Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1868-12-22
, paoNsFRUoTIoN A FAILURBI
Georgia and Maryland.

The boosted ,s'Reconstruction" OF the-R ad-
;col Rump, has proved failure by its own
showing. Thus. early in the present session,
nearly all its time is consumed in undoing
what has been heretofore done to restore re-
publican governments to the South and pre-
tended peace to the North, though in truth
anarchy and ruin to the one, and inevitable
destruction to the other. The Reconstruc-
ton Committee have been examining witness
ses with view of declaring adopted the
Mississippi Constitution, which the people of
that State voted down overwhelmingly. The
same committee have taken up the case of
Georgia. The latter State, it will be rcmcm-
bcred, went clear through the reconstruction
mill, adopted a scalawag Constitution and was
declared "loyal,' and in spite of all the ma
nipulation to which she was subjected, she
came out Democratic at the last election
This was not to be tolerated. Like the peo
pie who fall from grace, she is to belworked
over, and the Committee have prepared a
special outpouring for her benefit
In the Senate on Friday, Mr.. Edmunds
introduced bill to repeal the act of June
%, 1868, admitting Georgia to representation
in Congress, and to provide provisional gov
ernment therein and for other purposes,
which was referred to the Committee on the
Judiciary. 1t provides
That the Legislature of Georgia has vio-
lated the fourteenth amendment, by refusing
to purge itself of Ineligible members, and
has, in violation both of the Constitution, and
of the fundamental principles upon which
Congress consented to the restoration afore-
said, expelled large number of its regular
qualified members on the sole ground that
! they were persons of African blood, and that
the local authorities of the State appear to
! be wholly unable or unwilling to protect the
lives, liberties and property OF its peaceful
and unoTending citizens from lawless violence,
and refrain purposely or from want of power
from bringing such offenders to justice. The
preamble, therefore, declares that it fully APP
pears that the people of the State of Georgia
have not complied with the terms or con-
formed to the principles upon which its res
toration was provided for, and that the Gov
crnment therein is not in fact republican or
regular, and the bill provides that SO much
of the act passed June 25, 1868, as relates
to the State of Georgia be repealed; that the
Military Government heretofore provided for
by law be revived, subject only to limitations
now prescribed that the Government organ
lied under the new Constitution Of Georgia
shall continue in operation during the plea
sure of Congress as provisional only, and the
expulsion of African members shall be con-
sidered null and void such expelled mem
bcrs shall resume their seats, and their sue
ccssors vacating the same, and no person
shall be member Of the Legislature or hold
Office under the provisional government who
Is ineligible by the terms Of the fourteenth
amendment.
1t is further provided that the Circuit and
District Courts of the United States shall have
concurrent jurisdiction with the Courts under
said provisional government of all offences
aud t0tfs, but suc! United States Courts shall
not proceed therein unless the party injured,
or some one on his behalf, (whcn his evidence
cannot reasonably be obtained,) shall make
oath before the Judge or Commissioner that
justice cannot be obtained in said provisional
Court.
Finally, it is made the duty OF the President
Of the United States to cause to be stationed
III said State such part Of the land and naval
forces Of the United States as shall be sulli
cicnt TO carry the foregoing provisions into
effect.
Not content with thus demanding the re-
constructed State of Georgia back to its ter
ritorial condition, because forsooth, of the
expulsion from her Legislature of negroes,
whom its Constitution did not recognize as
citizens. Maryland is to undergo the same or
deal, (and the matter is now pending before
the Judiciary Committce,) unless she gives
practical effect to tho 14th amendment, and
invests the depravcd and ignorant negroes of
IL,
voice and palsy the arm of her patriotic sons.
That sterling sentinel on the outposts of. lib
erty, the Baltimore Gazette, is invoking the
people of the State to resist to the bitter end
either of the alternatives proposed by an in
famous and usurping Congress, and prefers
rather to ego down before tho sword and
not before the lash of its vile dictation.