The Elk advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Elk Co., Pa.) 186?-1868, 1868-09-23

tutions I Not, surely, in the constitu
ton of the United States. And if no
there what rightful power had they be
yond that of any other body Of usurper'
not bearing the title of members o.
Congress, to legisla.e over these people
at all I The party which has produced
all this wrong, usurpation and oppres,
sion calls itself republican. Before and
during the war its leaders maintained
that the Southern States had not repub
lican government because the negroes
had no right to vote. The same men
have Joined in imposing governments
upon these States in which large mum.
bers of white men have no right 20 vote
and yet these governments are republi.
can enough for them. And these re.
publican leaders have shown their re-
gard for republican government by the
scheme lately concocted at Washington
and sent out to be executed by their
tools in the South, for taking even from
these new 6edged voters the right to
vote for Presidential eloctors-a right
long exercised by every State in the
Union except South Carolina, the most
aristocratic 10 the Confederacy. And
this plan has been actually adopted in
Florida, and so far defeated in Alabama
by the veto Of Southern born Govern.
or, who strangely imagines that modern
republicanism means something more
than design to retain controll of the
government, even at the expense oi
every truly republican principle and in.
stitution. Look at the rest of the new
States which Congress has admitted
into the Union, without the population
of second rate city, each having as
many Senators as old States with their
swarming millions. Is it republican
that twenty thousand votes in the Yves.
tern plains and mountains should have
the same representation in the Senate
and the same vote for President, in case
Of an election by the House of Repre-
sentatives, as million of voters in N.
Y, Pennsylvania, Ohio and other great
States Yes, it is modern republican.
ism it is that republicanism which
tramples upon every fundamental prin,
ciple of free government to secure po-
litical power; which casts the constitu.
tion behind it when it is an obstacle in
its way which dispenses with .he civil
authorities in peaceful States and gov
erns with the bayonet; which takes
suffrage from intelligence and vests it in
ignorance /; which imposes constitutions
on unwilling communities, under threats
of military coercion, and calls them free
States which would impeach an honest
President for attempting to protect aud
defend a violated constitution, and de-
prives an upright judiciary of its legit-
innate jurisdiction lest it should com mil
the same offence; which Furnishes crimes
cancelled by the pardoning power, and
compells citizen, by test oaths, to testi
fy against themselves and which AFRO
gates to itself, over ten States, notwith
standing the constitutional limitations o.
its authority, all the powers claimed auG
exercised BY the veriest despot OF
earth.
But thcre seems to be a pause in the
mad career of the usurpers. Recor
struction, lately urged on with railroad
speed, seems to be suddenly suspended
What is the matter !? Do the tools &c
eagerly grasped by the usurpers begir
to cut their own fingers ? Do the ne
groes begin to REBEL against their new
masters Is it certain that their new
fledged voters in the South will no
vote against the radicals in the approach
ing Presidential election ? Behold thei
expedients to avoid such a calamity
The first is to take from the people il
the reconstructed States the right t,
vote for electors. The second is to den,
to the unreconstructed States the righ
to choose electors in any mode. B,
these two expedients they expect t
secure the electoral votes of the one clas
of States and avoid the danger ofhavinJ
the votes of the other cast gainst then
Of the latter class of States are Virgin
ia, Mississippi and Texas. Is Virgiui
in the Union or out? She went to wa
to get out and was forced to stay in.
she is not in now who has put her out
What but Congress And has Cou-
gress power to put States out of tn
Union ? They have practically usurpe,
| that power and have passed an &C
prohibiting that and the other unrecon
structed States from taking part in tn
approaching Presidential election.
Congress can at will put States out Q
the Union and can establish militar
empire outside of the Union, wo
be unto the cause of liberty within til
Union.
The members Of Congress cannot e.
cape their responsibility to the peopl
and their allegiance to the cOnstitutio
BY any such subterfuge. The peopl