Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-03-24
TUESDAY MORNING.,
|, be : a,miss to refer 70 some 1 81 Che

il may not be arniss to refer to some ~ the
acts of recognition. .sdlH'I All ~ Wois
That President Lincoln constantly rec-
ognized them as States, and that President
johnson has eyer done SO, has been sui
ficiently shown. But. the recognition by
Congress has been equally explicit. By
the apportionment act, passed in the midst
Of che war, their due quota of members Of
the House of Representatives was assigned
to each of them. By i"An act to- provide
increased revenue from imports, to pay iin@
terest ON the public debt, and for other pur-
poses,'p approved August B, 1861. they were
expressly, and By name, recognized as ex-
istiup States. IL sff-j3i0 5ui lisSli sgnid Inc
z The 18th constitutional amendment,
abolishipg slavery was submitted to them
Tor ratification, and was ratified by Vir-
ginia, Louisiana, Tennessee, Arkansas,
South Carolina North Carolina, and
The l4th amendment was also submitted
to Them for ratification. - q .''o1l 2'i =
BY the act approved March q 1867, to
provide for the allotment OF the members
Of the Supreme, Court among the Circuits,
the Circuits then and yet existing, COM
posed wholly Of States, and comprising
the Southern iass9well asA Northern
States,cwere expressly recognized, and un-
der the allotment made, pursuant, to this
act, the Chief Justice of the United States
has held Circuit Court at fRichuond, iii
the State Of Virginia, and Mr.. Justice
Swayne has held like Courts In Tenn essee
The supreme Court.of the United States
enceIof the States -inquestion.e 1t decides
at every term suits brought from on appeal,
of which it would have no Jurisdiction, If
they were not States. i'a'77iu''1
It allowed Georgia and Mississippi, re-
spectively, in their characters as States, to
bring suits in that Courtv-and although
the suits were ultimately dismissed, the
dismissal was not upon the ground that
they had ceased to be States. On the con-
.trary their existence as States was fully re-
cognized.
An Indictment for treason has been found
against Jefferson Davis, and is now pend
ing in the Circuit Court of the United
States for the State of Virginia-a Court
whose very existence depends upon Yir-
/ ginia being an existing State. 2 70 'ei
But it cannot be necessary to pursue the
subject further. 80 30 e.,f<5 -, s.I =sssos +r,,,
4 Indeed, the resolution in question is so
manifestly wrong that your, committee
were, at first, disposed to offer no com
meDts upon it; and If they have changed
their purpose, it is only because, that, in
these revolutionary times, when the land
marks of the Constitution and the most
sacred rights of the States and the people
are threatened with destruction, no error,
however monstrous,s can be safely left un-
answered and unrefuted.
The third and last resolution is as fol-
tlows: .7iaial3tosd2 iiias ati3 T3f 135
'Resolced, That rebels having forfeited
all their civil rights by reason, of their
crimes committed against the loyal citizens
Of this Government, hold their very lives
at the mercy Of this Government, and un-
til they regain their former position in the
Union, have not the rights of citizens, and
are not entitled to the privileges that citi-
Zenship confers." @.'s ps7fiS
The civil and political rights of the peo-
pie as citizens of the United States are fix
ed by the Federal Constitution. Their
rights as citizens of the several States are
fixed by their respective State Constitu-
tions. So long as these fundamental laws
remained unaltered, tits settled and unde-
niable doctrine that no one, for the COM
mission of crime, can be deprived OF any
right, civil or political, except upon con-
viction before a competent judicial tribu-
nal. He may be arrested and confined
or held. to bail in order to Sc
fcure his trial, but 10 definitive
Judgment depriving him of his rights can
be pronounced before conviction. And by
the express provisions OF the Federal Con-
stitution, he has s'right to speedy and
public trial by an impartial jury of the
state and district wherein the crime Shall
have been committed, which district shall
have been previously ascertained by law,
and to be informed of the nature and cause
of the accusations; to be confronted with
the witne sses against him to have COM
pulsory process for obtaining witnesses in
his favor, and to have the assistance ol
counsel for his defence."
The same Constitution declares, that nc
one shall ''be deprived of life, liberty, OF
property, without due process of lava
provision that has always been Interpreted
to mean judicial process"
1t further provides that mo person shall
be convicted of treason unless on the testi-
mony of two witnesses, to the same overt
act, or on confession in open court"
1t further declares, that ''No bill of at
tainder, or erpost jacto law shall be passed.
by Congr 1t requires no argument tG
show that the resolution under considera:
tion, is wholly inconsistent with these
constitutional provisions. And that it il
equally opposed to the dictates of fsciviliza-
tion, humanity and religion is equally ap.
parent. r s.lt,.. .+.,i,
Your committee recommend that The
preamble and resolutions do not pass.
All of which is respectfully submitted
-li Signed by l sci ss4ani
| l;e,-. ...9, 80. w. FIELDING,
j. r. CoCKERILL,
taof 3'a i-.- w. d. HILL, ali9
lisii1F 'ei1 f--ot L e. PENNIsTEN, 81
II -.s -s al wifi Committee.