The Evansville journal., 1868-02-21

vides itself into the two following
questions under, which l propose to
treat it:
LIST. What are the facts safFecting the
merits Of the two plans of reeonstruc-
ton now proposed to the country?
| 2d.-What is the legal status of the
States lately in rebellion, and what
are the constitutional powers of Con
gress and the President respectively
over the questions involved In their
restoration?
If the facts are as the organs Of
Democratic public opinion assert them
to be, Congress might well, for the
sake of accomplishing speedy restor-
alton of the revolted States, waive any
irregularities in the residential pro
ceedings and ratiiy acts which are be-
lieved to be beyond the scope of the
constitutional powers of the Executive
Department of the government.
What. then, does the Democratic
party allege the facts to be which
should induce Congress to recognize
the State organizations formed under
the auspices of the President as legal,
valid State governments?
It is believed no better or fairer
method can be employed of ascertain
ing the position of the Democratic
party on these questions of fact than
by allowing their distinguished stand
ard bearer In this State, Senator Hen
dricks, to state them in his own Ian
guage. He said, in his Sth of Janu-
ary speech, and substantially reitera
ted the statement In a subsequent
speech In the Senate:
/. That after the close Of the war
the people of the South entirely ac-
quiesced In the results of the war,
yielded obedience TO law and respect
to the authority of the United States.
2. That the people of all the
Southern States adopted the Presi-
dents recommendations .and elected
delegates to Conventions; Constitu-
tions were made, submitted, voted
upon and ratified.
3. THAT in each State Constitution
slavery was prohibited; their debt
contracted in the rebellion was repu-
dated the right of secession was ex-
pressly and in the most solemn man
ner abandoned, and their several
ordinances of secession were repudi
ated and declare invalid.
a. These Constitutions were ap-
proved and ratified according to the
forms always respected, and we're ac-
oeptable to the people both North
and South"
If these propositions were true, or
even true in the main, the revolted
States and their people would to-day
be represented in both houses of Con
gress of the United States. My pres
ent 1uty is to show that with q few
slighC exceptions, which will be no.
ticed, they have no foundation in
truth or in fact. In other words, /
put in an appearance for the Repub-
hcan party of Indiana, and plead the
general denial to the whole COM
plant.
Although the burden of proving
these propositions is on the Demo-
cratic party, by whom they are affirm
ed, | take upon myself, contrary to
the ordinary rHle in such cases, the
duty of disproving the affirmations
and establishing the denial. This /
shall do, not by an exhaustive review
of the evidence, but by such a refer
ence to the principal links In the chain
as will suffice for the end proposed.
First, then, did the people of the |
South, after the close of the war,
yield obedience to law and respect /
to the authority of the United States? /
In entering upon this inquiry. it
should be borne in mind that there /
then was and still is on the Statute I
Book of the United States an act o +
Congress entitled an act to prescribe +
an oath Of Office, and for other pur- +
poses, approved July I'd, 1862. bv /
which every person elected or appoint 1
ed to any Office of honor or profit un /
der the Government of the United I
States, (the President only excepted,) } !
was required, before entering upon
the duties of his Office, to take and
subscribe an oath that he had never
voluntarily borne arms against the
United States since becoming a citi-
zen thereof; that he had voluntarily
given no aid, countenance, counsel
or encouragement to persons engaged
IN armed hostility TO the United
States; that he had not sought or ac-
cepted, nor attempted to exercise
the functions of any Office whatever
under any authority or pretended
authority IN hostility to the Uuited
States; that he had not yielded a vol
lntary support to any pretended gov
ernment, authority, power or Consti-
ution within the United States. hos
lie or inimical thereto"
Before proceeding to show how
much obedience the defeated rebels
If the South yielded to this law, and
low much respect they manifested for
he authority by which it was enacted.
desire to express my qualification
bat Mr.. Hendricks seems to approve
his oath, and to have faith In its