The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1868-02-20
CONTINUED rom yeaterday's spA1ky.l
Goyer ~ w MI n III 4fnf Pech.

~ thcI AcSaueut Va tuS ohttSu GtuetS
N the execution OF this guarantee,
when it now stands confessed that he
could not execute the guarantee. But
even il he had the power, let it be fur
Their borne in mind that those consti-
tutions were formed BY conventions
that were elected by less than one
third of the white voters in The States
at that time that the conventions
were elected by small minority even
OF the white voters, and that those
constitutions thus formed by very
small minority have never been sub
mitted to the people of those States
Tor ratification. They are no more
the con situations Of those States to>
day than the constitutions formed by
the conventions now in session wonid
81 il we were To proclaim them TO be
the constitutionsnft those States with
ont first having submitted them to
the people for ratification. How can
it be pretended for moment, even
admitting that the President had the
power to start forward in the work of
reconstruction, that those State gov
ernmcnts are legal formed By a small
minority, never ratified by the PEG.
pie, the people never having had a
chance TO vote forthem. They stand
a. mere arbitrary constitutions: es.
tsblished not by the people Of the
several States, but simply by force Of
kyacntiv., nowpp
And, sir, if We shall admit those
States Il, representation on this floor
and in the other House under those
constitutions, when the thing shall
have got beyond our keeping and they
are fully restored to their political
rights, they will then rise up and de-
clare that those constitutions are not
binding upon them, that they never
made them; and they will throw them
off, and with them will go those pro-
visions which were Incorporated
therein, declaring that slavery should
never be restored and that their war
debt was repudiated. Those pro-
visions were put into those constitn-
tions. but they have never been sane.
toned by the people Of those States
and they will cast them out as not be.
ing their act and deed as soon as they
shall have becn restored to political
power in this government There
fore | say that even if he comedies
that the President had the power
which he had not. to start forward in
lAe execution Of this guarantee, there
can still be no pretense that those
governments are legal and authorized
and that we are bound to recognize
Them.
The President of the United States
in his proclamation. declared tina
those governments were TO be formed
only by the ioyai people Of thos,
States; andsl beg leave to call the at
tention Of the Senate tothat clause il
his proclamation Of reconstruction
He says:
'sAhd-with authority To exercise
within the lipits oisaid State, all tn,
powers necessary and proper to ena
bic such loyal people Of the State o
North Carolina to restore said State
10 it's constitutional relations with
the Federal government"
Again, speaking ofthc army:
And they are enjoined to abstain
from in any way hindering, impeding,
o. discouraging the loyal people from
the organization of State govern
ment rs herein authorized"
Now, sir. SO far from those State
governments having been organized
BY the loyal people, they were organ
iSed BY the disloyal, every Office pass>
ed into the handso Of arebel; the Union
men had no part or lot in those gov
ernmants; aud 80 far from answering
the purpose for which governments
are intended, they failed to extend
protection to the loyal men. either
white or black. The loyal men were
murdered with impunity; aud | will
thank any Senator upon this Aoor ia
point to single case in nyof the reb
Il States where 0 rebel has been tried
and brought to punishment by the
civil authority for the murder Of 8
Union man. Not one case, lam told
cannot be found. Those government:
utterly Jailed in answering the pur
pose Of civil governments; and moi
only that, but they returned the color
ed people 10 a condition Of quasi sla
Very; they made them the slaves o
society instead of being as they were
before, the slaves Of individuals. Tn
der various forms ofyagrant avs the,
deprived them ofthe rights Of free.
men, and paced them nnler the pow
er aud control oftheir rebel masters
who were filed with hatred and re
venge.
But, Mr.. President, time passed on
Congress assembled in December
1865, For time ii paused. Il dix
not at once annul those governments
1t hesitated. At last, in 1866, thu
constitutional amendment, the four
teenth article, was brought forward
IL basis Of settlement and recon
struction; and there was ::tacit ,n
Outstanding, though it WAS rot ON
braced in any law or resolution, tina,
iftheS Southern people should ratifj
and agree TO that amendment, theI
their State governments would bt
accepted But that amendment wa
rejected, contemptuonsly rejected =
The Southern people, connseled ant
inspired by the Democracy OF tn
North, rejected that amendments
They were told that they were no
bound to submit to any condition
whatever; that they had forfeited n,
rights by rebellion. Why, sir, wha
did we propose by this amendment
By the frst section we declared tina
al men born upon our soil were citi
xens Of the United States thinl
that had long been recognized BY
every department Of this g0yerpmen
until the bred Scott decision wa.
made 10 1857. The second section
provided that where class or rae.
Of msn were excluded from the RICH,
Of suffrage they should not be count
ed in the basis Of represeniation---ar
obvious justice that no reasonable
man for moment could deny; that il
our million people down South were
to have no suffrage, the men living in
their midst and surrounding them
and depriving them OF all political
rights, should not have fnembcfs 81
Congress- on their account. ] say the
Justice ofthe second clause has never
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