Des Arc weekly citizen., 1868-03-28
From the La Crosse Democrat.
 The Spectacle at vvasbington.


 Thoughtful, well disposed men, of all political parties, who love their coun- try, and desire the preservation of free institutions, must see, in the condition to which our government is reduced, matter for the gravcst reflection, and feel the most painful apprehensions in regard to the future Such an utter disregard ofall the limitations of DOW CT, as towards the States and the peo- pie, and of all the divisions of power, as between the coordinate departments of the general government, was never exhibited in any free country not in state of actual revolution.
 We are in a state of revolution. It is revelation. He is blind who does not see it. He is false who, seeing it, will not admit it.
 The ruling party has had but one idea since it gained power. That has been to retain power. To subserve this one purpose it has shaped all it measures. Passing by it's policy and acts during
 
 the war, and coming down to the time of the surrender of the Southern arm ies, and the recognition, by the Sonth, of the authority of the constitution and laws of the Unised States over the States which had seeded. and what can be mere obvious to the candid mind, than that from moment the Un- ion was restored?
 In several articles which have lately appeared in ourl columns, and particu- larly in that of last week, on the speech ofSenator Morton, of Indiana. we have shown, that at the termination of the war, the Southern States stood before the country with the same State gov ernments which existed therein before the war.
 Without repeating our former argu- ments, it is sufficient to say, that they were then, if there was no validity in secession, as the party in power con- tends, as much members of the Union as they had ever been, and they were entitled to send their Senators and Re- presentatives to the Congress of the United States, as fully as at any time since the adoption of the Constitution.
 But this clear constitutional right has been denied them from that day to this. now nearly three years, during all which time no State that seeded. ex- cept Tennessee, has been allowed re- presentation in either branch of Con- gress. Then, as a necessary legal con- sequence, we contend that there has not been, under the Constitution. and as required by the Constitution. at any time within these three years, a valid Congress of the United States, which any citizen has been bound to respect or obey.
 WhyS Because the Constitution pro- vides that the Congress shall consist of Senators and Representatives from the several States comprising the Union, and that each State shall be entitled to two Senators, and a number of Repre- sentatircs in proportion to its popula- ton.
 Ten States are denied tllis right. The individuals assembled at Washington claiming to be the Congress, have will fully and consistently excluded the Senators and Representatives from these ten States, from the seats 10 which they are clearly entitled, and which they have repeatedly demanded.
 Then there is no Congress of the United States. The Constitution has not been complied with, in making up the bodies which claim to be the Con- gress-conditions prescribed by the Constitution, and absolutely necessary to be observed, to make a valid Con- gress, have been Intentionally disre- garded, in fact, repudiated. If that which the Constitution says must be done, to constitute Congress, has not been done, and this exclusion is willful, and relates to some material thing, which may affect legislation, it must be conceded that it is fatal defect, lc- gal vice, which takes away all validity from the organization.
 A mere voluntary omission of cer- tain States to send Senators and Repre- sentatives to Congress, when their right to send them is not denied, and there has been no actual exclusion, would not have this effect, because no State can be compelled to send Sena- tors and Representatives. If they choose to waive the right, and forego it's exercise, they cannot thereby pre- vent the other States from making up the body, so as to have the necessary legislation for the country, and cannot justly complain of the character of that legislation, if within the constitutional power of Congress, and they could have prevented it by the presence and action of their Senators and Represcn- tatives.
 It is another thing, however, when they are forcibly excluded from repre- sentation, and that exclusion has ena- bled those who claim to be the Con- gress, to carry measures which other wise would have been defeated. That is the case in regard to nearly all the measures of the present Rump Con- gress.
 Every bill which has been vetoed by the President, would have failed to be- come law, had the Southern States been represented, because not one of these bills could have been carried over the veto, by a two-thirds vote, as re-