The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-02-12

Boughner, Chase, Cole, Davisson, Flem-
ing, of Marion; Fleming, of Harrison,
Ferguson, of Marshall; Gotf, Hervey,
Huffman, Jacob, James, MahOn, Martin,
Miller, Morgan, Parker, Powell, Stew
art, Tomlinson, Welch, Weodford, Nc
Whorter, Speaker-2G.
1t requiring twenty-niue to make a
constitutional majority, aad the bill
having failed to pass, on motion of hr.
FERGUSON, of Cabel, the vote was re-
considered and the bill was laid on the
table.
Adjourned.
Our system of G. What is Itf
| No. 3.
Editor of the Register:
have attempted in former numbers
to shsw that our system of Civil Polity,
is distiRct from, and exists independent
ly of, u people, who are only necessary
to give to the system physical express
sion ard practical manifestation, and
that this system can only be displaced
or overturned, in whole or in part, by
legitimate amendments or, forcibly, by
accomplished rerOlutiOn; and also the de-
signs of its founders, and the distribu-
tion they made of powers in order to
accomplish their designs. l feel my
self warranted in saying that there is
not man in the country, soldier or civ
ilian, who was true to the Government
during the late war that does not knOw
that the theory of the Government sub
stantially as | have stated it, was the
one the friends of the Government
adopted at the commencement of
tAe war, and continued to act
on and fight for, until the
insurgents surrendered in the spring
of 1865. Every act of the Gov
srnment, some of which were solemn
declarations of this fact rs its purpose,
and rendered solemn guarantees to the
insurgents, if they would submit and
return; every expression of the loyal
people; every act and proceeding rela-
lating TO the reorganization of the Gov
ernment of Virginia, and forming of the
New State, afllrms the fact: that the
sole object and purpose of the Govern
ment was to suppress the insurrectlon
aud preserve and maintain the national
system unbrOken and as little impaired
Us possible by the necessary wear and
tear of the war. To take time there
fore, to advance proof Of fact so well
known would be like attempting to prove
that the sun shines in clOudlcss mid
day, or that we exist.
The annihilation of States now set up
is u theory brought about since our tri-
umphant suppression of the insurrec-
tion in 1865, when all the insurgents
sure endered their arms and persons to
our Generals upon terms dictated by
President Lincoln. These terms as
sured TO the vanquished entire protec-
ton against civil or military punish
ment so long as they Obeyed the laws,
thereby securing the sacred pledge OF
the Government to all actually in arms,
who were, of course, the most danger
ous portion of the insurgents. None of
these, as / have heard, have broken
their parole. but have, as u general
| thing, demeaned themselves Ill man
ner becoming brave, honorable and SIM
cere men. 1t becomes, therefore, a Gu
rious inquiry bow ten States have been
annihilated during the calm and gen.
eral exhaustion consequent on such
war. Certainly President Lincoln did
not consider them annihllated when,
Immediately upon the surrender, he in
vited the members of the Virginia Leg
| islature who had been elected while the
| insurgents were operating her Govern
ment rs Il part, and in harmony with,
the bogus Confederacy before it was
| oyerthrown, to convene, renew their
oath of allegiance to the Government
and operate the State in harmony
Herewith. Though he revoked this in
vitation afterwards, at the instance of
others and for reasons other than the
humiliation of the States, it shews,
nevertheless, very clearly what his
views were after the war had ceased.
And it satisfies me, also, that if he had
been spared to the nation this phantasm
of State annihilation would never
have been started with any sue
cess. Mr. Lincoln was not prepared
to admit that, after having suppressed
the insurrectiOn, at a cost of half 8
million of lives and three billions Of
treasure, that the integrity of the Ma
! ton was still broken, and the Depart
ments, or States in which the insurrec-
tion had ragged were annihilated. The
sound head and patriotic heart of Abra-
ham Lincoln would never have made
so humilating, 50 self-stultifying, so
fatal q concession. He saw clearly
that the integrity of the Government
was saved and impaired, save the wear
and tear of the war, and that all that
was necessary to be done, was to place
those State Governments again in prac-
tical relation and harmonious working
with the Nation-from which they had
been temporarily diverted by the trea-
sonable acts of the insurgents who were
subject to be punished for their crimes
in the manner the laws of the nation
and Of war prescribe. No. his great
spirit, set free by the assassin's hand, as
it took its flight 10 more deserving
world, cast its last lingering and smil-
ing look on no broken Government,
with one-third Of it's States destroyed
as is now pretended, but on Govern
ment saved, vindicated and entire in all
! its parts as when il came from the hands
of its makers; save only ouch wear and
tear as successful war had occasioned.
He saw that the changes made by the
war repaired amendments of the Ma
tional Constitution, and ut his sugges-
ton, Congress had inauguarated an
amendment pending at his death, for
ever abolishing slavery, which has since
been duly ratified and is now part of
! that instrument.
President johnson adopted the plan
of reorganization (for the term Recon
structionn has been manufactured since)
that had been inaugurated by Mr.. Lin
coin, only with greater stringency, as is
clearly proved by General Grant and
others testimony before the lmpeach-
ment Committee. He by the great
calamity and without days prepara-
II