Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1868-10-22
NJ. ADAMS O. rsE SITUATION .-Nr

Comn,ercial, has Travelled all the Way from
Massachusetts to South Carolina to tell
the people Of that State that they are
oBqucred race, destitute of rights, save
the conquered lie tells them that thep
have netting to DO viii the Constl-
tuti1n Of the United States, and have no.
business troubling themselves bout wheth-
il is violated by others or not lie tells
them that they have no night to complain
that negroes have bean made cltlz rs since
the whites forfeited all rights, and the
North had Doth the power and the right
not only to take away from the whites
bu, 10 give to the blacks. He tells the
people that they have busted themselves
too much with politics, that they have
made the North angry with them for es-
saying to have opinions about the coun-
try from which they SO recently sought 70
serarate themselves Tie tells them that
they have erred i'll being SO intensely Dem
ocratc, so violently anti Radical, and he
tells them that Gen. Grant will do them
iIstice, and be merciful unto them 1t
Is fact that the Southern States are con-
quered territory. Their people did all in
heir power to sever their connection with
the North they renowned all allegiance
to the government of the United States,
and took up arms to make good their acts
In the appeal to battle they were over
thrown and their people conquered They
made war as States in their corporate ca
pacity. and as States they we're conquer
ed. The Southern States are to be Judged
by their own theory, and according to
that theory, by their acts of secession ard
confederation they became TO the United
States, as to all other nations, separate
and distinct nationality. Whether the
war waged against them by the United
States was a lust war Mr.. Adams does
not stop to inquirc-they failed in that
war and were defeated in every pretcn-
ton they set up; such was the theory OF
the Southern States.
But such was not the theory of the
North. By their theory the action OF
rhe States Of the South as States was a
mere nullity and the people who were III
arms were simply rebels, who, when over
thrown, might be punished or not, as to
their conquerer might seem right and
proper, and by the theory of the North,
the victory Of arms merely re-cstsbfshec'
the Union.
Neither the theory Of TIE North nor
that of the South was carried out after the
war ended. The Congress submitted the
fourteenth amendment to the States in
the South rs States of the Union, thereby
ignoring the acts of secession, and did
not then attempt to enforce any rights ac-
qurcd by conquest Congress treat
ed the State of Virginia as in The Union
when the rape of West Virginia was con
summated, and Yet placed 4 military gov
crnment over State thus acknow edged
to be one Of the United States. Such an
act might have been Legitimate towards a
conquered people, but could not have
been constitutional towards one Of ;he
United States. The Government of the
United States abolished slavery within
States of the Union by virtue oi the right
of conquest, and against every principle
Of the Constitution And so every act of
reconstruction might have been right il
the Southern States were alien enemies
and conquered States, but were clearly IL
legal. unconstitutional and void. if the
Southern States were never out Of the
Union.
Thus the Radical party has played false
to the theory of the North ; they aban-
doned that theory, and late in the day
and long after peace, went over TO the
theory Of the South, acknowledged the
validity of the acts OF secession, and sought
TO find in those ordinances justification for
their reconstruction acts This was a
mere subterfugc to cover up a scheme OF
party advantage aud to build up Radi-
cal party at the South They conferred,
Illegally and unconstitutionally, the right
Of suffrage upon the negroes of the South,
that they might reap part! advantage IN
the Electoral College. The evil that par
tic. DO live after them. and when the his
tory of the causes of the late war comes To
be traced by future historisns, the people
Of the Southern States viii be justified by
the action of the Radical party, The
States Right theory Of ;hc South as held
before the war. viii find . Justification III
the r,coustruction laws of the Congress.
MIR. Adams does not approve Of the
abandonment of the theory ofthe North
by the Radicals, and their surrender to
the Southern theory after peace has been
won BY the North He fears that it Is
impossible for any tolerable government;
to continue long, for it viii degener-
ate INTO the mere sIuabble cf oontending
factions for chance to Cypress for time
their less sctiye or less numerous oppon-
.u,s" NJ. AIaus sS;lcu'ly f>ar> y. !