Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1868-02-04
,., wade or the situation.

The whole AMI cny excuse 81 tue haas-
cal uiajoiiy II Congress ~ the passage Of
ne nj. sarrsntei and Infamous reconstIuc-
,.oa ac's is, that The State G9vcraments in
the South were destroyed and therefore
perfectly imperative
Now shall we deny this thcory az Al un-
mitigafed untru,h, ourselves, or shall We
let one Of tie mos, radical Of the Radical
tribe 60 4 IN his own iorcible language! -
Though we can deny il and prove the
ground upon which We take stand yet
our Radical friends might no, be 50 fully
impressed $ II the facts in the case as If
We Ne 4 The mouth OF their great light, Ben
Wade, OF Ohio. who, in July. 1864, in the
Senate Of the United States, alluded to this
infamous doctrine o! defunet State Govern
ments in the South in the following man
ncr: See Congressional Globe page 3, 45o. !
1T has been contended in the House OF
Representatives., II has been contended on
this floor. that the States NAV lose their or
carnations, may lose their rights ~ States,
may lose their corporate capacity by rebel
lion. utterly deny that doctrine. hold
that once State Of the Union always .
State that you cannot BY wrong and VIC
lence dsplsce the rights Of any body, OF dis
oreanize the STATE 1t would he most
hazardous principle 20 assert that. No,
sir the trainers OF your constitution intend
ed no such thing. They did not leave this
great question untouched. And when We
study that great instrument can hardly
help but stop and contemplate the all en-
bracing wisdom that seemed to actuate
, them, for you can find hardly an cxigency
thst may arise in the complicated affairs oil
the Government that they did not sntci
, pate and provide for they did foresee that
4 ia the progress of the Government some o
! the States might 60 into rebellion, that thel
might undertake themselves to absolv,
their connection with the General Govern
= msni ana set up soms hostile Government
Il OF their own; and they expressly provide
g for Just such a case and how gentlemen
With this principle OF the Constitution star
. ing them in the face, can fancy that State
Z can lose their rights because more Or les
, Of the people have gone of into rebellion
l. marvellous to me.
,. 1.-The principle Of law everywhere 10, this
no honest man shall lose a right by wron
or usurpation. The act Of rebellion 10 vote
e, II may have physical force for the momer
" - displacs rights but the law never ii sld
~ to any such power ~ that. The law nev'
anywhere acknowledges that right can
~ overthrown by wrongful action. Thel
OF then, who contend the State Government
il are lost, obliterstcd, blotted out, are oo'
\. tending against the face and eyes OF u
Constitution. Has that any such thing 2
No, sir; ID has said that the Federal Go
I'D eminent shall guarantee to every State
he Republican form Of government, and il
NJ, portion Of the people undertake to owe
throw their Government and set up anot
!" er, il 10 the manifest duty Of the gener
w Government Immediately to interfere, an
es IL necessary, interposs the strong arm Of
~ power to prevent such . state Of thine
Precisely that state Of things are upon u
aud this bill proceeds upon that idea, a.
he discards absolutely the notion that Stat
IS may lose their rights, and that they may
abrogated ana may reduce 10 the oonditi,
-, Of territories. 1t denies any such thing
that. No sound principle can be adopt
he that warrants any such thing
Could there be a more concise and Gle
yindication OF the Democr ATTIC idea upon 1
hv status Of tho. Southern States Could Del
IL. ocratc breath give ut,erance to more
~, rec and successful condemnation of t
bv present policy Of the Radica, majority
81 Congress Not II places the rcconstr,
n, tion policy just where Tbad. Stevens 4
A., mi.tsd il was-"outside the Constitution