The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1868-01-30

and fifty thousand men, who were ex-
cluded from the polls In the election of
delegates
THE EXISTING BOGUS Governments OF
THE SOUTH.
The present State governments, which
it is said Congress intends to overthrow
and which were formed under the Presi-
dents plan have no right to be regarded
as legal governments whatever They
were formed by conventions of delegates
elected in 1865 by not more than one
third Of the aohite men scho had a 1ight
to rote under the Presidents proclama-
ton. These delegates represented only
a small minority of the white popula-
ton, and the constitutions they formed
acere ',erer ratified or accepted by the peo-
pie, bit ace. put IN ope, alton Jy tue Pres
ident's authority, and are IN that condi-
ton to-day. They were never submitted
to Congress never received its APPROVAL;
but on the contrary, in the Reconstruc-
ton acts were pronounced illegal and I'M
authorized. In these constitutions there
are clauses prohibiting slavery, and the
payment of their several war debts, but
when they are restored to their represen
tation in Congress, and thus made secure
in the enjoyment of political power, they
will throw them off as impositions which
they have only tolerated for a time, and
make new ones, leaving out the obnox
lous clauses on the subject of slavery and
their war debts. Congress, in comforting
suffrage upon the coIored men of the
Sc 18th, has been governed not only by an
overruling necessity A bitter and bloody
experience under the Presidents plan of
reconstruction had demonstrated that the
rebels were unrepentant and unrelenting,
and that loyal State governments could
not be erected Oh the basis of white popu-
latlon, and that new loyal voting popu-
latlon must be raised up by enfianchis-
ing the colored men, So that whatever
views the people of the North may have
had upon the propriety of admitting men
who were so recently slaves to the imne-
dlate exercise of the elective franchise,
they had no choice or discretion upon the
subject left. but were driven to it by the
conduct Of the rebels and their Northern
allies.
PAYMENT FOR EMANCIpATED SLAVES.
Wrapped up in this issue and in the
success of the Democratic party are other
issues which will be inevitable sequences.
The first of which | shall mention is the
payment for emancipated slaves This
question will have to be decided in 1868
as emphatically as if written out in the
Democratic platform The State of Ma
ryland, in her new constitution Just adop-
ted, has provided for it in the following
terms:
SEC. 81. The General Assembly shall
pass no law providing for payment by
this State for saves emancipated from
servitude in his state; but they nay
adopt sucn measures as they may deem
expedient to obtain from the United
States compensation for such slaves, and
distribute the same equitably to the per-
sons entitled.
1t will thus be seen that Maryland has
provided for this issue in her fundamen-
tai law, and we cannot doubt that one in
volving so many millions Of dollars to her
governing class will be passed with all the
zeal which love of money and rage for
the destroyed institution can inspire.
Georgia, in her constitution in 1868,
gave notice that she should demand pay
ment for her slaves by the following en-
phatic provision:
1.-The government of the United States
having as a war measure, proclaimed all
slaves held or owned in this State eman-
cipated from slavery, and having carried
that proclamation into full practical eff
feet: Prooided, That acquiescence in
the action of the government of the Uni
ted States is not intended to operate as a
REIMBURSEMENT, or waiver or estoppel OF
such claim for compensation of loss sus-
tanned by reason of the emancipation of
his slaves, as any citizen Of Georgia may
hereafter make upon the justice and mag
nanimity OF that government.
Democratic Kentucky, a few days ago,
by joint resolution in her Legislature,
took steps In the same direction, which
will be seen by the following report OF
legislation proceedings:
''Resolvcd by the General assembly Of
Kentucky, That select committee, COM
posed of five members of five of the
Senate, be appointed, with instructions
to report as soon as practicable to the
General Assembly of Kentucky the as
sessed value of the slaves taken from citi-
zens of Kentucky by Federal Executive
proclamation, by acts of Congress, and
by the amendment to the Federal consti-
tuition known as article l3); and also the
value of such slaves taken from each
county of this Commonwealth: and that
said committee report what steps are
necessary and proper to enable citizens OF
the State to obtain compensation from
the Federal government for said property
so taken.
All the rebels Of the South will be
unanimous on this question, and the in
terest at stake is SC vast as to enable
them to hold out great temptations il
the way of corruption, and the Democrat
ic party of the North are not only in DO.
sition to meet them, but are fully com
mitted to the justice and legality of then
claims. When. in 1866, it was proposed
to amend the constitution so as to pro
hibit the government from making com
pensation for slaves, every Democratic
member of Congress, | believe, in both
houses, voted against it, and, throughout
the North, Democratic papers and ora
tors denounced it with the utmost bit
terness. And when, in 1862, the Presi-
dents proclamation of emancipation APP
peared, and afterward, in 1864, when
it was formally proposed to abolish slav-
cry by an amendment of the constitution
the Democracy everywhere, in Congress
and out of it, denounced the proclama-
ton and amendment as unjust wicked
and impolitic, roundly declaring THAT
the masters should not be deprived OF
their slaves without due compensation
beng made But were the Northern
Democracy not already committed in fav-
or of the proposition, they would, when
the Southern wing made it a condition,
readily yield acquiescence, and thus add
not less than eighteen hundred millions OF
dollars to the public debt. Whoever be-
lieves in the rightfulness CT the rebellion,
or gave it their sympathy, must and viii
if consistent, be in favor of paying fol
the slaves.
ASSUMPTION OF THE REBEL WAR DEBT.
Another issue directly involved in the
| success of the Democratic party is the as
sumption of the rebel war debt. When