The Portland daily press., 1868-08-04


Excluding States from the Electoral
College.
A shameful attempt is being made by the
Seymour and Blair repudiators and rebels to
deceive the people with the idea that the Re-
publcans in Congress have, in spite of John
sons veto, unconstitutiondlly excluded three
sovereign States from participating in the
Presidential election. What is the fact? =?
Congress has re-enacted the act of 1864 de-
claring that the States which have not by
the voluntary acts of their own people and in
the mode prescribed by the sovereign power
of the nation, returned to their normal rela-
tions to the Union, shall not have their votes
counted in the electoral college.
What is the Democratic plan in reference
to the elec toral votes in the rebel States? 1t
is to erclude the ,ohole of them, Tennessee in
ctuded, from any share an the nert Presiden-
tial election. In debate in the Senate
within few weeks all the Democratic Sena-
tors that participated in the debate, declared
their judgment that it was evident that none
Of the non-adhering States would be in a
condition to participate in the approaching
Presidential election. By the mountaineering
States were meant the States that did not ad-
here to the Union, but did adhere to the
rebetious Contederacy in the great civil war.
Doubtless the Democratic party would have
wished 10 galvanize into life the bogus John
son State governments, and have them all
vote for Seymour and Blair, but as the de
fdcto governments are either the popular
governments under the new constitutions, or
the military authority of the United States,
and it would require new rebellion to dis
place them, the wise and prudent of the
party content themselves with suppressing
the Presidential election in all the lately rebel
States. Frank Blair indeed takes the bull by
the horns, and proposes to disperse the car
pet-bag governments as once by force of
arms, and President johnson seems careful
not to commit himself to any act or word that
shall prevent him from undertaking this
coup detat during the term for which he
has been reprieved, if there shall be a
chance.
Here is presented the true issue of the cam
pagn Frank Blair and Charles Summer up
on one side and the other are each agreed
that the first step in financial reform is the
reconstruction OF the South. Sumner wants
it reconstructed in the interest of freedom and
impartial suffrage. Blair wants it restored to
the domination OF a privileged class, who shall
exercise the elective franchise for all the rest
of the citizens, held as serfs.
Both the moderate and the reckless men of
the Democratic party are agreed in this, that
the loyal government actually established with
colored suffrage under the protection of Con
gress, are in no wise to be recognized. To get
rid OF them Blair proposes revolution and war.
The more crafty Seymour protests against
their legality and cunningly trusts his friends
the huk-Rlur mob to remove them, while he
washes his hands of the violence but accepts
its results.
What have the American people to say
about this great question? Will they in good
faith give to Tennessee, Arkansas, Florida,
Alabama, South Carolina, North Carolina,
Louisiana and Georgia the rights OF represen-
tation in Congress, and in the electoral col
lege to which as States they are entitled, hav-
inc accepted the conditions dictated by the
nation against which for four years they
maintained by arms position of hostility?
That tbey could not vote in Congress and lor
Commander-in-C Chief OF the Union armies
while they were represented in hostile gov
ernment, and while they were in arms against
the Union was obvious enough. That their
exclusion effected by their own act should
continue until some power, capable of utter
ing the national will authoritatively, dictate
the terms of peace and reconciliation was
equally obvious. That Congress alone was
that power, and that it has, giving expression
to the sovereign will of the people, indicated
terms OF restored union and peace is a fact oI
history. And now eight States OF the Union
have indicated their acquiescence and salts
faction. Why impose any further barrier to
their complete rehabilitation in ALT heir rights
as StatesP Why keep them from pacticipat-
ing in the election of President?