Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-01-29
rhe Right of STATES to Represen-

The Right of States TO Represen.
sation In Congress.
The New York Tribune, by blowing its |
own trumpet, has reputation for fairness
In the discussion of political questions, |
which it as lily deserves as the most reck
less of the Radical press. Itnever has, and
we doubt if it ever will, discuss great
question freely and fully. In a newspaper
controversy it is as hard to keep the Trib-
une to the question as it is to find sense in
the tale ofan idiot, which is described as
:. full of sound and fury signifying moth
ing" rvf5y'7. 7T .szrz.s
I "A writer in that paper asks the editor this
among other questions:
! Third: If the President be President OF
the whole country. the Supreme Court the
Supreme Court for the whole country, and
Congress Congress only for the States rep
resented, is it not evident that the whole
business OF Reconstruction" (so-calied) is
;entirely out of the province of Congress,
and belongs exclusively to the President
and the Supreme Court? By,what author
ity may any other person or body inter-
fere, if there be no representation? In my
humble opinion. Congress has no jurisdic-
tion-no right whatever-to legislate for
those States until they are represented
therein, representation being the only and
sole source and condition OF Congressional
authority. 49, ~ -
To which the Tribune makes this reply:
hs'III. Mr.. Marrs has discovered shorter
and easier road to the triumph of secession
and disunion than we eyer before heard OF.
On his principle, a dominant faction in any
State-DelawaFe, for example might dis
solve the Union at pleasure by simply with
drawing their Representatives from Con-
gress, or electipg such as they mad ascer-
tanned would not take their seats. A sim
gle State having thus withdrawn her Rep:
resentatives, the acts of Congress would
have no force in that State; the Federal
revenue must cease to be collected there,
| and the tariff to be operative on imports
landed son her coast; SO, that cargo alter
cargo would be landed thereon free of duty.
and thence distributed far and wide, bank
rupting the Government while disintegrat
Ing and collapsing what remained OF the
Union" sss-ssss.sE
The reply is characteristic of the Irib-
une in skillfully eyading the question and
stating as facts things that are false. Each
State is entitled to its full representation
in the lower branch of Congress, and no
power, not even the people by an amend
ment of the Constitution, without violating
its provisions, can deprive State of its
equal suffrage in the Senate; for, the Con-
stitution says. that is one of the things that
cannot be done even, by an amendment OF
| the Constitution. hss Eef-.tss 5sza7s.sH
| A State, if it elects Representatives,
has right to demand that they be adj
mitted to seats and have votes in Congress.
If either branch of Congress discover
that member elected is disqualified, on
account of not having arrived at the proper
age, or has not resided in the State or dis
trict sufficient length of time, or for any
other reason he is disqualified, the majority
has not only the right, but the sole right
to say that he shall not take his seat. for tc
either branch of Congress is given the sole
right to Judge of the election, returns and
quail of its own members. But il
is the member alone that Congress has the
right, for good cause, to reject. They have
no more right to cay that the State of Vfr-
ginia, or North Carolina. South Carolina
Mississippi, Florida, Texas, Arkansas, al
ALBANIA, Georgia or Louisiana, shall mo-
send Senators and Representatives to Con-
gress, than we have to say that HORACE
GREELEY shall be denied the right to vote
in the county of Westchester, Ny, wher,
he resides, or in any other place that h,
may select as his residence. -
VIII lie State has right to insist tina
its enators and Representatives having
the proper qualification, and duly elected Il
| Congress-, shall be allowed to take thei
seats and to have all full rights accorded t,
those representing other States, any Stat,
has right to neglect or refuse to sent
members to either branch of Congress ant
this neglector refusal to do so, cannot mill
tate against their right to demand, that whei
elected. their members, if they possess tn,
necessary qualification, to be admitted ID
seats. During the war it was impossible
for the Union men OF the South to elec
Senators and Representatives. and henct
their right to be SO represented in Congress
twas held in allegiance. Since the war closed
they demand their rights and because they
could not elect during the war, the Radica
party holds that they lose the right by
non user.
The editor of the Tribune has rightft,
|cross from his Office over the little patel
of ground called the City Hall Park, ant
walk Broadway from end to end, when
lever it pleases him to do SO, but he has n,
fgreater right to do this than that the pc o
iple Of Virginia and Georgia have to
representation in Congress. Mr.. GREELEY
If he chooses so to do, need not step "a foo
In Broadway from one years end to anoth
er, butbecause he confines his walk Vi
Chatham and down William street to Wal
street, that does not debar him of the right
to walk on Broadway whenever he see
proper to do so, no more than it deprive
the voters of Virginia of the right to Rep
resentatives aud Senators in Congress
whenever they choose to exercise the righ
of an election. 5 e.,5 80. ~ =,
| Because a State, swithdraws her repre-
! sentation in Congress, the Tribune edito
says, it follows as, a legal sequence from tn
doctrine that all States have right to rep
resentation in Congress, that that. fac
z would discover the Union, for that, fac
would make the acts Of Congress void. N
such doctrine was ever assumed, and n
sane man ever held and will hold it.
dozen States may withdraw their Repre-
tsehtatives and the acts of Congress-, mad
under and by virtue of the Constitution
would be just as binding as if these doze
States had full representation. But whe
States demand representation and tha
demand is refused and the people of Stat
taxed without having representation
Congress when they demand it, the ques
tion is widely different one, and no on
knows this fact better than the Tribm
editor, who thus states falsehoods and sci
% up false issues, in order to cover up tn
want of argument and the reckless dsrt