The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1868-01-17


ur? ulu hot issue WdtrHnts, nii, Muoi'i
is presumed lhey ocileNcu uusrrNcu
llllleI PuIIsillneu', hlusl ''si..' s !, ~ ~
pl'uoiIcu vi Isi'a,,l PI,oo"eio P,''.i III ny
10 re,iiouy tlis VIZ WoNtr''ot Si,"u,u ,,to
" ~ V1stei WIN "u.l'oIi'S w eo.,',,'",o 'i,, "
Wy ueat,i peHa'ty u, l'ie cuayS ou'S ~
W!llen "lIus,oil nus oeell l'''ue, 70 & sut.
& ,erti, y, i'i,pr,sol,'ivni , " as n19 Jaus
niv,t WoSIu uPP.otv' ui ii " y, H., ,o,,i
tentinrics
... .,,,.,
i NNfIoNNh AffAi"S'
n brief reference to the condition ol
the country viii be proper, ana VIII
doubtless be expected ny all VINO Wer,
earnest IN their desires ana cooperl'
ton for the suppression OF the reheIllO!l'
ana VINO are now equally Ill earnest III
their wishes ana endeaVorS TO secure an
early, final, and permanent settlement
OF our national dlilcultics, upon the
basis OF loyalty and patriotism.
Contrary to the hopes OF the great
masses OF our, people, that portion OF ihe
country which was lately IN rebellion
i. ,as ho. ". h!,aeu mp. hPa,', hoa, in
y,. ~" c .,'i7 I'll s;st5,.,, W tnn,t,os ~, that
e'i.ao,e ~ "i, .iis.VS ,i,,,'.,tYotir, too'ua
gcup,e Wnno e,snSo :" MY r, nor ;,m
vi III ~ !, ,' to; o,s,,aans
sle.'in.eiS W, eso9pG 5n,iro,Jn il ,hnt ,bo,,
hLo, o'I Inpa, I 10 =. III, ,,no,, ''' ho IL 4,
anuon ',i ,hnt ,cat t',. 80" ' 'oa",,ot bo
, u.a,', ,;, ,ia; 81,
Ii ', ia, r;a,;,,nI ,r,nf; ;cni va
u,i . iesa,'ie an, I snoii y, ,,p,t a',.,
i"',gii " .,o J hn,,a'h ,nh', tbi.
u~i ~.en, Wv: "L0"gn 49, ,t''Dm' 1',,'...;',,, .;,,
of the present.
That the views and conceptions of n
single individual however high he may
he accidentallynndt tenporarily exalted.
should be allowed to control or deter
mine this ouestion cannot for moment
be conceded. The Constitution pro-
yides that the United States shall pilar-
antee to every State in the Union a re-
publican form of government /; and,
where the will of the people is the
acknowledged law of the land, it re-
quiresan extraordinary amount ofpOllt-
ical effrontery to assume that Chief
Executive of the nation, to any degree
or under any circumstances, is the
United States.
And vet in effect or substance, if not
in plain terms. this was assumed short
ly after the surrender of Lee and his
armed forces, by the President; and he
has continued to act on this assump.
tion, even in his late annual message,
in which, while claiming, in words
unknown to our forelathers and our in
stitutions, to be the "electei defender''
of the people, he arrogantly calls on
Congress to Immediately strike from
the statute books" its reconstruction
laws.
That Congress uwill surronder its
festlv desnot;c dnmand cannot bo o,.ar
imaGined or coninctnred J"'', Tb,t ~ Nav oEu'
matured as II was and fnIlv
annroved when II w,as n d;raot iSs,,o ho-
rore the neonle il eminentlv inst wiso
and natriotic. r. insists thst men Who
were loval in acts durinp the Rebellion
or loyai in their feelinps' shonid alone
participate i'm the Immediate oovorn-
ment of the ninsurrectionarv districts "
Going beyond The mere surface il rests
on tha in,nortont doctrine
that the destipies ofthe nation c,n only
be safe sin the hands of it's friends ),
of those whose nolitical and moral M.
ture remains sufficiently nure to fool
the impulses of patriotisn and the obli.
gations of ootbs '''0 ''''
That policy which antaponizes the
plan, which has Obstrnct.
ed. and persistentiy endeavored to do.
feat it, first ignores ali these important
Having done this il
maintains that those who
devised the most infamous measures nf
war. and for wears relentlesslv nernetra.
ted. in aid of their purnoSes theft
plumber, murder, starvation. and assas,
yery leaders Of the rebel. |
be allowed after their in.
voluntary failure. to possess ali the
rights and privileges of good citizens
That a scheme so absurd and lanoerons
should be sternly Opposed bv every
true patriot. ought to admit of no doubt
The fact that It has some advocates ron.
ders it more impOrtant to sustain the
contrary nronosIt;on '''e
In nv inaugural address. said "tb,t
while Pennsyfyania will confidein a low
al Congress. she will not hesitate tO ans
tain il by her influence and nower y
'rh;s ro4oat 49, w.