The Van Buren press., 1868-03-13
N'o~ tAs N. r (1sddesij 5uns.g
Congress and ths otaAs e Ahtoaa

Rfo~ ns N. r (1sdtesiJ Huns.a
Congress and ths 0taas q AlAtaaa.
The rejection Of the new Coussisssioa
by the people Of Alsbama. 10 trsated by
the Republican Party ID ConRrsss odd TIE
Press, ~ crime. The Tribune hes De.
clared II to be Of the sans uoslj chasae.
ter ae the rebellion itself. and this sspas
to be the general temper Ia which n hdis.
cussed in the quarters ressrred 10. Asd
the special guilt of II consists 10 he iAet
that It resists and dsfsrs reeonstsucties
here is chance offered 70 the people
Of Alabama to return to the Union:..--
they reject Il they ars, thsrSf6se. StM
opposed TO the Union, aad - nsst ssbe.s
at heart and 10 tact a. they wsrs. Is; s1f
Before the full weight claimed for 1t is
given 10 this argurient. two or three
things ought to be remembered - 'N'ah
l. In rejecting the new Constitution
the people Of Alabama merely e1erciscda q
right which Congress had recogpized -
belonging to them. II had submitted II
to their vote-with the distinct admission
implied in that act, that they had l right
to reject 1t, or right TO adopt h pthAe
their right to do the one waa tast ~ clear
and indispuiable IS their righ. 10 de- the
other
2 In the mode they took Of securing
its rejection, toy staying sway fsoA sAe
polls, they merely followed the peoviA
ions Of the law Of Congress-, They did
nothing in that respect which Copgre,s
had not distinctly admitted their right 70
do. tffuAN uu s35UT .UEi.ItlDfH
3. The question is not simply oneefsts
tnrning to the Union. II involves tAs
adoption Of Constitution which Is 10 q
henccforward the fundamental law of tIls
State, (which 10 to control che ic0ndhct,
define the rights and prescribe the dutiss
Of the people Of the State, Il . fpnds,
mental principle Of Republican Govern.
ment, of all free government, xiways
and everywhere.-thas no such coAsttu
ton shall be imposed upon any people
without their own consent that . ma;
jority of the people shall have : right 10
say whether they desire 10 live under 4 0r
not Congress recognized this tsinciple..
and gave the pcopie'Uf Alabama the full
advantage Of it tn the lax which submit.
ted it to their vote, with the exploit pro
vision that ifi Il Did not secure ths aseeol
OF the majority they should not be eoas
PEELED e son !yS s.s. apasEa un u,s qusisss
OF Union or no Union. II wAA nut fos %
against Reconstruction It. was fos, -
against, specific instrument, 80 special
Constitution, and the result wasI that's
majority Of the voters Of the Stale did
not adopt 1t and declare their wish 70 kws
under II. wa ashaaoa nv se 9iEfs
Congress- now proposes to DECLARE It b
have been adopted In spite ofths law and
of fact. But this is not simply rsstosiae
Alabama to the Union, A. Congress may
very well do at any time aid IN any way
it plesses. II is indch more than this.
The action proposed imposes upoA tho
people of Alabama . Constitution which
q majority of her voters. black and white.
do not approve. II declares that IN spits
of their rejection Of it 1t sAaA he ihsk
fundamental law the Governments Qfths
State in all its branches sAsH be orxanis-
ed under 1.-THE people Of the State shall
accept it as their Con stitntion, and their
rights, powers and inmupities. civil. po.,
litical and personal, shall be precisely
what it dcclares.th to.be, and nothing
else. y l,lad utdlr,lq igsrs tlse atI 81
Yet Alabama is to bc called State oc
the Union, in the enjoyment Of all the
rights and powers of State under the
Constitution, and especially OF that right
which lies at the basis and is the fOunda.
ton of all other rights in a. Republican
Govcrnment,-the right OF living ui,deg
such Constitutions aad laws ~ her own
people, acting freely aud awitAout eoer.
cion, may see fit to adopt y If absslute-l
ly necessary for tho cause, OF fresdam..
tnat every principle Of freedom should he
so utterly discarded and tranpled uadar
foot by Congress? ~, ,ast,,.,al,el ..l.,s
~. - - aa, n Al
IMPEACHMENT TRIAIs.-Sincs the allop-.
tion of tho COnsfituaion fhorc have hccu