Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1868-09-17

mcnccd ncfNcraion pi those NUTS, iol
lho manifest purpose Of securing par
THAN asoondanOy
Non will rcMemhcr that all parties
in the North denied the right OF a
State to scccdo hy ils own act, whether
by tho consent Of q majority or an il'
people Republicans as well a. Dem.
ocrats so maintained, and u followed,
logically that the attempt to practice
secession in the South became msur
rcciion againt the Constitution and
the authority Of tho Federal Govern.
mcnt. II followed, also, that the sup.
preston Of that insurroction by arms
could in no way terminate the eXis
tcnoe Of the States; and further, tnat
the penalties for the insurrcction
must fall upon its individual leaders
and abettors, and notupo the States.
The precise theory under which
George Washington suppressed the
whiskey insnrrection in Pcnnsylva-
mia. When, therefore, the war termi.
mated when the insurrectionists or
rcvolutionists threw down their arms
and Acknowledged the authority OF
the Federal Government, the States
remained intact in the Union and
the ordinances Of secession being
only means to the insurrection,
were thereupon null and void forever.
Was il not reasonable then that every
body should conclude that the Union
had been saved because all the States
had been kept within it. No one,
prior to the end of the war, pretended
that the States, whose people had
joined in insurrection, had escaped
from the fold Of the Union. The reb.
els did not so pretend. They con.
fessod to the contrary, to wit; That
they had been kept in the Union and
must live in the Union And had the
States so restrained been permitted,
after abolishing slavery, TO act the
part of States, the Union would have
long since been perfect and the ooun.
try saved from present disorders and
burthens.
1t will not do for Republican to
say that the rebel States had no right
toact as States, nor question the wisdom
of permitting them so to do, for Mr..
Lincoln had not only recognized this
right, but he had conceded it to one
tenth of the electors within any one
of them Louisiana and Arkansas,
to use Mr.. Lincoln's own language,
had placed themselves in "practical re-
lations TO the Federal Government
under this theory. 1t is a matter of
history that Mr.. Lincoln at the time
of his death left an unsigned procla.
nation applying this ten per cent.
theory to North Carolina. 1t is also
true that President johnson issued
that proclamation as applicable, not
only to North Carolina, but to the
other States whose people had en-
gagged in insurrection. Under these
auspices the revolted States proceed
to organize local governments and to
abolish slavery, TO discard secession,
to repudiate the Confederate debt, &c.
1t is also true, that all these doings
were endorsed by the Republican par
ty, especially in New York and Penn
sylvania. Is it not strange then that
the same Republicans who in 1865
conceded to one-tenth of the white
electors in a rebel State the right to
organize a State government, elect
Senators and send members to the
lower house of Congress, should now
deny these prerogativos to the entire
white population, and support pol
icy which attempts to devolye these
rights and privileges upon mass Of
ignorant negroes. One can stand a
case of ordinary discrepancy or incon-
sisteney in politics; but here is a vas
cillation too disgraeefil to be excused
| know that many of our Republican
friends are ashamed of it, and many
of them intend to wash their hands Of
this gross deception. But this was
not ALL About the beginning Of the
year 1866, some evil spirit instigatcd
that Congress that had been pledged
to war for the Union 20 discover
that the Union had actually been
dissolved. That the leading rebels
we're greater men than even they
themselves supposed and had done
greater things-that they had taken
the States out Of the Union, so far out,
according to Mr.. Stevens, that the
Constitution could not reach them
also that these great rebel leaders
need not be punished-that il would
be far better TO punish the States
to reduce them to the condition Of
subiugated provinces, notwithstanding
the Congressional pledge to sustain
the existence Of the States "with all
their dignity, equality and rights un-
impaired
Power and money became the com
mon desire and these could be best
secured by practically dissolving the
Union and lessening the representa-
ton in Congress, until the negroes Of
the South could be clothed with polit.
ical supremacy. To this endaIl sorts
OF vicious dogmas were onunciated
and the Southern people were accused
of the vilest crimes, even Of latent
purpose TO renew the war. Mr. Ste
vens, the leader in this new order of
things, scorned the restraints of the
Constitution, alleging that it did not
apply TO the rebel States, and boldly
confessing his intention of legislating
for them outside of the Constitution.
And now followed the means TO the
bad end.
Everybody will remember how the
country was shocked with the absurd
position Of Congress in 1866 that the
rebel States which had participated in
the amendment Of the Constitution,
abolishing slavery, were nevertheless
not entitled to representation in Con
grcss. Thoughtful men regarded this
as the signal for coming usurpations.
The most dull could perceive that a
State having the right TO amend the
Constitution must be q State for all
other purposes. Akin to this, was
the absurd idea, developed about the
same fimp. that n local Ip0islaturc