Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-02-21
what IL lhIs Reconstruction Fuss
a I~Auun

what II this ReconstructIon Fuss
1 About?
Did you ever think what all this FUSS
about so-called Recommendation means?
Why 1t is that Congress has provided for
The holding of Conventions to frame Con-
stitutions? Why the South is held under
military rule? All through the War the
Southern States had State Governments,
County, Town and City Governments, as
perfect as they had at any time previous to
the War. During the War, these Govern
nents moved in their respective spheres.
There was In them no suspension Of anima-
tion: For the time being, their relations to
the Federal Government were suspended.
That was all. These State and Local Gov
ernments were not In the slightest affected
thereby. Ithad not been before pretended
that their Constitutions were not Republi-
can in form. After the War, how
ever, they did incorporate into their
Constitutions, as part and parcel thereof a
provision that Slavery should no more
exist In their respective States. and laws
were passed comforting upon the Blacks as
many privileges and as much protection as
are enjoyed by the Blacks here in Ohio.
They also renounced the right of Secession.
By amendments to their Constitutions.
theysobli9ated themselves not to pay any
Of the Debt contracted by them in the
prosecution of the War. By one class Of
Republicans it had been declared that the
primary cause of the War was the institu.
tion OF Slavery. anu that unless that pri-
mary cause were eradica.ed there was
aliability of recurrence of, War. By the
roots the South tore up that institution
and threw it to one side. Another class ol
Republicans professed to believe that II
Twas necessary that the doctrine. Of
"heresy,, as they put it. Of the
fright 1of Secession, should be utterly
and disavowed, lest it lead to war In
thefuture. Most solemnIy did the South
disavow it. . And these two classes of Re
jpublicans united in the demand that nc
llpart of the Debt contracted by the South
in the war should be paid. Said they, the
Debt contracted by the Federal Govern
ment in this War to preserve the Union un-
broken or from dismemberment, is even
more than our people are able to pay, and
II it were not. our, people are. not disposed
to give countenance to the Rebellion =
by consenting to pay any part OF it created
in its prosecution. Responding to this de-
mand, and in attestation of an, earnest de-
sire henceforward to do all that pertained
to good and faithful citizenship of the
United States, the South provided that
none of her War Debt should be
paid, SO far as she was concerned. T.
It will thus be seen that the Southern
State Governments and the Local Govern
ments thereof were, at the close of the War
in as full and perfect operation as at any
time preceding the War. It will be seen
that their Constitutions were fully as Re
publican in form. 1t will be seen that in
addition the perpetual abolition of Slavery
was decreed, and provision, ample in its
character, made for the protection of the
Freedmen in person, property and life; that
Secession was avowed abandoned forever
that the, Rebel Debt was repudiated; that
all, in short, was done that even Fanaticism
could ask, except the giving to the Negroes
the same political privileges that custom
has made the heritage of White men.
1t was because the Negro was not made
q voter in the South that President JoHN-
SONS policy was repudiated after it had
been indorsed by the Republican leaders,
1t is for the purpose of makinga voter out
OF the Negro that Congress enacted So
called Reconstruction bill, and sundry sup
plsanentas Reconstruction bills. It is to
make voter. out Of the Negro that stand
ing army is maintained at great cost to the
taxpayers, in the South. 1t is to make q
voter out of the Negro that military
government is substituted in the South
for civil government. 1t Is to make
. voter out of the Negro that for over
two years the Southern States have
been denied the resumption of their
| rightful relations with the Federal
Government. 1t is to make q voter out of
the Negro that the Executive has been
shorn OF the power vested in him
by the Constitution of the United States
1t is to make a voter. out of the
Negro that the Supreme Court of the Uni
ted States is threatened with a nullification
OF its power to pass Judgment upon legis-
lation political in its nature. 1t is to make
a voter out-of the Negro that our people
are needlessly taxed. 1t is to make voter
OUT of the Negro that all kinds of business
has been brought to stand still. 1t is to
make voter out of the Negro that there
is undue poverty, distress and menaced
starvation throughout the entire Union.
So, all this fuss about Reconstruction, Is
to make voter out of the Negro, aud Tor
no other purpose. -
Democratic State Convention. OF
- WiscOnsin. 4..ss
On the 10Th he Democracy of Wisconsin,
by delegates, met in State Convention at
Madison, and nominated Charles Dunn, OF
Lafayette, for Chief Justice, and E. II. Ellis,
of Green Bay, for Associate Justice. The
following delegates to the National Con-
vention were appointed: Delegates at large
-H. L. Palmer, Sat. Clark, Gabriel Buck.
District delegates-First District, j. H.
Mallory, s. M. Mather; Second District,
E. B. Dean, g. w. Thorn; Third District
j. Z. Mcknight, Charles G.. Rodolf; Fourth
District, f. W. Hood, F. o. Thorpe; Fifth