The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-09-02
FRANK P. BLAIR
RUMP RECONSTRUCTION.
Radical CoIIision with President
Lincoln-speech Of General Frank
II. Blair, Delivered at the Town of
Seymour, in Connecticut, April 3
1868.

| Discomfort was never so unlVersal I'D
our country as at this moment. Even
when the civil war excited the nation,
there was an enthusiasm on both sides,
inspiring heroism. The antagonists,
who were honest in their convictions,
felt a patriotism that lifted every man
above complaint or dependency.
When the war closed, the great mass OF
the people of the North were exultant,
and even its soldiers in the field of bat
tie where their foes surrendered, yet
smoking with blood spilled from Xiv
dred veins, proved, nevertheless, that
they cherished generous sympathy for
the fallen. They gave even their stores
of provisions to the vanquished as the
greater sufferers from longer depriva-
ton, and utterly stript of the means OF
supply. The hearts of the overthrown
South were touched by this magnanimi-
ty. Grant, with the sanction of Lincoln,
who was in the camp when the first bat
tie commenced, gave peace upon the
terms of the act passed by the almost
unanimous vote of Congress Immediate
ly after the war opened: "Your arms
surrendered, your parole given, 90
home, obey the laws where you reside,
and you shall not be disturbed" Thus
was the great rebellion extinguished.
Lincoln had previously declared, dur
ing it's continuance, the purpose for
which it was waged and the conditions
Oh which it would be closed. The Pro-
yisional Governors, who, as the deputies
of the President, are appointed to see
the preliminaries,o ,on which tho capitula-
ton is thus made on the fields of battle,
strictly observed, in this capacity be-
came quasi military and civil instru-
ments to conduct peaceably tue people
of the South into their old relations in
the Union, taking order that they
should not be obstructed in restoring
their constitutions and laws to the
state before the war, accommodating
them to the new conditions imposed
by it. Their function was to let them
know that the way was opened to them
for this good work, and give them the
aid of the general Government. The
1 people of every Southern State instant
ly addressed themselves to it. They
restored their old constitutions in exact
accordance with their original princi-
pies, and those of the Constitution OF
the United States. They abolished sla-
very to fulfill the demands made pend
ing the rebellion in President Lincoln's
proclamation as to the terms of surren-
der, and making this n condition OF
their restoration to all their rights by
amnesty under their renovated Union
constitutions. Mr.. Lincoln's pardon
of December 8, 1868. excepted from it all
above the grade of Colonel; certain civil
and diplomatic officers in the Confeder-
ate service, and those "who had left
their seats in Congress and judicial
stations" call who had resigned COM
missions in the army and navy of the
United States to aid the rebellion" with
these exceptions every man was pardon
ed who made oath in these words:
81 will henceforth faithfully support,
protect, and defend the Constitution of
the United States and the union of the
States Hereunder; and that | will in
like manner abide by and faithfully sup.
port all acts of Congress passed during
the rebellion with reference to slavery
and so long and so far as not repealed,
modified, or held void by Congress, or
by decision of the Supreme Court; and
that will in like manner abide by and
faithfully support all proclamations OF
the President made during the existing
rebellion having reference to slavery,
so long and so far as not modified or de-
clared void by decision of the Supreme
Court, so help me God"
This was the oath prescribing the con-
ditions of pardon to restore all the
rights of rebels not excluded by it's ex-
ceptions. This was followed by the
capitulation given by Grant to Lee under
the sanction of Lincoln, who was with
the army and in hourly communication
with Grant during the series of conflicts
which ended the war. This extended
the pardon to all who thensurrcndered,
and afterwards to all who surrendered
under johnson, and every successive
surrender, until all who gave their pa
role and took the prescribed cath were
entitled to the benefit of the amnesty.
This was the ground assumed by Gener-
al Grant when General Lee was indicted
for high treason, and this received the
sanction of President johnson, and
upon it the chief commanding the forces
of the rebellion was discharged from in
dictment formed against him by the
grand juryfor treason, the caPitulation
and parole, under Lincoln's proclama-
tion restoring him to all his rights as a
citizen, aud stipulating that he should
remain undisturbed as long thereafter
as he obeyed the laws, being construed
as equivalent to a pardon. Jefferson
Davis himself would have been exoDer-
ated, if he had been surrendered with
his troops under this capitulation. Not
one of the soldiers or officers of tho Con-
federate army can be Justly subjected to
punishment or any disqualification
from their rights of citizenship by any
eI post .fdcto law passed by Congress or
any of the States; nor can any OF those
persons entitled to avail themselves of
the amnesty proclaimed by either Presi-
dent Lincoln or johnson. The Consti-
tuition forbids it, and in every case
where the judicial tribunals have been
called on to interpose and stay the
usurpations of the Rump Congress,
and the military power asserting its au
thority, they have decided to maintain
the immunities of the people under the
Constitution, and the Executive amnes-
ties and pardons it authorizes.
Now, under what pretexts can the SO
called Reconstruction acts of Congress
be maintained against that which the
Supreme Court has in its recent decision
asserted. The plan proposed by Presi-
dent Lincoln was founded on the as
sumption that the States attempting
secession had no right to secede; that
all their proceedings in that direction
were illegal and void, and that whatev-
er shape usurpation ef State powers
might take in overthrowing the rela-
tions between the State and Federal au.
thorities, they remained unchanged and
ready for resumption as soon as the hos,
tile insurrectionary force was put down.
An opinion just pronounced by the Su-
preme Court during the present term,
establishing his plan of operations, pre-
sents the constitutional principle that
supports it. The Court says: "We
agree that all the proceedings of these
eleven States, either severally or in con-
junction, by means Of which the existing
governments were overthrown and new