhteS
NJ unnnbered patriotic hearts the assumption OF tree
thousand millions OF debt, the D0Ouy victories vi hnu
reds of bale-ne!ds SECURE their final triumph over Urea
tn onlv by the Reconstruction policy OF Congress Ihe
amendments OF the Constitution are tno oio""h s'
OF the ,... .oto,i io,,.,s
killing Union ia cold blood arihing Their hnhuA
enturats uutl rrbcIlan breaks out anew Yet theoe
ia~snnd these amendments viii stand rs II defended
hv triple wall of brass. OF iron, and oI adantht ana
H. viii he faithfully enforced with the irresistDle
nner of thai matchr-s hero who, by your votes WIN
drive the country's enemy from te e iiouso y" '
third day of next November